Book 14 of the 50 Book Challenge

Cabal  by Michael Dibdin, 248 pages

Started February 28th, finished March 

This is the third and final book in the Dibdin omnibus I borrowed.  It starts off with a 'jumper' who falls from the dome of St Peter's onto the floor of the Nave during a mass.  Now here is why I resent Dan Brown.  This book, being a mystery, set in the Vatican City, centering around St Peter's, with a church conspiracy, well it reeked of Angels and Demons.  Even though this came many years before and isn't anywhere as silly.  That's what you get for enjoying a silly, fun beach read.

My main problem as I began this book was that I took a dislike to Zen.  Not good when he's the main character.  I wasn't taken with his girlfriend either.  This didn't get any better as the book went along.  The relationship issues were so predictable as to be painful.

The book got sillier as it went along with a seemingly unnecessary strain added in.  It wasn't silly enough to be put in quite the same box as Angels and Demons but it was definitely heading that way.  If it had been that ridiculous I probably would have been more enjoyable.  It was daft enough to make it unbelievable to me.  Without being ludicrous enough for me to throw care to the wind and enjoy the ride.

Now I can watch the BBC adaptations.  Which I'm hoping I will enjoy more.  From the clips I've seen it looks like a gorgeous production.  As I've decided to give Dibdin a wide berth from now on I won't be too bothered about discrepancies from the original text.  And, well, it's Rufus Sewell ;-)

2 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 14, Pages - 3,807

Next - The Little Stranger by Sarah Walters

Book 8 of the 50 Book Challenge

Vendetta by Michael Dibdin, 238 pages

Started February 12th, finished February 15th.

This is the second book in my Aurelio Zen omnibus.  I felt more at home with the character in his second outing.

This book once again starts in Rome and gives us a lovely feel for the city.  As well as a Venetian feeling slightly at odds with the world outside Venice.  The book also takes us to Sardinia and gives us not the most flattering portrait of small town Sardinia.  I was interested to learn how things we expect to happen in Sicily and Naples are as prevalent t in other outlying areas.

There were parts to this tale which seemed a little far fetched to me.  As well as a little OTT and not necessary to keep me interested.  However, I did enjoy it and was a nice enjoyable read.  I have no idea if the tale is as far fetched as it seems maybe I just leas a sheltered life.

As detective fiction goes it doesn't reach the levels of my triumvirate, Harry Bosch, Kurt Wallander and Guido Brunetti but I will finish the trilogy I've borrowed.

3 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 8, Pages - 2,385

Next - The Diary of a Nobody by Weedon Grossmith

Book 5 of the 50 Book Challenge

Ratking by Michael Dibdin, 265 pages

Started January 21st, finished January 27th.

I've been meaning to get into the Aurelio Zen series for a while now.  Just somehow Dibdin never got to the top of the 'to read' pile.  It got a meteoric rise to the top when the BBC screened adaptations of the books.  I had to get to know Zen myself before I saw someone else's interpretation of him.

Zen's a Venetian living and working in Rome, sent to work on a case in Perugia.  He's pretty typical of fictional detectives.  There's nothing super original in the character so far.  The interesting part of the book comes at looking at the day to day corruption in Italy.  Something that never fails to fascinate me.

The case Zen's sent to solve is a pretty interesting tale.  Kept my attention throughout and kept me interested to see who was guilty, who was innocent and who was in the grey areas.

The thing I liked most about the book is the sense of place the author gives.  His descriptions of Italy are great.  When a book makes me want to buy a 'plane ticket it's doing something right.

4 out of 5 pawprints.  I'm looking forward to the second book in the series :-)

Total so far, Books - 5, Pages - 1,343

Next - Cross of Iron by Willie Heinrich

PS.  Two more of my Twitter buddies have joined the challenge.  Their blogs can be found:

http://amarettolatte.wordpress.com/

http://www.warpfactor.co.uk/

Happy Reading!