Berendt Does Venice: in his second unsinkable best seller. Out author John Berendt mines the depths of a famously sinking city.

John Berendt turned the world on to Savannah when he published Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evilin 1994. The book, which reveled in the mysterious and scandalous details of two gay lovers' murderous quarrel, broke the New York Times record for the most consecutive weeks on the nonfiction best-seller list, causing Savannah tourism to explode.

According to the Times, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to call a travel agent and book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime." Now, with The City of Falling Angels also holding strong on the best-seller list, Berendt is doing for Venice what he did for Savannah. The city of Casanova is far better known than Georgia's sleepy, sultry city, but count on this inquisitive author to unearth secrets unknown even to those who make falling into the Grand Canal during Carnival an annual ritual.

In both of your books, location is a character. But does location determine character? It shapes lives. When you have a powerful setting, it's a contributing factor to the story, especially when the locale is a self-contained environment, isolated physically and emotionally. Savannah was like that; Venice was like that. They're both steeped in ritual and history.

People say that Venice is too overcrowded, too expensive, that it smells. Why should people go? The smell is overrated. I was there for months at a time and there was no smell. It is expensive. When the euro came in, prices doubled. I'd say don't go unless you enjoy marvelous and exciting places; everywhere you look, it's spectacular. Venice is a joy to go to, and they cater to tourists in terms of the facilities.

Is it possible to avoid the crowds? There's almost no low season, just the period between New Year's and Carnival. The routes between the Academy, the Rialto, and St. Mark's are main thoroughfares and you will hit crowds. But wander a little bit away from there, 50 yards, just wander, and you'll find a different city. Walk 100 yards and there will be even less tourists. Ask people, though you often get wrong instructions. "Keep going straight," they say. But you can't follow the Grand Canal straight--you'll just go in circles.

Can you come to Venice, make it your home, and be accepted? Of course you can; there are lots of expats. Accepted by whom? There are gradations. I didn't give a damn about acceptance. I wanted entree, to observe. As long as I got the story right, that's all that matters.

It's been said that Venice is a dying city. What does that mean? After Napoleon defeated the republic, there was nothing for Venice to do but become a tourist attraction, as it has been for 200 years. Its death was predicted 200 years ago. It is still authentic. The art and architecture are extremely well-preserved, but there is less indigenous life. So there is the question, Has it become a museum city? Yes, it probably has.

The paradox is that tourists destroy tourism. Tourism has meant the loss of greengrocers and bakers, all replaced with shops that sell masks and that kind of crap. Venetians are very upset about it. A local man walked me through and said, "See that leather shop, that paper shop? That's where I used to buy my eggs, my milk."

What do you know about gay life in Venice? It was known to be a gay mecca in summer in the '50s. Cole Porter was there, foreigners would take palaces, invite local youths, gondoliers. There is a story about a homophobic police chief who raided one of these parties and found his son there. In the book there's a gay poet who commits suicide.

There is such an emphasis on artifice in the book--the opera house, the line about everyone always acting. Is this just a more extreme version of the way we all live? As Venetians live in the city and walk around it, they see themselves as part of a play. The feeling seeps into their behavior. People think the cover of the book is a photograph of La Fenice opera house [which figures prominently in the book], but it's really an arcade in St. Mark's--so much of Venice is theatrical.

How do Venetians differ from other Italians? They're not as dark. Their hair and complexions are lighter, and they walk differently, it's said, because they're always going over bridges.

The Best of Berendt's Venice

Hotel Hideaway: Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal (1325 San Marco, 011-39-041-5200211). "The hotel, across from Harry's Bar, has a gondola station and overlooks the church of Santa Maria della Salute."

Delectable Dining: L'Osteria di Santa Marina (5911 Campo Santa Marina, 39-041-5285239). Berendt praises the "fish-based menu" in this "lovely restaurant in a small square." A popular dish is the shrimp in saor (confit) topped with chopped leeks and ginger.

Local Treat: Tramezzino (the Italian word for sandwich, literally, "in the middle"). "It's on white or whole wheat bread without the crust, and you can find them all over." Typical fillings are ham, cheese, or tuna.

Riding the Water: Vaporetto #1, Berendt says he hasn't been in a gondola in years: "It's not something done by Venetians; it's too expensive." But the affordable #1 "goes up and down the Grand Canal; it's the greatest ride in the world."