From Christine Mangan, the bestselling author of TANGERINE, comes PALACE OF THE DROWNED, an atmospheric literary thriller set in gorgeous, dangerous historic Venice.

When prim, stoic Frances Croy set out to write her first novel after the end of the war and the death of her parents, she felt nothing but an innate desire --- a sudden, gripping need --- to write. In less than a year, she had an enthusiastic offer from a publisher and the promise of a dazzling, star-studded future ahead of her. Sure enough, the praise for her book was exuberant and far-reaching, but since then her fame has dwindled. Her fourth novel has just been released to less-than-stellar reviews, and even her beloved editor, Harold, seems to be losing faith in her.

Desperate to emulate the iconic author Emily Brontë, Frances --- Frankie --- reads every last review of her book, until she encounters one that guts her. In a frank but sentimental tone, the review describes the joy the reviewer felt at discovering Frankie’s first book...and the utter disappointment and lack of substance that have come with every one of her novels thereafter. Crumbling under the weight of the pressure put upon her by Harold and herself, and still reeling from the harsh, almost personal review, Frankie goes apoplectic at a cocktail party at The Savoy one evening, an event that nearly costs her her career, reputation and sanity. She then disappears from the spotlight, much like the famous Agatha Christie.

When we meet Frankie, the year is 1966, and she has ensconced herself in her friend’s abandoned palazzo in Venice, the city of water, Shakespeare and a spirit of endurance. Horrified by her behavior and near-mad with the need to revitalize her career, the Frankie we meet is put-together but fraught. A simple, low-maintenance woman, she has found herself a bit too adaptable to the loneliness that comes with retreating to a city where she knows no one. She has developed a careful routine, and though she is eager for her friend Jack, the owner of the palazzo, to join her, she has grown content with her isolation, reveling in her newfound freedom to descend into her thoughts. And then she meets Gilly.

One day, while walking through Venice, a young girl in a trendy, far too short dress calls out to Frankie, claiming to be the daughter of an editor at Frankie’s publisher. Gilly is precocious and brash, far more confident than she has any right to be. Frankie is immediately turned off by her, but there is something appealing about finally being known by someone in Venice. Although Frankie tries very hard to turn her away, Gilly has an almost supernatural ability to pop up where she is least expected.

Before long, the two are venturing to cafés, bars, parties and even the opera. But no matter how much time they spend together, Frankie never feels totally at ease with Gilly. She is mercurial, arrogant and headstrong, yet also naive and vulnerable. Even worse, she seems to know things about Frankie that she shouldn’t. In her own vulnerable state, Frankie cannot be sure what is true and what isn’t. But when she learns that Gilly is also a writer, her past comes rushing very close to her present. And when Venice suffers catastrophic flooding, Frankie must wade through a series of lies and shocking revelations to discover the truth about Gilly and her own future as a writer.

PALACE OF THE DROWNED is a heady, atmospheric novel --- at times so thick with detail and a sense of place that the narrative is almost inaccessible. So much of the book is neither plot- nor character-driven, but rather propelled by the anxious, paranoid thoughts of Frankie, that it can be difficult to find a stronghold early on. Frankie is not a likable character, but she is certainly a compelling one. Although her anxiety and confusion can be stifling, Mangan is able to unlock an entire world of choices, fears and traumas in her head.

This is a decidedly gothic novel, highly literary and steeped in references and allusions to classic literature, which may turn off some readers. But when the plot kicks off about halfway through, it becomes propulsive. With so much of the story occurring in Frankie’s head, the sudden shift to real danger and conflicts feels like the ultimate climax. And when Gilly’s true identity and motives are revealed --- along with the response from Frankie --- the novel becomes as fast-paced and creepy as the best contemporary thrillers. With moody, damp and sultry off-season Venice creeping on the edges of every page, the already taut plot becomes even richer in dread and a sense of foreboding. Mangan’s descriptions of Venice --- beautiful, historic, crumbling and full of surprises --- really flesh out the melodrama. In fact, I’m certain that this book could not work in any other city.

Though slow to start, PALACE OF THE DROWNED is full of gorgeous, rich descriptions of Venice and a surprising, tension-filled friendship. A mesmerizing literary thriller akin to REBECCA and THE SECRET HISTORY, it is sinister, beguiling and ghostly.

If you read Tangerine, Mangan's last novel, you will not be disappointed by her new book. Palace of the Drowned is such a cinematic story it's like watching an Italian neo-realism film from the 1950s directed by Vittorio De Sica.
The protagonist, a much celebrated author, is on a soul searching trip to Venice after she has been through a public breakdown that sent her to a clinic. Her best friend, a moneyed socialite, offers her family's palazzo, where the writer can stay and recover, hidden by the world.
But one day, she meets a teenage girl who says she is a fan of her books. Suddenly the teenager seem to be everywhere the writer goes and strange events begin to happen as a consequence. She begins to think if it's all her imagination or is it something more insidious?

“When I read that review, it was as if someone had printed all my worst fears, all my deepest secrets, for everyone to read.”

I’d never intended to visit Venice, but after reading Christine Mangan’s Palace of the Drowned, I can’t say that it sounds appealing. Mangan’s 1966 Venice is portrayed as a dismal place, rotting, smelly and miserable. But since our main character, Frankie Croy is depressed, perhaps, after all, it’s a state of mind. Frankie is a writer with a number of books under her belt.

Her second novel had sold well based on the success of the first, but her third had faltered, and it soon became apparent that this, her fourth and most recent, was destined for the same type of mediocrity.

Frankie’s first novel was the result of personal tragedy and mental anguish. Her ability to write (and subsequently publish) recuperated her life following WWII and the death of her parents. While it’s not explicitly stated, it becomes obvious that her fragile mental health is linked to her success as a writer. It’s as if her creativity is waning since her other novels have not had great success and she “could feel it, she thought: the end lurking just around the corner.” She’s sure that her publishing house is losing interest in her, but she still has a book left on her contract. Frankie “had always had a tendency to fixate, to obsess,” and then she reads a review written by J.L. The review is blunt and to the point: the new novel is “so apathetic, so resigned, so passive,” that J.L (whoever that is) wonders what on earth “happened” to the writer’s talent. Frankie’s publisher at first tries to reassure her and to brush off the review as nothing serious, but then he lets slip that Frankie’s work has become stale. Frankie takes the review personally. She’s angry and suggests that her next novel will be about the murder of a critic.

Frankie’s world begins to fall apart. Initially she tries to identify the reviewer, and the review continues to get under her skin; she can’t let it go. This shift in Frankie’s mental state culminates in a very public embarrassing scene in London, and she flees to her long-term heiress friend, Jack’s, palazzo, The Palace of the Drowned, in Venice to lick her wounds, hide and heal.


In Venice, she was allowed to be someone else. Someone who was, she often though, a version of her former self. She had read somewhere once that the fog in Venice obliterated all reflection.

Frankie is keeping to herself when she meets Gilly, a young woman who claims to know her. Frankie, who isn’t the friendliest person at the best of times, bristles at Gilly’s forwardness at first, but then begins to melt even though Frankie is fairly sure that Gilly is lying about knowing her. There’s something about Gilly that’s not quite right. She appears to be a young, almost giddy girl, a girl whose “life was filled with luck, filled with perfect moments by being somewhere at just the perfect time, by being the type of person to always say the absolute perfect things.” Yet there are glimpses of an agenda under the surface of Gilly’s desire to enter Frankie’s life: uncomfortable moments, manipulations.

Frankie had always trusted her instincts, and there was something now warning her against the girl watching her with an eagerness that continued to unsettle her.

Palace of the Drowned is an atmospheric novel. There’s Maria, the Danvers-esque housekeeper who doesn’t speak English, who may or may not be snooping in Frankie’s room. Then there are those noises in the deserted palazzo next door. And then what of Frankie’s mental state? There are hints of earlier issues–issues prior to the review that sent her over the edge. Is Frankie a reliable judge of character or reality any more? As one journalist said, is she losing the plot???

A terrible sense of dread and impending doom permeate this novel–from the rotting palaces, stinking water and the dreadful weather. The magnetic relationship between Gilly and Frankie, with its bizarre undercurrents is reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith, and so expect no easy answers here. The heavy fog of depression which seeps through every page combines with multiple vague mysteries to weigh down the plot at times, and the secondary characters are, unfortunately, vague and not that interesting. Ultimately the dark ending carries the tale to a satisfying, although ambiguous ending which made me wish I’d found the characters a bit more compelling.

Review copy

If you’ve been to Venice, you know that in addition to being beautiful and historically fascinating, it’s also, well, kind of a creepy place.

So I was delighted by the creepy premise of this creepy book set in—you guessed it—good old, creepy Venice.

I didn’t love Tangerine so I was a bit skeptical about returning to Mangan’s work, but I’m so glad I did because this was an exceptionally good piece of fiction.

Venice, with all its creepiness, is a fantastic place to set a novel, yet I rarely find that it’s used to its potential. But Mangan achieved that and more in Palace of the Drowned, which is worth reading purely for the gorgeously atmospheric depiction of the Sinking City, and also boasts an intriguing, chillingly fascinating plot with terrifically rendered characters.

I absolutely loved Frankie and the way she was depicted, and everything—from what transpired between her and Gilly to the strangle relationship she forms with the palazzo and the city itself—was gorgeous.

Though the story itself is more than enough, this is also one of those books that is worth reading just for the pure pleasure of the reader experience. I found this to be particularly true having been to Venice, but I imagine it will resonate for those with no real world experience of it as well.

I really loved this book. It's has all the elements of a beautifully written piece of literature, combined with mystery, suspense and darkness. The language and descriptive skills of this author make the reader feel every emotion and footstep of the main character. This is my favorite read so far this year and I hope it finds a wide audience. Fantastic!

(The following review will appear on CriminalElement.com the week of publication.)

Frankie Croy was once a literary darling, her debut novel a smashing success both critically and financially. But in the ensuing decades her star has never risen beyond the height of that initial book, and a particular review of her most recent release sent the author into an emotional tailspin culminating in a very public breakdown.

Desperate to escape London and the eyes of society, Frankie accepts an offer of sanctuary from her best friend Jack, whose family owns a palazzo in Venice. Maybe there Frankie can properly distance herself from what happened and recapture her old spark. Write a new novel that will fully redeem her.

But Venice, for all of its history and beauty, has plenty of darkness. It’s a place marked by death and decay — perhaps not the ideal retreat for an author struggling with her uncertain nerves…


Even the name of the palazzo itself seemed to portend something dark and ominous.
“The name?” Jack had asked, the first time Frankie had inquired. “It’s named after the family that first built it.” There was an edge to her voice, as though she hesitated to speak the next set of words. “Only, no one really knows it by that name anymore.”
“Oh? What do they know it by, then?” Frankie asked, suspicious now of her friend’s tone.
“It’s silly—and the story behind it is probably not even true. In fact, part of me used to wonder, and still does, quite frankly, whether my father didn’t make the whole thing up just so that he could keep us playing too near the watergate. Isn’t that what fairy tales are for? To warn children?”
“And what exactly were they warning you against?” Frankie demanded.
Jack hesitated. “Drowning. My father used to say that his Venetian friends called the palazzo by the name Ca’ de la Negà. Palace of the Drowned. The story is that the wife of the man who previously owned the palazzo drowned there. He found her floating in the canal, just outside the watergate, apparently. Whether it was accidental or otherwise, I don’t know. Listen, it’s all just a bit of nonsense, I’m certain. And besides, I can’t imagine any person less inclined to believe in ghosts than you, Frankie.”


Still, Frankie finds herself liking Venice far more than she expected to. Soon, she’s falling into comfortable routines while enjoying the novelty of the different customs and foods. And, to her great relief, she also finds herself writing again, with a passion she hasn’t felt in ages.

Then she meets Gilly.

The young woman claims to be the daughter of an old acquaintance, but somehow that doesn’t ring true for Frankie. She calls the palazzo to arrange a coffee date, when Frankie knows she didn’t give her the number — she didn’t even know the palazzo had a telephone. And the more time she spends with the intense girl, the more disquieted Frankie becomes.

Just what is their connection? Was their meeting actually a coincidence, or something more? What are Gilly’s true intentions?

Palace of the Drowned is an aptly named thriller. Not merely in a literal sense — the story unfolds in the fall of 1966, when the floating city suffered a devastating flood — but on a psychological, atmospheric level as well. From the very first page, Mangan’s new release pulls us in and steadily overwhelms us with uneasy tension, until we’re struggling to breathe…

Protagonist Frankie is very much a woman treading water, frequently in danger of going under. She lives a claustrophobic, lonely life out of choice, but there are a handful of people she clings to like life preservers: closest friend Jack, Jack’s husband Leonard, longtime editor Harold. She’s well aware of how tenuous and small her existence is, but she truly can’t imagine living any other way, being an introverted hermit by nature.


The truth, she knew, was that women occupied a liminal space within the history of literature — within history itself, when it came to it — and she did not want herself further marginalized by her mistake. She wanted to be able to claim her own name, her own story, for her volume to sit among those of other men, other women, and to know that, wherever she was, ephemera or otherwise, she would be able to stand by those words and phrases that made up her work, that made up her.
She would not lose control of her own narrative, would not allow herself to be erased by this other voice. She was still here, still mattered to someone, surely. I still matter, she told herself, the reassuring words washing over her — no, skipping over her — so that she did not feel them. They were a tease, a taunt, one she could not grasp within her hands.


The entrance of Gilly is like a tidal wave, throwing Frankie into a spiral of confusion and high emotion, and Mangan pours on the suspicion in their shared scenes. Like Frankie, we never feel as though we have a firm footing when Gilly appears; we analyze and second-guess everything she says, looking for cracks and explanations, just waiting for the drop.

The tense dynamic between Frankie and Gilly has shades of The Talented Mr. Ripley — fitting, considering the text itself references Patricia Highsmith early on — while the shadowy Venetian setting adds a thoroughly Gothic air to the proceedings. The second half of the crumbling palazzo is unoccupied, everyone insists, but Frankie knows she’s seen lights in the rooms at night. She’s heard footsteps and doors closing. She’s seen a human figure outlined in the window, and a man across the courtyard in the rain.

At least, she thinks she has. But could it all be nerves? Her imagination working overtime, after she heard the spooky origin of the palazzo’s name? Or is there something sinister, even dangerous, happening next door?

Between the mysteries, Mangan leaves room for some powerful emotion about the nature of creativity—


She had felt possessed, as if something had caught hold of her and refused to let go until it had extracted each and every last word that had been circling inside of her since the start of the war…
(She) waited for that same feeling the first novel had elicited from her — that urgent need to write, to put pen to paper, as if she might burn up and disintegrate into dust if she didn’t get it all down fast enough.


—and the emotionally fraught toll the publishing industry has on a writer, the constant need to meet or, better yet, exceed expectations with each new volume. The unending push and pull between criticism and praise, the destructive power of words and public opinion, and how all of that can push someone beyond their own limits and rationality.

Palace of the Drowned is a meaty psychological thriller perfect for fans of Highsmith and du Maurier, so vividly described you can smell the briny air of Venice. It’s a slowly unfolding tragedy that seems painfully inevitable, even destined, by the end. Like receding floodwaters, this one will leave a mark sure to linger for weeks to come.

Unfortunately I could not enlarge the print on this book and as much as I tried I could not read it without getting a headache due to the small print. I hope that this could be made available in a larger print for those who need it.. It sounds like a great book and I loved the writing style on the couple of pages that I was able to read.

This book began almost as a tour of Venice piece. We know everywhere she goes, that something happened to make Frankie go but not what. In comes Gilley. From there in nothing makes sense to me. Is this real, a mental breakdown, had she committed a crime, is she schizophrenic? The problem for me is that the way the author explained things I still don't know.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

"It’s 1966 and Frankie Croy retreats to her friend’s vacant palazzo in Venice. Years have passed since the initial success of Frankie’s debut novel and she has spent her career trying to live up to the expectations. Now, after a particularly scathing review of her most recent work, alongside a very public breakdown, she needs to recharge and get re-inspired.

Then Gilly appears. A precocious young admirer eager to make friends, Gilly seems determined to insinuate herself into Frankie’s solitary life. But there’s something about the young woman that gives Frankie pause. How much of what Gilly tells her is the truth? As a series of lies and revelations emerge, the lives of these two women will be tragically altered as the catastrophic 1966 flooding of Venice ravages the city.

Suspenseful and transporting, Palace of the Drowned brings the mystery of Venice to life while delivering a twisted tale of ambition and human nature."

Just a dash of Patricia Highsmith.

I absolutely loved the writing in this book. There is one passage where Frankie feels trapped at a party and the writing is so intense that you can feel her anxiety, her inability to breathe and her ultimate escape to fresh air. It was mesmerizing to read the descriptions of Venice - especially the water which plays such a huge part of this book. But the pace of the story was just too slow, and unfortunately the writing just did not compensate for the pace. I skipped entire chapters and found that I didn't really miss anything. I did have to backtrack to one chapter just to get the details but I had already figured out what happened. Without providing any spoilers it is was too easy to figure out how this would all come to conclusion, although the ending was really disappointing. I hope the author continues to write as she has such talent, but perhaps needs a little more editing. Although I did not love every part of this book, I would encourage others to read it just for the beautiful prose. I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC through NetGalley and Flatiron Books in exchange for an honest review. This book is planned for publication on June 1, 2021.

I tried to give this one a chance, but ultimately DNF'd it halfway through. I felt totally disjointed from the narrative and felt like I was not part of the story, to the point where I had to read chapters twice to remember what was happening. Overall, this was not for me, sadly.

I came for the Venice setting and wasn't disappointed. Venice is one of the most atmospheric places I've ever visited and this novel definitely captures the atmospheric of its setting. The story itself is not what I expected and twists and turns like Venice's streets. As the story arcs, I started to be reminded of the Drake line about your idols becoming your rivals. This novel kept me captivated, but the ending felt a little abrupt to an otherwise very strong book.

An extraordinary literary thriller.A book that is chilling that will keep you turning the pages.A book that is so well written so involving a mesmerizing read an author to follow. #flatironbooks

So many emotions. This book is literally a masterpiece. First let’s talk about the figurative language which is just beautiful. In addition to the story is transfixing. I would absolutely recommend this book. It’s a perfect jewel of a novel.

Truly an atmospheric and eerie read that takes the reader through the streets of Venice. It’s the kind of book that forces you to keep reading and questioning, I often found myself reading at night; simultaneously creeped out and enthralled. On one hand, it’s the perfect book for nighttime reading, on the other, maybe having a couple lights on is recommended. The creepiness is not in what is commonly found in horror movies. No, it’s in the pacing and subtlety. I think that makes it scarier; just the quietness of it all. Christine set the pace of the story just right: slow enough that it feels sort of tranquil but also starts to build up so that by the end you’re left wondering what you just read. And whether you ever really knew anything at all. Nothing was ever as it seemed and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going to happen (also the fear, let’s be honest). I won’t spoil the ending but I’ll. be very interested to hear people’s thoughts on it closer to publication. An overall great read by Christine!