While on a concert tour of Italy with her husband, a celebrated but self-absorbed musician, Cornelia rebels at seeing nothing but concert halls and railroad depots. After leaving Venice, she decides to go back. Grabbing a suitcase, she leaves the train and boards one heading back to Venice. There she books a hotel room and goes for a walk. Soon she meets and rescues a Chihuahua in distress and reluctantly returns the adorable little fellow to his owner. This sets Cornelia on a path that leads to new friends, remarkable discoveries that promise to rock the world of art history, and unexpected romance (not just with the Chihuahua). It also helps Cornelia to understand herself and changes her future.

Among the growing body of novels that involve revelations extracted from long-lost manuscripts, this one is a small jewel. Its suspense derives, not from keeping the new discovery from villainous hands, but from human interactions, both contemporary and five centuries past. Another plus is a satisfying and plausible conclusion, not a cop-out that sends the long-lost manuscript plunging into a fire or an abyss before anyone finds its secrets. It's Kathryn Walker's first novel; let's hope it's not her last. ( )

great read! Venice, 1600's art in venice, italy, relationships