I loved the premise of this book but the plot seemed far too convenient
The backstory was very complicated and hard to follow

This was an interesting premise that began with a bang and I wanted to love it, but I could not believe how many coincidences happened to Julia. I think there are a lot of readers who would not be as picky as I am so I caution you to try this book. I went in the middle for stars because the book had a lot going for it that could resonate with you.

I personally found the backstory confusing and wanted descriptions to be vivid or engrossing to sweep me into the story because I had trouble with the hard to believe plot. That said the writing was good and the main character was a woman I could get behind but it felt like the story tried very hard to be a twisted mystery while feeling predictable and didn't give enough plausibility to make the backstory dumps and her actions make sense.

The first half of this book was hard to understand. It switches between Julia's current search for her son, given up for adoption, and the darkness of her life years before on an isolated plantation in South Carolina that evokes images of the Civil War era. I kept reading, wondering how these two were going to intersect. Eventually persistence paid off as the plot really begins to gel about halfway through. Then it becomes a much more succinct mystery in the beautiful setting of Venice. Even so, I came away from reading this book with a feeling that a few details were left unresolved. I'm glad I finished the book, but the story could have been woven a bit more tightly.

This book was pure escapism, and a great read for me to feel like o was in Venice, exactly when I should have been. This last week I should have been there on my honeymoon, but it was all cancelled, so it was nice to stroll through the lanes and float on the canals with our heroine. Julia is sent an anonymous photograph and a one-way ticket to Venice. The photo is possibly of the son she regrettably gave up for adoption after escaping a traumatic marriage. She was married to a Southern man who owned a big Gothic style mansion, but they had to share it with his various relatives. He felt it was his responsibility to care for them all, but when Julia becomes hounded and someone attempts to kill her it’s all too much. She decides to flee, but in her distress makes a bad decision, to leave her infant son to be adopted. This decision comes to haunt her for the rest of her life.
At the start of the novel, Julia seems to have reached a state of peace and acceptance. However, once the photo arrives her peaceful life starts to unravel. The plot becomes convoluted once she arrives in Venice, but she does have one clear instruction, not to talk to strangers. I know how Venice can be very changeable. Just a turn down a different lane can take you from a busy square, to a deserted and seemingly derelict street with a menacing feel to it, especially at night. There is also that spooky sense of carnival and the mask, hiding identities and the wrong kind of stranger. So setting a mystery there is always a good choice. There’s plenty of atmosphere and I found the long descriptions of the city very evocative of the place. However, Julia seems to be incredibly naive at this point, despite the warning she’s been given and her past misfortunes. The plot relied on rather too many coincidences for me. She is befriended by an Australian, who agrees to help her travel the canals looking for a balustraded garden she can see on the photo - gardens are a rarity in Venice.
I won’t give away the ended, but I did find the whole thing a bit melodramatic and not realistic at all. Of course it is an older book (1970s I believe) but when I think of something like Highsmith’s The Talented Mr Ripley and it’s Venice sections, or even Du Maurier’s Don’t Look Now, mysteries in Venice have been done better than this.

Julia is an intelligent young woman who acts like an idiot. After a whirlwind romance, she left her job with a kind boss to marry a man she hardly knew and live with his family on an old southern plantation. She’s convinced the family are trying to kill her and eventually gets away, back to her job and understanding Sir Charles. Then anonymous letters arrive, one showing what seems to be a photo of the child she gave up for adoption. When she is sent a ticket to Venice, she sets off, quite unprotected, into an unknown world where people may be out to harm her. Why they would do so is quite inexplicable at first.

I read this book very quickly, so it’s enough of a thriller for you to want to find out what happens. The plot is convoluted and unlikely, although with a proper twist at the end. Heroine Julia is the weak spot. When she describes herself as a fool, you have to agree. I’d prefer a tougher heroine, not one dependent on knights in shining armour.

This was completely preposterous. It started off reasonably enough, although a bit melodramatically, but then it simply spiralled out of control into a convoluted plot that bore no relation to reality, with red herrings and conspiracies and double dealing galore. The basic plotline is that a young woman who gave up her son for adoption as a baby suddenly receives a one-way ticket to Venice and (naturally?) sets off to find him. I can’t say anything more without giving too much away but essentially the whole things is absurd and I didn’t even want to struggle on to the end to find out what happens. Ridiculous.

I read this book purely and simply because I love Venice (12 visits so far) The characters are believable although the plot is a little like an Agatha Christie bid say I enjoyed about 95% of it but the ending seemed a bit rushed.

Julia Rivers has given her son Dominic up for adoption after a tempestuous relationship with her now ex husband Breckon. Five years on she mysteriously begins to receive letters about Dominic, she then receives a photo and a one way ticket to Venice. Is this her chance to right the wrong of giving him up.
Julia commences her trip and begins the search for her son. There is a bit of drama and intrigue on her hunt for Dominic. This was an easy read but a little fanciful and lacking in any real depth for me. A light mystery with a few twists. Thanks for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

Whoa my first #NetGalley !!! BOOK REVIEW of "One Way to Venice" by Jane Aiken Hodge. Even if I want to be as nice as possible for being my first NetGalley, I won't lie. The first pages I was super intrigued, even if the writing wasn't really good. And then around the 40% of it started gettin bored! Didn't relate to characters. Suppose to be a mystery book but I wasn't sure of it, then there comes a twist! I was totally wishing for it and it died around the 70% in. Why? Suddenly the author decided to add some romance, jokes and a weird story in the exact moment that suppose to be serious, which, for me, ruined it all. It wasn't the right moment. As a thriller lover you expect that excitement moment and then she added conversations that doesn't fit at all. It suppose to be a bit realistic and make you feel even worried, well nobody in that situation would do what the characters did. I'm not disappointed but also didn't love it. The end wasn't good for me, I felt the author got tired of writing and just put something there just to finish. I'll say it's a good book if you're beginning to read thrillers or if you like the light version without anything too descriptive or any big murder, just a light mystery... I finished it in a day so it's a really light read

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Julia gave up her son to adoption. She has always regretted. Now, she is getting letters saying she has to go to Venice to save him. This story was just a cute mystery! #onewaytovenice #janeaikenhodge

The premise of this seemed like there would be a lot of suspense and intrigue, but the actual execution of the book wasn't for me. I like to be engrossed in a mystery, but this one attempted to include humor at points that didn't fit. Maybe someone else will like this one, I didn't.

Five years ago Julia was in love and expecting a child. Living in an overpoweringly gothic kind of house with a full family of her husband's relations was not what she had expected. However, he refused to budge saying that it was his responsibility to take care of it all. When she was almost hounded and killed Julia decides to run away and make a life for herself.

Julia was now in a state of almost being at peace. In very turbulent circumstances, a bad decision of giving away her infant son for adoption has derailed her life since. She has come to terms almost with this bad decision until she starts receiving mail and a photograph of her son along with instructions to come to Venice.

The story becomes quite complicated with her arrival in Venice. Despite being instructed to be cautious with strangers Julia seemed overly naïve and open especially in a cloak and dagger situation. It became farcical with the number of coincidences that happened to Julia one after another but she kept doggedly on in her search.

The fact that it ended well despite the danger and histrionics of a mad family hell bent on money added to this mystery.

A brilliant story. Very reminiscent of Agatha Christie. Highly recommended for mystery fans. Brilliant x