| In the fourth book of the Aurelio Zen series, Zen has returned to his birthplace, Venice. His old American girlfriend Ellen has asked him to look into the disappearance of a wealthy American named Durridge some months ago; nothing came of the case and somehow the investigation was politically squelched. But Zen cannot investigate in an official capacity, so he finds a harmless excuse of an affair -- repeated complaints of "hauntings" lodged by a batty old countess who's something of a family friend.
But when a fisherman sees a "ghost" of a body in a white suit on the deserted Isle of the Dead, then turns up drowned, and the head of the Venice police's drug squad is discovered smothered in a cesspit, Zen realizes there's a lot more going on here than anyone thought or might want to have come to light. Worse, his recent girlfriend Tania moves into his apartment in Rome with Zen's mother and complains by phone about his absence, while Zen finds himself falling in love with childhood friend Cristiana Morosini -- who is separated from her husband, a slick businessman running for mayor of Venice. Or is she? | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story: Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - power The antagonists are: - evil politicians How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting Europe Yes European country: - Italy Water? Yes Island? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing Unusual forms of death - drowned Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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