The Venice Sketchbook

The Venice Sketchbook (2021) by Rhys Bowen is part wartime romance and part mystery novel. It alternates between two plotlines: that of Juliet Browning, an English woman, and her time in Venice; and that of Caroline Grant, the great-niece of Juliet. Upon the discovery of Juliet’s decades-old sketchbooks and several old keys, Caroline embarks on a journey to uncover her great-aunt’s secrets and recover her own happiness along the way.

This guide references the 2021 Lake Union Publishing Kindle edition of The Venice Sketchbook.

Plot Summary

The Venice Sketchbook opens with Juliet Browning agreeing to act as a British spy and report Venice harbor activity to the British military during World War II. The action then jumps backward in time to 18-year-old Juliet’s first time visiting Venice, falling in love with the city, and becoming infatuated with a local, Leonardo Da Rossi. Their ill-fated romance and its consequences form the primary personal conflict of the novel, a conflict deepened by the large-scale happenings of World War II.

Shortly after her initial visit to Italy, Juliet must give up her dream of becoming a famous artist and an independent, well-traveled woman. Her father loses their fortune in the 1929 American stock market crash and passes away not long after, leaving Juliet to take responsibility for the family, quitting

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