End games

Unlike what was written in one of the prior reviews, this was not a 'work-in-progress' but a completed novel before Dibdin passed away. What we have seen since the first book is a continuing series of darker and darker novels that speak of the 'ennui' that Italy has been suffering from for the last twenty years.

Aurelio Zen is temporarily stationed in Calabria in southern Italy. In this novel the Venetian inspector investigates the murder of an American lawyer who worked for a Hollywood film company.

I was immediately drawn into the story and transported to an Italian hillside - Dibdin's the master weaver of action in place. Just complex enough to be interesting and entertaining; perfect for a summer weekend.