Vendetta

Aurelio Zen #2

by Michael Dibdin

Inspector Zen has a problem: an impossible murder, recorded on the closed-circuit video of Oscar Burolo's top-security Sardinian fortress. As Zen gets to work, he is once again plunged into a menacing and violent world where his own life is soon at risk.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Italy, Detective, Mystery Thriller, Zen

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Michael Dibdin was born in 1947. He went to school in Northern Ireland, and later to Sussex University and the University of Alberta in Canada. He lived in Seattle. After completing his first novel, The Last Sherlock Holmes Story, in 1978, he spent four years in Italy teaching English at the University of Perugia. His second novel, A Rich Full Death, was published in 1986. It was followed by Ratking in 1988, which won the Gold Dagger Award for the Best Crime Novel of the year and introduced us to his Italian detective - Inspector Aurelio Zen.

Dibdin was married three times, most recently to the novelist K. K. Beck. His death in 2007 followed a short illness.

Series:
* Aurelio Zen

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the Aurelio Zen Italian mystery series is even better than Ratking, the first.

Zen is sent to Sardinia to frame a peasant for the murder of a millionaire gunned down on his "impregnable" island estate. The politicians are afraid they will be embarrassed if the real murderer is convicted.

One of the attractive things about the Zen mysteries is the ways in which the corruption of the Italian political system makes the solving of crimes a more interesting puzzle. Aurelio's task: solve the murder while still managing to save his career. Oh, and--I almost forgot--he has another problem too: he has become the object of a vendetta.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good Dibdin crime story with his usual detective, Aurelio Zen, set in Rome and Sardinia. One of Dibdin’s early Zen stories (floppy discs) it was first published in 1990. No problem, I get the feeling Sardinia is pretty ageless and the types of corruption that plague Zen don’t change either.

In this book Zen sees the trifecta of corruption—police, political, and business. Vendettas follow. Zen has been newly assigned to a special unit in Rome and has been asked to follow up on a splashy murder in Sardinia AND asked not so subtly to find a certain party guilty. This does not sit well with him. Naturally he finds he must look over his shoulder a lot.

The portrayal of Sardinia is especially interesting. Dibdin is an excellent writer and always a pleasure to read.

[Darwin8u · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Everyone who used him for their own purposes seemed very satisfied with the results."
-Michae Dibdin, Vendetta



This is my third Zen novel and I really seem to be cocking up the order of it. I started with Book One (Ratking), fair enough, but I also bought and read Book Five (Così Fan Tutti), so now I'm trying to bring some order back into my life. There really is something attractive about these novels. I'm certain half of the mild success these novels have had are due to Dibdin discovering a near perfect character (Zen) and a near perfect setting (Rome, Sardinia). Zen isn't perfect. He lives with his mother. He exists in an almost Kafkaesque Italian police bureaucracy where his competence almost nearly costs him either his life or his job. But still he grinds on, and things seem through Karma to sort themselves nearly out at the end.

If you like Raymond Chandler or Hammett's noir novels, these ones won't disappoint you too much. They also reminded me a bit of Church's Inspector O (A Corpse in the Koryo, Bamboo and Blood, etc) novels (police investigations in North Korea). I guess there really are unlimited ways you can tell a story about an ethical man trying to escape the maze of an unethical bureaucracy while hot on the trail of a killer.

Also, one final note, the BBC's Zen 3 episode series is also worth checking out. I'd read the first three Zen novels first (Ratking, Cabal, Vendetta), but even without the novels the show is interesting.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billionaire building contractor Oscar Burolo, along with his wife and some guests, is gunned down in his apparently impregnable fortress like villa on Sardinia. Seedy political fixer Renato Favelloni, a go-between for Burolo and prominent Italian politicians, is languishing in jail awaiting trial for the murders. Zen is tasked with filing a report on the investigation thus far when he is approached by an agent of a Government coalition member, fearful of the political repercussions should Favelloni go to court, who wants Zen to travel to Sardinia to frame somebody else (preferably a young man who has been videotaped by Burolo having wild sex with the billionaire's wife) instead in the process getting Favelloni released.

Zen is struggling to fit in with his new work colleagues who don't seem to trust him, he has been pick-pocketed recently and someone has broken into his flat making a veiled death threat. He is having problems on an emotional level as well. His mother who seems to be suffering from some sort of dementia is living with him, his American girlfriend has left him and he is falling for another police officer, Tania Biacis, only she is married. So Zen travels to Sardinia without telling anyone what he is doing to try and break the case without irritating his superiors. Once on the island Zen is confronted by a killer he mistakenly put in jail, based on a police informant's lying testimony, 20 years previously who is now out for revenge.

Despite this being only the second book of the series and he has only recently been promoted to the prestigious Criminalpol division Zen is already disillusioned. He has realised that getting a result might not be the same thing as catching an actual culprit. But he is also a pragmatist who realises that this is how the game is to be played if he wants to survive or even get ahead.

In fact this element of the book is it's real strength. Dibdin portrays well the differing rivalries between both individuals and organisations, the petty bureaucracy and back scratching that seems so prevalent in Italian society even is these match only stereotypes rather than reality.

What lets the book down for me was the actual investigation such as it is. Zen seemed like an ass being led around by it's nose who seemed incapable of actually uncovering any real facts himself despite some pretty loaded hints for the reader. Nor is Zen particularly likeable. He seems shallow and self interested, even his infatuation with Tania seems to be down to the fact that she is simply there rather than any real emotional capacity.

This is my first Zen novel and whilst I haven't been totally put off reading more of them neither will I be rushing out to grab them all.

[GreekReaders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μέτριο, χωρίς νεύρο, όχι καλά δεμένο, στα όρια του βαρετού, αν και έχει καλές βάσεις και δυνατότητες, το χάνει στην πορεία. Ο κεντρικός ήρωας ιδιαίτερος, να μια φορά που ο αστυνόμος δεν είναι χρόνια αλκοολικός, αλλά ίσως έχει να κάνει με την τοποθέτηση της υπόθεσης στην Ιταλία και όχι σε κάποια σκανδιναβική χώρα. Πάντως και αυτός τα έχει τα θεματάκια του. Έχω άλλο ένα της σειράς, θα το διαβάσω και θα μείνω σε αυτά.

[Becky Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was definitely better than the first. I mean the first book was still good in its own rights, but the second book had me on the edge of my seat more, especially at the end when nearly ten pages were spent on a very gut wrenching race between Zen and a man who is trying to kill him. It was an incredible scene and very well played out.

This time, Zen is trying to track down the murderer of a very wealthy man and his wife and friends, each of them gunned down in the millionaires home. The trick is, he lived in a fortress and prided himself on his security. All that remains is one video from a security camera that shows the millionaire and his wife, along with their friends being brutally murdered though the killer never appears on the screen.

They have a suspect in custody and the police are about ready to pin everything on him, until a group intervenes and asks Zen to basically fabricate evidence to point the finger at another person. Through his investigations, Zen actually discovers that it was another and the results are amazing.

The chapters are broken up into little segments where you're actually in the mind of the killer and they meld with events in the chapter so well that you think you know who it is until the last five pages when Zen enlightens the readers as to who the real culprit is.

A great book and I can't wait to get started on the next one, just as soon as I finish this post....

[Kyle Pennekamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better mysteries... well, really one of the better character pieces I've read in a while. Picked this up from a library sale at a street fair in Park City for 50 cents. It's the second in the Aurelio Zen detective series, set in Rome. How's the plotting? You don't care. This isn't about plotting. It's about character. Zen has a "reputation for integrity" (and people constantly insult him with the phrase) amidst the most dishonest police force in the world. But what's great is it's not because Zen is a man of deep principle... but because he's a social misanthrope with what seems like a bit of Oppositional Defiance Disorder. He's man of integrity only because his bosses aren't and he just has to disobey.

His relationship with his boss's secretary is wonderfully done. He wants her, but he assumes she's happily married because she says she is. When he helps her out of a jam with her husband, and gives her a ride to her destination, he sees it's to spend time with another man. And he hates her for it. He hates not that she's married and off-limits, but that she IS available... just not to him. The scene where he confronts her about it is shockingly human and warm and uncomfortable. The neuroses he exhibits while trying to figure out their relationship is truly rare in this genre.

Zen is a thinking man whose prone to hide from men tailing him... and then, once hidden, lapse into elaborate paranoid fantasies about who's out to get him... which leads to thinking about the case... which leads to thinking about his relationships with his woman, his ex-wife, and his mother... and then 3 hours have gone by and oh, yeah... I guess I lost the guy trailing me.

Really enjoyed it. Then I watched the BBC mystery based on the book... and was profoundly disappointed by the adaptation.

[Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50 Stars

This installment of Michael Dibdin's Aurelo Zen Series pays homage to the classic "locked door murder" mystery. Zen has been assigned to write a summary for the magistrate on the murders of Oscar Burolo, his wife, and another couple in his Sardinian villa. A camera captures the event in gruesome detail, but not the killer. Burolo's video discs and tapes have been disturbed. But the villa's security is top-notched and an alarm would have been set off if an intruder had come onto the property. No alarms were tripped before or after the murders. So, the logical conclusion is that one of the couple came back to the Villa and killed the two couples.

But Zen isn't so sure. It could have been at least 3 other people, and that's fine with Political officials who want anyone but the man who is to tried for the murders. Word comes to the Criminalpo that Zen must go to the Italian island of Sardinia and conduct his own investigation. But vendettas swirl around Zen and this case, and will Zen become another victim.

In this installment, Aurelo Zen isn't likeable. He whines a lot. He ignores his mother and basically tries to forget she's sharing his apartment. He's smug. He moons over a co-coworker - Tania - like an adolescent boy. He thinks much of himself, and is a bit of a bully.

The story line is told from Zen's POV as well as the killer's. The killer's POV is in italics so it's easy to see who's eyes we are seeing the scene through. Michael Dibdin was a grand story teller in the vain of Raymond Chandler, so expect raw and gritty, not graphic prose and dialogue.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will have to start by saying that I am finding myself reading these books out of order which is having an interesting effect on tying to figure out what is happening to the hero of this story - especially when it comes to his personal life - I will leave it there for fear of slipping up over no spoilers but I have confused myself several times.

The story has some interesting turns and twists but as usual with these stories it is the city and its people (and in part the rural equivalents) that are the real stars of the story. They are portrayed with such a vivid sense of reality even though I have been to Italy only a limited number of times I feel as though I right there amongst the hustle and bustle of the streets.

As you would expect from a book early in the series there are still a lot of rough corners however I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure although at times it did feel as though that was secondary to people watching

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the first book in the series, Ratking, which I thought was ok but not necessarily great, I approached the second book in the Aurelio Zen mystery series, Vendetta by Michael Dibdin with some trepidation. However, I enjoyed it much more than the first. It made more sense and was a bit more logical in its presentation.

Zen works for the Criminal police bureau in Rome and is assigned to work an investigation in Sardinia. It's a political move as the suspect is a key member of one of the minority parties and they want him exonerated. Zen is also dealing with his mother who seems to have dementia. He also has developed feelings for Tania a clerk in the division, the problem being that she is married (she seems to reciprocate though). And Zen is being left odd messages and threats and seems to be being followed by someone.

There is another past case that is intruding as well, the arrest of a gangster for murder and his release from prison. Is he related to two other murders and is he a threat to Zen?

It's an interesting story, somewhat convoluted at times but it all winds up nicely. I like Zen much more in this book. He's caught in a web of political intrigue but also trying to keep himself alive as various people seem to want to cause him injury. The portrayal of the seedier aspects of Rome is well described and I found Sardinia interesting, very bleak for all its proximity to Italy. It had a bit of a personal feel for me as my father, while in the Canadian Air Force in the late '60s often deployed there to a NATO air base for training ops. Anyway much more enjoyable than the first, intriguing and with enough action to keep you satisfied if you like that. I look foward to continuing my look at Zen's world. (4 stars)

[Jennifer Sowle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second Aurelio Zen mystery/crime novel, and is as good or better than the first (Ratking). Dibdin paints the bureaucracy and political games of Rome in such cynical terms that you wonder how anything gets done. And Zen wonders this, too. But the real wonder is how everything bad that happens to Zen--and a lot of bad happens--turns into good luck for him in the end. You are left chuckling and shaking your head at the farce of it all. While reading this novel, notice that the word “vendetta” shows up multiple times; there are in fact several vendettas occurring, some criminal, some professional, and some very personal. Which ones will Zen foil, or will he be the victim? Even if the mystery is not necessarily that, Dibdin writes so beautifully that it is hard to put the book aside. I love to read certain sentences three or four times just for the sheer delight in his choice of words. His sentences can be long and complex, but the imagery evoked by his word choice is wonderful.

[Judy Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mükemmel ve okuması müthiş zevkli, tam manasıyla İtalyayı yaşatan bir polisiye. Zen ne adam ama :) Araba sürmedeki yeteneksizliğine gülerken finaldeki ölüm kalım mücadelesi ile nefesimi kesti.

[Kath B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this book and a couple of others in the Inspector Zen series in the past and enjoyed the twisting plots; especially the way in which the main character has to trudge through a mire of conspiracy and corruption in order to get his killer. What I am finding through my re-reads is the exceptional quality of the writing by the author. He is able to create the scenes so well that you are carried right there to the places where the story is taking place - in this book to the rugged and dangerous Sardinia and the snobbish Rome - a real delight.

[Pınar Bacı · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zen serisinin bu ikinci kitabında da ilk kitapta olduğu gibi bürokrasi Dottore 'nin içine battığı bir bataklık, fakat komiserin tipik bir Akdeniz'linin tersine gururuna pek prim vermemesi sayesinde şans nihayet yardımına koşuyor. Bu ikinci kitapta Aurelio Zen'i daha iyi tanıyor ve kanıksıyoruz

[Kat V · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the last one and hard to get into but there were some good moments. 3.2 stars

[Athena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Δε μου άρεσε!

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 3 out of 5]

"[...] reflecting on his conflicting feelings about being readmitted to the male free-masonry which ran not only the Criminalpol department but also the Ministry, the Mafia, the Church and the government."

In Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series each of the eleven stories happens in a different location in Italy. "Vendetta" (1990), the second novel in the series, begins in Rome but the most important part of the plot takes place in Sardinia. As I already mentioned in my reviews of three other books in the series ( Ratking , Cabal , and The End Games), Mr. Dibdin's greatest strength lies in masterfully capturing the ambience and character of Italy: one could likely learn more about the country from his books than from many travel guides.

Inspector Zen - after his handling of the Miletti's case where he valiantly fought against the corrupt system and where, even though he did not quite lose the fight, the system won anyway - has been promoted to the Ministry's prestigious Criminalpol division. A very rich owner of a construction company has been slaughtered, along with his wife and guests in his residence in Sardinia, and Zen is investigating. The victim's house is supposed to have had an absolutely foolproof security system, and the shooting has been captured in vivid detail on the security video. Powerful people in the system (politicians from one of the governing parties) again want to use Zen as a pawn in their game. So although, technically, it is the Ministry that sends Zen to Sardinia, in fact it is the politicians who tell the inspector what the results of his investigation should be. Read the book to learn how Zen finds out the way that the tight security of the victims' residence has been breached (I figured this out about mid-book), and whether he finds the murderer.

I love Mr. Dibdin's bitter and cynical - meaning realistic - view of the corrupt system that includes the government, the police forces, the business elite, and - obviously - the Mafia. One can do nothing, absolutely nothing against the system. But I also like the plot: "Vendetta" makes a good detective story and it is a fast, captivating read. The detailed and brutal description of the video recording that shows the murders is certainly memorable. Mr. Dibdin's writing is simple and economical, and he does not refer to human excreta in this installment of the series - maybe the depictions of the bleeding deaths suffice ("bright red blotches appeared all over his face like an instant infection.")

What I do not like is a thread that involves Mr. Spadola at the end of the story; the over-the-top histrionics take away from the impact of the story. Also, the literary device of having a parallel voice in the novel (typeset in italics) is clichéd and tired; fortunately it is pretty marginal.

Three stars.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vendetta by Michael Dibdin – author of Ratking https://realini.blogspot.com/2020/07/... - in all, he has five books on the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list…

9 out of 10

I have first met Inspector Aurelio Zen in Ratking, which Inspector Zen number one, then we have Vendetta as Inspector Zen 2, from which we will move to the Dead Lagoon, number three in the series, which is on the list of to-read, albeit I am not really a fun of detective stories, unless they are damn good, like this one

Our professor of literature in high school, the magnificent Anton Chevorchian, used to say that all chefs d’ oeuvre have a mystery, a plot, being a ‘detective story’ after all, and we could think of Crime and Punishment https://realini.blogspot.com/2020/06/... as the ultimate inspiration
Aurelio Zen is not just a detective, or inspector, also called dottore in the narrative, but also a charming fellow, with dry humor, perhaps a bit cynical for the Panglossians https://realini.blogspot.com/2014/12/... that say ‘we live in the best of possible worlds’ like I try

On the other hand, we know from research that the optimists, positive humans have a lot of benefits, including a better ‘big picture view’, only they do not distinguish the details as well as the negative people, hence, some domains need the latter, traffic controllers, analysts, accountants and…detectives need to be negative
We find this from the wonderful book The Upside of Your Dark Side https://realini.blogspot.com/2015/12/... by Biswas Diener, son of another great psychologist, Ed Diener – Aurelio Zen is not altogether a tragic figure, lamenting all the time

Aristotle has written about tragedy, what we need in a good play, among other things a hero that we admire, who has some flaws, makes a mistake, otherwise the fall described in the play would be just an absurd act, that the audience would resent, he has to have values, seem to be just like us, that is similar to what the public thinks of itself
The murder that the inspector has to solve is one wherein Oscar Burolo dies, inexplicably, because this happens in his opulent villa, where he has four security systems, an electrified fence, sensors, and cameras, one would record part of what happened, without showing the killer, that would have ended the book on page two
However – spoiler alert, if you are still here, on page two of the note, for some reason, I will disclose some details, maybe all of them, I am not sure yet – we get some interesting aspects, such as the fact that the victims look down on the attacker, and that could be, will be of use later, when the protagonist thinks about it

Renato Favelloni is accused of the murder and arrested, but he has connections with the politicians – we are in fact given a panoramic view of life in Italy, some decades back (we could wonder how much things have changed or haven’t) when a few parties had to form a coalition, the main purpose after WWII was to keep the communists out
However, corruption seems to have touched all spheres of life, police, the government, even the church, and we have an event that has had an impact on Aurelio Zen, when he was connected with the case of a communist leader – we are given some good lessons of Italian history, including those vile individuals

Indeed, though they had fought against the fascists, as partisans, after the war ended, a group of leaders refused the ‘revolution’ – in a way, thank God for that, even if Italy was in the Western camp, and thus on the lucky side of the Iron Curtain, unlike us, in this part of Europe – and chose instead a life of illegal endeavors…
Only they did not really work to ‘undermine capitalists, the fat cats or what have you’, they just robbed banks and got into lucrative activities and got into competition with other mobsters, gangsters, and at one point, a murder is committed, an informer of the police says he was present, and it was the ex-communist leader who did it

It was a lie nonetheless, and unfortunate Zen was connected with the affair, without his knowledge, the powers that be got him to be the fool, believing the informer, mainly because they had known that the commie had done so many abhorrent things, when this was just one of the many set-ups, and he is called to organize one
This political party that protects Favelloni, wants him out, and they send him to Sardinia, to get a scape goat, some other suspect to be jailed, our hero travels there, but with the intention of finding the truth, not to play the games of the politicians, and he pretends to be a Swiss business man, looking to inspect the murder scene

That under the cover of real estate business, not saying he is really keen to see how the killer got in, avoiding all the systems, and the first target is the guy who was guarding and feeding the lion – the dead man was rich and extravagant, reprehensible too – taped as he had intense, perverse sex with the wife victim, herself shot dead in the assault
Nevertheless, things are complicated, because Vendetta is the main theme, and there is the commie who comes to kill Aurelio Zen, as revenge for his wrongful conviction, and during the chase, the inspector understands that it was someone else responsible, a very unlikely murderer…

Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se

There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know

As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...

Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works

‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’

‚Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus’

“From Monty Python - The Meaning of Life...Well, it's nothing very special...Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”

[rabbitprincess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Aurelio Zen novel, and it won't be the last. I picked up on a recommendation of sorts from Masterpiece Mystery, which will be showing the (apparently only three-episode) TV adaptation of the Zen books. The novels being adapted are this one, Cabal and Ratking, so I am reading them in broadcast order instead of series order.

Even with this being the second novel in the series, I was very easily immersed in Zen's world. Dibdin's writing is well crafted and he is not afraid to use longer, more complex sentences to tell his story. Zen comes across as a very amusing character, with plenty of cunning and street smarts but also very real insecurities and flaws. His relationship with his mother provides a good source of entertainment -- she's moved into his apartment in Rome because she can't live on her own in Venice anymore, and naturally conflict will ensue, especially when his mum acts selectively deaf and stubborn.

I loved the details of life in Rome as well: shoving one's way onto the back of a crowded bus, standing in the doorway of a bar drinking a very young wine, going to coffee bars, and everyone cutting out of work on Friday at noon. I also liked the descriptions of the other cops' conversations about cars and the part about Zen's driving style, as it is very much mine as well:

"Zen's style behind the wheel was that of an elderly peasant farmer phut-phutting along at 20 kph in a worn-out Fiat truck with bald tyres and no acceleration, blithely oblivious to the hooting, light-flashing hysteria building up in his wake." (p. 152 of the edition I read)

The only thing I didn't really like in this book was the italicized interludes, which kind of made sense at first but then I got confused about them and am not sure whether my initial assessment was correct. But that was the only quibble I had. Zen is a great character, Dibdin an excellent writer and I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series. This one's a keeper.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading the Aurelia Zen books after watching the BBC adaptation. The casting of the characters was excellent, but the scriptwriter took liberties with the plot. But then how does one film a book such as this.

As Vice-Questore in the criminalpol of the Ministry of the Interior (promotion after the 'successful' outcome of the Ruggiero Miletti kidnapping), Zen's job is to write resumes of cases before they are put to bed. His current task the that of the murder of Oscar Burolo, his wife and guests, the event videoed in all its gory detail. Burolo was extravagantly security conscious - this is Sardinia - and the murder weapon is Oscar's own shotgun. Renato Favelloni, a fixer used by Burolo and a powerful political figure, has apparently confessed and is in prison awaiting trial. There are some aspects of the case Zen finds puzzling, such as access to the house, guarded by three perimeter security fences, the choice of weapon, and the angle of the shots and the absense of the murderer on any of the video footage. Summoned by Favelloni's patron, Zen is asked to find an 'alternative' suspect to Favelloni.

While Zen is occupied with the Burolo case, he notices that he is being tailed, and someone is trying to get into his flat.


I enjoyed the book which I read at one sitting for the insight into the Italian political and judicial systems, the John Buchanesque chase sequence (I must read The 39 Steps), the belly laughs and the character of Aurelio Zen himself.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm starting to get into this series more. Unlike many of our leading investigators in the genre, Aurelio Zen has a refreshing tendency to make mistakes, get caught up in messy situations and office intrigue, take wrong turns in the investigation, etc., all on the way to solving crimes. That makes for a nice diversion from, say, the perfect Sherlock Holmes and his absurd powers of observation and deduction.
In Vendetta, Zen investigates a murder at an isolated mansion in Sardinia that has world-class security installed. Zen has been ordered by the political powers that be to find an alternate suspect than the man in custody, in spite of his firm belief that no other person could possibly be the suspect. He figures he has to do a frame job just to keep his job.
Meanwhile, a man from Zen's past has just gotten out of prison and is hunting down the various people who put him there...

[Sascha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

„That's what you can't admit, you others. That's what scares you shitless. And so you make little rules and regulations, like at school, and anyone who breaks them has to stand in the corner with a dunce's cap on. What a load of bullshit! The truth of it is that you're the first to break the rules, to cheat and lie and perjure yourselves to get a lousy rise, a better job or a fatter pension! You're the ones who ought to be punished! And believe it or not, my friend, that's what's going to happen, just this once. Take it in, Zen! You're going to die. Soon. Today. And I'm telling you this, warning you, and you know it's true, and yet there's absolutely nothing whatsoever that you can do about it!
Not a single fucking thing!“

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how we miss Michael Dibdin, because every time we read one more Zen book that's one fewer on the list of those that remain to be read. This one is as enjoyable as ever - not so much because of the plot (I'm hopeless - I always lose the plot in Zen books) - but because of the sheer pleasure of following Zen around Italy, in this case Rome and Sardinia. Dibdin's characters, his descriptions of places, and his comic appreciation of Italian bureaucracy are second to none in the world of crime fiction. What a shame he is no longer with us.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this second Aurelio Zen mystery, Zen gets involved in solving the murder of a millionaire whose house had super high-security protection. How'd the assassins get in? Was it an inside job? Good book with lots of twists and action. I hope the Italian justice system isn't really as crooked as depicted in the Zen books :)

[Mary Ronan Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This third Aurelio Zen mystery isn't as good as the first two and I quit on page 49. But it's still a fine mystery and Zen is an interesting character. Just not what I feel like reading right now.

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the reasons people like crime books are probably: the puzzle-solving intellectual side of it, the action and suspense, and the sense of justice. All the setting and clever underworld slang is just icing on the cake. Dibdin gets high marks in all three aspects, and is king of the icing, but the puzzle-solving as more to do with untangling the many layers of corruption then with the classic whodunit question. There are quite a few vendettas happening and much of the time Zen (the detective) doesn't know who it is chasing him or why. For me, the best thing about these Zen books so far is the justice part. Italy at the end of the "years of lead" is just a great setting to ask questions about doing the right thing for the wrong reasons and vice versa. If everyone is completely dirty, then what the hell is justice? One character refers to the criminal underworld as "The Italy that works."

Check out this bit of righteousness from page 5: "Widowed by the war, his mother had affronted the world alone on his behalf, wrestling concessions from tradesmen and bureaucrats, labouring at menial jobs to eke out her pension, cooking, cleaning, sewing, mending, and making do, tirelessly and ingeniously hollowing out and shoring up a space for her son to grow up in. Small wonder, he thought, that the effort had reduced her to this pittance of a person, scared of noises and the dark, with no interest in anything but the television serials she watched, whose plots and characters were gradually getting confused in her mind. Such motherhood as she had known was like those industrial jobs that leave workers crippled and broken, the only difference being that there was no one mothers could sue for damages." Man, I dig that kind of thing. Later, Dibdin kind of flips the elderly mother thread and adds another layer of righteousness.

There were a couple of references to Semitic blood or Phoenician ancestors that almost rang alarm bells, and probably Italians from Italy who read this might be like, "Hey! That's not fair! We're not all like that!" if they are not like, "Yes, unfortunately, that is how it is." Sardinians also get a bad rap. In fact, if you were thinking of being in a tourist in Sardinia, this book might lead you to change your plans. I noticed all that, but it's also all Zen's perspective, and he is a cop, so bound to the ACAB formula after all. In any case, I don't think Dibdin crossed any lines.

I really liked Ratking so I am committed to this series now.

[alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

my feelings on the book are complex. i really enjoyed Ratking (book 1) and was pleasantly surprised at the lyrical, detailed writing style, esp given that i dont usually read or enjoy 1980s neo-noir style fiction. Dibdin’s cynical portrayal of the general disenfranchisement and corruption of 1980s italian bureaucracy is SO well-detailed, and contributed wonderfully to the detached fatalism that permeates the series. I dont think its a stretch to describe it as verging on the Kafkaesque, but maybe more Shirley Jackson than our buddy Franz (esp the Sardinians’ tacit acceptance of the various crimes committed and their suspicion of anyone who disturbs their careful ecosystem).

the narrative begins w Zen being asked to pin a mass murder on another in order to help the government rescue their political informant, but he doesnt actually travel to the scene of the crime until a little more than halfway through the book. every point before that are small scenes of psychological battles across Rome in offices and break rooms, building up his departure and the mysterious threats hes been receiving that hint at his past cases. this was interesting and i didnt mind the wait, but does drag once he actually receives his mission and youre just waiting for him to leave. the culture and underbelly of this world are richly detailed, but his place in it less so.

the explanation of the mystery left an uncomfortable taste in my mouth. the interludes from the killers viewpoint are generic and non-consequential until he actually arrives in sardinia, by which point it becomes increasingly obvious who it is. the reason and backstory are depressing, and i wish it had been given more weight on the page. the hand of dibdin tends towards the light, no matter how heavy the material. very much a “so it goes” tone vis a vis slaughterhouse-five.

overall: atmospheric, evocative, chilling. do not read for the mystery but rather the vibes

side-note: this was one of those series absolutely MAULED in the wake of the james patterson era of american crime thrillers. compare a later installment (2006) to Vendetta (1990). just look at that oversaturated blue with generic clip art, absolutely characteristic of early 2000s series trying to capitalize on the fame pattersons works with similar covers received. it does the Aurelio Zen mysteries an absolute disservice, communicating nothing on tone and atmosphere and implying a much weaker, less careful work.

[Tony Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second "Aurelio Zen" mystery I have read, and it continues in its depressing picture of a corrupt Italy, with a police force ridden by nasty factions, manipulated by appalling politicians. Inspector Zen is being set up to re-open the case of a murder in Sardinia, and in doing so exonerate the current suspect - a man that politicians would rather not be convicted. The title however refers to a former case of his, that also resulted in the wrong man being acquitted - the falsely accused individual is now free and is killing everyone involved in the original investigation. The two plots overlap and Zen is nearly killed after having his undercover story in Sardinia compromised. Zen has a very dysfunctional back story, with his mother, suffering from dementia, now living in his Rome flat, and an unrequited passion for one of his fellow officers - a girl married to an overbearing bully. Complex plot, but well written. The Italy it paints is however not that of other crime novels - no decent food, weather, architecture, or really anything to commend it. It is hard to build up any sympathy for Zen, or indeed for any of the characters. When he was being hunted down in Sardinia by the falsely convicted killer, I really wasn't very concerned about whether he would live or die. Clever but not compelling.

[Steve In Ludlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I have read this before but the audiobook is slightly spoiled by Michael Kitchen's lazy reading.
Zen is in Rome and strange things start to happen at the apartment he shares with his elderly mother. Meanwhile his interests are being stirred by the lovely Tanya.
He is reviewing the case of a mass killing at a secluded mansion on Corsica. All captured on CCTV but no clues as to the killer who remains out of shot.
Zen is pressed by a wealthy family to find an alternative suspect to the influential character the police have in the frame.
Meanwhile the odd sense of being watched continues...
Eventually Zen makes it across to Corsica, under cover as a Swiss intermediary seeking to buy a new property for a wealthy client so that he can take a closer look at the scene of the crime. And from here the various story strands weave together.