This novel is a gripping adventure/mystery story with supernatural and fantasy elements, set against the gorgeous, exciting and sinister background of 17th century Venice. It opens with a prologue set sixteen years before the main action of the book, during carnival time, when two young lovers witness a terrible crime..

The scene then shifts to sixteen years later, to the London home of philosopher and traveller Dr Prosper Bonaventure, where he lives with his sister Mistress Julia Quickly, his adopted daughter Meg and his assistant Hopewell Shakespeare. They receive the visit of the beautiful Emilia Lanier, who asks Dr Bonaventure to come to the aid of one of her friends in Venice—a Jewish doctor called Jacob Tedeschi whose 16 year old daughter Sarah has disappeared after being accused of being a witch by one of the city's most influential noblewomen, the Countess Montemoro. She is hiding out somewhere in the city. Dr Bonaventure has many influential friends in Venice, and Emilia thinks he'll be able to rescue Sarah, and bring her safely to England. And of course he needs the help of Hopewell and Meg..

So they set off for Venice, and into an exciting adventure, when they will have to affront many dangers..But when Dr Bonaventure is kidnapped and ends up in the gravest danger possible, Hopewell and Meg have to race against the clock to find him as well as Sarah.. This exciting novel mixes wonderful elements—vivid atmosphere, real people such as Emilia Lanier—who was famous indeed, and whom some believe may have been the model for Shakespeare's 'Dark Lady'-(he almost certainly knew her, anyway)-fictional characters, Shakespearean elements, a little fantasy, slapstick humour and some very dark things too.. It is also a sequel to my earlier novel, The Tempestuous Voyage of Hopewell Shakespeare.