And here is an extract of a very intriguing story!

Synopsis

A young Englishman captured by slavers must survive the snakepit that is seventeenth-century Venice.

1604. As pirates seeking slaves to sell in the markets of North Africa terrorise the coasts of Europe, headstrong Richard Sheriff and his sister Elizabeth are torn from their Devonshire home and thrust into a waking nightmare.

Richard’s skills as a blacksmith see him fetch a high price, but the pirate captain has other plans for Elizabeth and once they are separated, Richard has no idea of his sister’s fate. They must both learn to survive on a deadly voyage into the unknown.

Sold into servitude in Venice: glittering, vicious city of secrets, he is apprenticed to a knife maker. Richard’s talents soon win him renown… but haunted by his sister’s absence, he vows never to stop looking for her, knowing she would do the same for him.

First he must survive that city of ghosts. Will the siblings live to see each other again, or will they join the myriads lost to Venice, where life is cheap, profit is all, and escape nigh-on impossible?

A powerful historical adventure perfect for fans of Kate Mosse, Ken Follett and Robert Harris.

Extract

Early-morning mist veiled the city. Richard saw the beauty that had seduced Challenor. Venice was as enticing and beguiling as any woman opening her arms to greet them. Embrace or smother them? Richard thought. The sun’s rays gently disrobed her, exposing alabaster and marble, smooth stone reflecting the sparkling water. Beckoning. He looked at the gaping maw swallowing the lagoon. Down its throat they went. Water traffic increased. Bells rang out from around the city. Left and right. Near and far. The barges forged along the waterway with the running tide. The further they travelled, the more the city revealed itself. Grand houses on both banks, painted in various hues. Green window shutters encased by arched pillars. Ornate decoration proclaiming wealth. 

The waterway curved around houses and buildings whose frontage were lapped by the waves. It turned again as the silent, awestruck captives clung to the boat’s gunwales, gazing at a city the likes of which they had never seen. Richard looked at Martin. The veteran seaman showed no wide-eyed surprise, he simply gazed ahead. Off to one side a wooden bridge across a narrower canal was busy with foot traffic and carts jostling for position. There was no balustrade to stop anyone tumbling into the water, but the surefooted citizens showed no concern. A few glanced across at the new arrivals, but made no comment and quickly directed their attention back to where they were going.

The captives’ journey continued with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. When the boats went below a curved stone bridge, arched high enough for them not to duck, a few people crossing looked down and called to them. The captives did not fully understand the language, but it sounded as though words of comfort were being offered. The lighters turned into a narrow waterway alongside a pillared hall. Willing hands onshore held the paddle end of the boatmen’s oars, securing the lighter against the wall. The oarsmen shouted and gestured the captives to scramble ashore. Waiting men manhandled them into line and, when everyone had disembarked, they were hustled into a vast open space already crowded with chattering merchants bargaining over their wares. Different areas held various goods. Bales of wool, bolts of cloth, spices, food and barrels. The men led Richard and the others to one corner that appeared to have been kept clear for their arrival.