Title: Where is Susan?

Author: Jane Shaw

Publisher: Bettany Press

Date: 2006

Pages: 171

Format: Paperback reprint

Description

Where is Susan? Is set in a new destination for Jane Shaw, Venice.  As with all Jane Shaw’s books, the charm of the story is enhanced by the lively descriptions of setting.  The essential element of Venetian life, like pizza, gondoliers, pigeons and cafes in Piazza San Marco, all feature in one of Jane Shaw’s rarest titles.

Susan and her cousin Midge arrive expecting to meet Charlotte and spend a few days exploring before welcoming Susan’s parents off the ship which has brought them from Africa.  Needless to say, a great deal happens before the reunion eventually takes place.  This includes the unexpected arrival of the Gascoignes in Venice for the ‘Bean-ally’ (Susan’s version of the Biennale).  Susan and Midge have a difficult time avoiding them, at the same time as being unable to find Charlotte and the Lyles.

Frantic chases across the city by foot, gondolier and vaporetto are required in order to reunite one of Charlotte’s newly acquired young men with a valuable stamp which the beautiful but slightly incompetent spy placed in Susan’s papers for safe-keeping.  Readers familiar with Susan will know that this is about the silliest move any one could make!