Mortal sins

Author : Jonathan Holt
Title  : The Abomination
Published : 21/11/2013
Pages : 400
Format : Paperback
Publisher : Head Of Zeus

 

     They found the woman's body on the steps of a church, washed up by Venice's winter tides. A tattoo on her wrist matched graffiti in an abandoned hospital, not used since the Second World War. It's Captain Kat Tapo's first murder case, and she'll do anything to get to the truth. But as the hunt for the killer intensifies, she discovers secrets from Italy's dark wartime past that will put her in great danger...Want to hear Venice's secrets? Enter Carnivia.com

 

     I have to admit that what first drew me to this book was the setting. Venice is a place I have never been but I know a few people who have and they go on about what an amazing place it is if you can get around all the other tourists ha ha. The other thing is it being in my favourite genre which is to say crime and mystery fiction. Now I realise that Venice is part of a deeply catholic country so I was slightly intrigued by the premise of our victim being left for all to see dress as a priest. While I realise that the church of my country allows women to be ordained I know that most if not all other do not. I'm still not entirely sure what the reason for this but hey ho.  So why was our victim wearing the robes and who could have want to make a spectacle of the murder.  

     This is the first in a trilogy of books and my first meeting with the three leads there in. First is Captain Kat Tapo this is a women who has for the most part fought tooth and nail to get to where she is. In a heavily male dominated career she is already fighting an uphill battle. I like her a lot she's cautious with out being afraid and does her best to try and get to the bottom of things. Having said that at times she seems to throw caution to the wind and jump headlong into things with out much thought. For me this makes her come to life and more realistic of what we as people are like never truly being one thing or the other. Thought out the case she comes into contact with and untimely teams up with Second Lieutenant Holly Boland. She is another great example of a women in a very male dominated world They both come across as very strong people willing to fight for every thing they can get. At time suffering from harassment from there colleagues even when they are simple trying to do there jobs. Holy came across as being wise beyond here years trying to connect the various threads together. She seemed good in a pinch as was willing to think her way out of situations that would have left me dumbfounded. And the last in our little band is  Daniele Barbo the creator of the website Carnivia.com. He I suppose is the most mysterious of the three. Someone who mostly keeps to him self and I get the impression does things just to see if he can with out much thought to what happens after the fact. He has managed to create a virtual Venice right down to the cats sleeping on windowsills. Having done so seem complete uninterested in how its users interact with it and what they do while they are in it. Babro strikes me as someone who has little time for others but through the events of the book comes to trust our two heroines enough to let them in.  The three play of each other well be it in terms of friendships or camaraderie in the pursuit of the truth.

     This is definitely a great thriller it ties together so many different strands along the way. The author picks up many topics that are difficult to deal with and some would rather not discus all together. The use of the Bosnian war was one that took me by surprise. It's one that I think many have chosen to forget. A war in the heart of Europe that now most have little time for or chose to forget.  The story ties into many of the atrocities that where carried out during this time period. Be it the ethnic cleansing or the systematic rape of thousands of women by both sides. When every I read about such subjects I find it greatly troubling. How is it always women that seem to suffer so greatly at times like these. Rape is a subject that comes up time and again in crime thrillers an acts so atrocious that it takes everything away from some one. I suppose here it is used as it is a widely known fact that this crimes took place. While the details that come through are shocking it is not used in a way that would seem exploitational. The author also tackles the subject of organised  religion The third if you like of world controlled by men I guess you can see the theme running though this. To be specific the ability of women to become priests and as such the word of god.  I would imagine this is probably a view the author has strong views on as shown by the way Kat confronts the catholic churches representatives on the topic. Its great to read a book with strong female leads in it Although this may also be down to the type of books I chose to read. This is a book in which our heroines don't need to be rescued by a white knight. Every time the author backs them into a corner and you start to wonder if they will get out alive he chooses to have them figure away out of it for them selves. Its interesting to start a book and think you have some idea of where its head only to be turned completely around and thrown off on completely a different course. The subject matter he has chosen to tell his story around is for obvious reason very dark but he manages to bring you into this world and make it all seem far to possible. I would also like to point out that his use of the virtual world plays to great effect allowing the story to take on another twist in a story already full of them.

     By the time I reach the end of this book my minds was going full tilt. There is a lot going on between these pages but I never real lost my place with these people or the events that took place. It also brought up past of history that I never real gave much thought to much to my own shame I guess we all just carried on and forgot about these very tragic events. If you into your fast paced thrillers this is defiantly one to check out. I'm sure it will not be to long before I pick up the next in this series of books to find out what our heroes have gotten them selves mixed up in.