The Girl From Venice by Martin Cruz Smith (Simon and Schuster)

Cruz Smith will probably always be most associated with his classic novel Gorky Park but he has written many other great books since then.

His latest is set in Venice in 1945 as the war comes towards a messy end.

Lagoon fisherman Cenzo tries to keep himself to himself but is dragged into murky waters when he comes across a young woman’s body floating in the lagoon – and then finds she is still alive and in lots of trouble.

Giulia was born to a wealthy Jewish family and is now on the run from the SS.

Rather than hand her over to the Nazis, Cenzo chooses to protect her – a move that leads them both into a world of danger and deception.

The first part of the story follows the days just after they meet. The later part of the book moves the action to Mussolini’s decadent puppet regime in Salo.

It is here that Cruz Smith’s tremendous ability to evoke a time and place – in this case a town where order is swiftly falling into chaos – really comes to the fore.

The Girl From Venice includes some memorable characters, including Cenzo’s brother  Giorgio, at once self-serving, treacherous but perhaps also loyal at root to his brother.

The writing remains first class throughout. There are rare moments of extreme violence, which are the more shocking because the author does not signpost them in advance or describe them in massive detail.

The Girl From Venice is another excellent book from one of the best thriller writers in the business.