VENICE IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S most famous cities and an obligatory tourist destination. Now, for the first time, we look beyond the teeming canals and the crumbling palazzos to see the darkness at the heart of La Serenissima, the reality behind the postcards, and a city historically associated with both commerce and death comes to life in tales of treachery, crime, and lost souls, inhabited by locals and visitors alike.

VENTURING BEYOND ST. MARK'S PLACE, the Doges Palace, the Rialto Bridge and all across the still but deadly waters of the lagoon, stories from writers from all corners of the globe evoke the magic, the decay, and the beauty and despair of a city that has always fascinated its hordes of visitors. A dizzy waltz of sun and noir between the countless bridges, gondolas, and historical landmarks will mean you will never think of Venice in the same way again.

MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI is a British editor and writer. Following a long career in book publishing, during which he was responsible for several major crime imprints, he opened London's mystery bookshop Murder One. He reviews crime fiction for the Guardian, runs London's Crime Scene Festival, and is an advisor to Italy's annual Courmayeur Noir in Festival. His latest novel is Ekaterina and the Night, and he edits the annual Best British Mysteries series. He was coeditor, with Chiara Stangalino, of Rome Noir.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction by Maxim Jakubowski

Part I: AMONST THE VENETIANS
"Cloudy Water" by Matteo Righetto (Cannaregio)
"The Comedy Is Over" by Francesco Ferracin (Calcavia)
"Commissario Clelia Vinci" by Barbara Baraldi (Mestre)
"Little Sister" by Francesca Mazzucato (Ghetto Vecchio)

Part II: SHADOWS OF THE PAST
"Lido Winter" by Maxim Jakubowski (Lido)
"Pantegana" by Michelle Lovric (Santa Stefano)
"Desdemona Undicesima" by Isabella Santacroce (Piazza San Marco)

Part III: TOURISTS & OTHER TROUBLED FOLK
"Venice Aphrodisiac" by Peter James (Canal Grande)
"Drifter" by Emily St John Mandel (Ponte dei Sospiri)
"Rendezvous" by Tony Cartano (Calle Larga XXII Marzo)
"Signor Gauke's Tongue" by Mike Hodges (Palazzo Ducale)

Part IV: AN IMPERFECT PRESENT
"Tourists for Supper" by Maria Tronca (Santa Maria Formosa)
"Laguna Blues" by Michael Gregorio (Porto Marghera)
"A Closed Book" by Mary Hoffman (Rialto Bridge)