The Treasures of Venice

August 1, 2009
Samantha Lewis is taking her honeymoon trip to Italy by herself. Her fianc' called off the wedding, and the tickets were nonrefundable. She is feeling a little maudlin while sitting outside a caf' in Venice when a handsome man greets her as though she was waiting for him. Irishman Kiernan Fitzgerald takes the pretty blond on a tour of the Doges Palace to lose whoever is following him. Kiernan has come to Venice to rescue his sister, who has been kidnapped. The ransom is the fabled lost Jewels of the Madonna, and his rescue plans do not include falling for a beautiful American tourist. Neither wants to get involved, and yet they seem to have fallen in love at first sight. Samantha starts dreaming about the past, the fifteenth century to be exact, when the jewels disappeared. Soon she is an unwilling accomplice to Kiernans quest, which leads them into the seamy world of gamblers, goons, and treachery. McGarys satisfying, fast-paced romance is filled with passion and deception that resonate through the centuries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)