Ciao Venezia! With the final book, Nightfall in New York, being published on 8th July, it’s time to revisit the previous books in the Taylor & Rose Secret Agents series — including third book, Villains in Venice.
Actually, Villains in Venice almost wasn’t set in Venice at all. When I first started planning the series, my intention was to set it in Vienna, which was one of the most influential and important cities in Europe at the time — in 1912, it was home to all kinds of interesting people, from artist Gustav Klimt to psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. When it came to it, however, it was my agent, Louise, who suggested that Vienna might not be quite the right fit for this book. Instead, I found myself drawn towards Venice, which had just the right kind of mysterious atmosphere I wanted for this story.
Here we rejoin Sophie and Lil as they try to come to terms with the dramatic events that concluded Spies in St Petersburg. Their mission to uncover the double-agent who has betrayed them leads them to Venice, where they learn more about the origins of the sinister secret society the Fraternitas Draconum.
I’d already done a lot of research, and in fact had written most of the story by the time I set off on my research trip to Venice. However, my visit there was still hugely important, allowing me to fill in some key final elements of the story — including the setting for the climactic scenes, which take place in an underground tomb beneath the Venice lagoon. What’s more, I took time to absorb all the details of the city, which I hope will leave readers feeling that they are exploring the twisty streets, canals and piazzas of Venice alongside Sophie and Lil.
What would your dream Venetian mask look like?
I looked at lots of traditional Venetian carnival masks as part of my research: they have a fascinating history. The sinister medico della peste (plague doctor) mask, with its long curved ‘beak’, has a particularly important role in Villains in Venice but if I was going to wear one myself, I’d probably choose a classic Colombina style half-mask. There are some gorgeous ones, and they would definitely be much more comfortable to wear!
What kind of interesting facts did you discover while researching the Secret Service Bureau?
There are all sorts of fascinating people associated with the early days of the (real-life) Secret Service Bureau. Mansfield Cumming (known as ‘C’) was the first director of what was later to become MI6 — he was rather an eccentric character who wore a gold-rimmed monocle, and always signed his name in green ink. Vernon Kell, who headed up what would become MI5, was another interesting figure, who’d previously lived in both Russia and China. William Melville was a celebrated detective who’d previously helped foil plots against Queen Victoria and the Kaiser: he was officially retired from Scotland Yard but secretly continued to do important intelligence work with the Bureau. One of my favourite facts about him was that he was friends with Harry Houdini, who taught him to pick locks!
Of course, there was also secret agent Sidney Reilly, known as the ‘Ace of Spies’ — a very colourful character who carried out undercover work in Russia and Germany. He was involved in wild incidents like stealing a newly-developed German magneto from the Frankfurt International Air Show, and was supposedly the original inspiration for James Bond. Not all of the Bureau’s work was so exciting and action-packed though — in fact, in the run-up to World War I, there was a lot of focus on trying to identify possible German agents that might be working in Britain, which involved lots of mundane investigations and incredibly elaborate record-keeping!
Which landmarks, galleries and other experiences are a must for a person visiting Venice?
For anyone particularly interested in history, I’d recommend a tour of the secret corners of the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace). There’s also the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, which is not only a lovely art gallery, but is situated in a wonderful location overlooking the Grand Canal. My top recommendation though is to find a quiet corner where you can sit and eat cicchetti and drink a glass of prosecco or an Aperol spritz, and soak in the Venetian atmosphere to your heart’s content.
- As always on my research trips, I did lots of walking. Venice is a great city to get lost in. I enjoyed meandering over bridges, along canals and through markets, discovering something new around every corner.
- The view through the window of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, which is situated in an old palazzo along the Grand Canal. The building has an intriguing history, and served as one of the points of inspiration for the (fictional) Palazzo dei Leoni, which appears in this story.
- Karl James Mountford’s gorgeous cover for the book had already been designed by the time I went on my research visit, so I was able to take a ‘dummy’ book along and pose for some pictures!
- I know Sophie and Lil would definitely approve of this – a break for hot chocolate and pastries at the city’s famous Caffe Florian.
- Many thanks to Katherine Woodfine for this fantastic content and to Nina Douglas PR for organising this promotional blog tour. Nightfall in New York, the final book in the Taylor And Rose series, is available from 08.07.2021.
