Buy used: $18.45
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Friday, May 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Tuesday, April 30. Order within 20 hrs 3 mins
Used: Good | Details
Sold by tLighthouse Books
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine and cover may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. 100% GUARANTEE! Shipped with delivery confirmation. If you're not satisfied with purchase please return item for full refund.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Gregory Dowling
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Four Horsemen: A Novel (Alvise Marangon Mysteries, 2) Hardcover – October 10, 2017

by Gregory Dowling (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 122 ratings
See all formats and editions

Named one of the Top 10 Venice-Inspired Books by Venice Insider!

"[An] excellent sequel...Dowling’s lead’s wry sense of humor is a plus." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The second of two historical thrillers set in 18th century Venice, featuring a tour guide who is drafted as part of the Venetian secret service.

Tour guide Alvise Marangon thinks he knows Venice better than ever, but now finds himself ensnared by mysteries as obscure as the city and in many cases just as old. Certain that he is finally about to have his guide’s license revoked after a tavern brawl, Alvise is instead dragooned into the service of Missier Grande, who has linked the death of one of his agents to a secret society known as the Four Horsemen. Every attempt that Missier Grande makes to investigate the matter is blocked by forces on high, and enlisting Alvise is a move of last resort―one last-ditch effort to uncover the crimes of the present in the secrets of the past before the future claims more lives.

Among the dark arcades and fetid canals of 18th century Venice, Alvise is the one who finds himself led on a tour, at any turn of which could lie a fresh corpse or an ancient conspiracy.

Previous page
  1. Book 2 of 2
    Alvise Marangon Mysteries
  2. Print length
    320 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Thomas Dunne Books
  5. Publication date
    October 10, 2017
  6. Dimensions
    5.77 x 1.16 x 8.49 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1250108543
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1250108548
  9. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[An] excellent sequel, Dowling successfully builds on the clever premise he introduced in 2016’s Ascension." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An erudite, complex mystery that surprises at every turn." - Criminal Element

"The Four Horsemen is a pacey, enjoyable thriller with an excellent sense of location, entertaining characters and a satisfying twist. Great fun to read." - Historical Novel Society

About the Author

Gregory Dowling grew up in Bristol, England, where he attended a local grammar school. He read English at Christ Church, Oxford and obtained a First Class Degree in 1978. From 1979 to 1981 he taught in language schools in Naples, Siena and Verona. In 1981 he moved to Venice, where he has lived ever since. Since 1985 he has worked at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where he is now Associate Professor of American Literature. In addition to his novels (five thrillers), he has done numerous translations from Italian into English, has co-edited two anthologies of poetry, written a book on American narrative poetry, a book on the English verb system and a guidebook to Byron’s Venice, as well as numerous scholarly articles on British and American literature. He is editor of the British section of the Italian poetry-journal Semicerchio. For many years he wrote and regularly updated the sightseeing pages of the Time Out Guide to Venice.

He is the author of several novels, including Ascension.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Dunne Books (October 10, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250108543
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250108548
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.77 x 1.16 x 8.49 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 122 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Gregory Dowling

Gregory Dowling

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
122 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Scott D. Stanley
5.0 out of 5 stars Humor and mystery abound in a bygone period of Venice
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
I love Mr. Dowling's writing. He bring's Venice to life during a quasi period that is both basking in its former glories and transitioning to the tourist mecca that it is today. His characters are colorful and fleshed out without saying more than is necessary, and while the plots may not reach the conspiracy standards of today's deeply troubled world, they are rich with intrigue and occasionally situations of page turning tension. I could not put it down, and this can be hard for me as I am a painfully slow reader. I loved The Ascension, and now I gratefully can add The Four Horsemen to my collection. If you enjoy a good mystery that transport you to a place you wish you could visit for all its history, then let Dowling take you away to Venice.
Helpful
 Report
Bookhimdanno
4.0 out of 5 stars This story doesn't stand out but he is able to bring Venice to life
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017
The Four Horsemen is the second in The Alvise Marangon Series and while I wasn't lost in the story the author had me wondering about the words he used. When a readers can't figure out a word it taken them out of the story bring it to a crawl. While most readers will be ale to figure out the meaning of the different words non the less other will struggle causing them to leave the story behind.
The Alvise is a tour guide in the city of Venice. The author Gregory Dowling is able to paint such a beautiful picture readers will feel like the are walking the streets. Gregory Dowling has a wonderful ability to create banter that flows from the different characters making memorial moments in the story.
While this story doesn't stand out from all the other authors who write about unknown forces his ability to paint pictures of the locations will bring readers to Venice never wanting to leave.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Thomas Dunne Books for the advance copy
Helpful
 Report
Reeve Lindbergh
5.0 out of 5 stars Advise Marangon is delightful and in peril, the mystery is fast-paced, and Venice is a magical setting
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
Another thriller from 18th-century Venice, featuring charming, irrepressible Alvise Marangon as a guide for English tourists who doubles as a secret agent, once again risking his life to save his beloved city from sinister forces. Venice itself is beautifully rendered, the mystery is captivating to the end, and the characters---good and evil-- are thoroughly convincing. Humor is subtle and pervasive
throughout
Helpful
 Report
HelenH
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2018
Solid entry in the series. Wasn't my favorite, plot-wise, but the characters and the city come alive. Alvise is really good at his "job," despite his own reservations about what he is doing. Once again readers get a tour of old Venice, and it's appreciated. Settle down to a comfortable read for an afternoon (or two), and enjoy.
Helpful
 Report
Susan Middleton
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! I can't wait for the next one
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
Brilliant! I can't wait for the next one! It was well written, a great picture of 18th Century Venice, interesting characters and an excellent story.
Helpful
 Report
Kathleen Gonzalez
5.0 out of 5 stars A witty, smart, sexy, and sometimes gruesome tale of 18th century Venice
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2017
Holy moly! I just finished The Four Horsemen, the last 50 pages in one fell swoop because I couldn't put it down! Gregory Dowling is the master at leaving you panting at the end of each chapter. There I was, laying in bed reading, wincing and grimacing as the book reached its climax. Alvise is such a clever protagonist, in his own estimation so adept at "improvising" in tough situations, and so knowledgeable as a cicerone (tour guide). He's also sarcastic and witty and smart. Then every once in a while I'd remember that all this comes from Gregory Dowling, who must know Venice inside and out--inside churches, a bookstore, and taverns as well as each canal, alley, and campo. He brings the 18th century to life with every step Alvise takes, which, as a lover of Venice, I particularly love. And as an added bonus, I got to know a noblewoman, a spoiled nobleman, a casino owner, a bookshop owner, some street urchins, tavern folk, an office clerk, a maid, Greek visitors, and the Missier Grande, as well as many other typical Venetians--a real joy to get to inhabit their world. In this book as well as Ascension, the first in the Alvise Marangon series, Dowling presents the most authentic and fullest portrait of Venice I've encountered in a novel. I'm already waiting for the next one!
Helpful
 Report
MishMish
5.0 out of 5 stars Great page turner!
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018
My husband bought this book, and I had to read it before he started it. I became an instant fan of Alvise Marangon series after reading Ascension, and I enjoyed The Four Horsemen even more. Great page turner! Characters surrounding Alvise are so lively and I can imagine seeing those people in modern Venice. Even Missier Grande, the most mysterious person in the book, has quite a convincing personality.

The historical maps in the book were helpful when I walked the area of Alvise's house and other spots important for the story after reading it. 18th century Venice came to life! Looking forward to reading the next in the Alvise series!
Helpful
 Report
Julianne3205
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting historical mystery
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2017
I started reading Four Horsemen right after Ascension, and it is even better. The characters are further fleshed out, and the mysteries deepen around a group of Greeks who want to take the treasures from the basilica of San Marco back 'where they belong.' In a whirlwind of activity that involves a man falling from a balcony under mysterious circumstances, time at the casino in the service of Missier Grande, and a brief affair with a noblewoman, Alvise follows the trail of the conspirators in an exciting ending. This is a great series that I hope will continue. Dowling states at the outset that there may be more old manuscripts from which he can relate tales of the past. I hope so :)!
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Marinella
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! A rattling good story that leaves you wanting to read more of the hero’s adventures.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
A totally convincing and original follow-up to Ascension, if anything more gripping. The historical background, the atmospheric setting of 18th century Venice, and especially its lagoon and waterways, the engaging characters of Alvise Marangon and his friends, and a mystery for Alvise to solve, all draw you into the story of theft, deceitful double-crossing, violence (but not over the top) and obsession. And the two (for the moment) ladies in Alvise’s life. The “villains” are complex characters, and in a Venice where masks can hide much, no one is quite what they seem. As the plot develops and the pace quickens, we get surprise after surprise, right up to the end of the book.
Gregory Dowling writes beautifully. Not all crime writers write with such flair. It is five years since the book was published. I do hope another Alvise Marangon is in the pipeline as the first two books are so enjoyable and I really want to know what happens to Alvise’s relationship with Lucia. Magari finisse bene!
Report
Walabah, a shady tree
3.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric
Reviewed in Australia on August 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
Amusing, atmospheric - really, quite enjoyable
Report
J C
4.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2020
Verified Purchase
Easy reading, enjoyable story
Report
A Reader from Sussex
5.0 out of 5 stars A clever, witty and beautifully written adventure
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a great story, I loved it’s sense of place and atmosphere. A wonderful sequel to Ascension, with the characters developing interestingly in this latest story. The historical setting makes it even more interesting, but anyone who knows Venice even a little will recognise the accurate depiction of the city. Highly recommended and I can’t wait for Alvise Marangon to return for a third adventure.
Report
J.G. O'Brien
5.0 out of 5 stars Close to perfection
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
What here is not to like- an Anglo-Venetion hero; a complex criminal conspiracy; a wonderful cast of characters all set against the backdrop of the most magnificent city in the world. The writing is tight in all the right places and is cleverly paced to deliver optimum satisfaction. I loved 'Ascension' and given how much pleasure I derived from Alvise's second outing, will now doubtless sit around grumpily, waiting for episode three to emerge.
Report