What do you think?
Rate this book
The Carnivia Trilogy #3
The Absolution
In this mesmerizing finale to the revolutionary Carnivia Trilogy—following The Abomination and The Abduction—Venetian police captain Kat Tapo and U.S. Army intelligence analyst Holly Boland embark on their most dangerous and disturbing journey yet
On Venice’s popular Lido beach, a man is found lying on the shore, his throat slit and his tongue viciously torn out, and his face covered by an unusual antique mask.
Superiors inside the Venice Carabinieri have finally given Captain Kat Tapo permission to run her first murder case. But when she learns that the mask is a Masonic “hoodwink”—and that the circumstances of the man’s death are eerily similar to the Masonic punishment for betrayal—she suspects that her appointment has darker implications. As a woman, she cannot penetrate the closed world of Italian freemasonry.
The dead man is identified as a senior partner in a small Catholic bank currently engaged in negotiations with one of Italy’s richest men. Yet Kat knows that, when it comes to Venice’s most powerful and influential, money isn’t the only motive for murder.
While she focuses on her investigation, American intelligence analyst Holly Boland finds a document among her father’s possessions that offers evidence of a shocking Cold War cover-up. The deeper the second lieutenant digs into what her father knew, the more she begins to wonder: Was her father silenced before he could expose the truth?
Reclusive genius Daniele Barbo, creator of the anonymous virtual world Carnivia.com, makes a chilling discovery of his own: his website has been contaminated by a malevolent virus that will cripple Italy unless he can break his own encryption and prevent catastrophe.
As the three cases merge, the trio of allies uncover a conspiracy involving the security services, the Church, and the CIA—a devastating plot stretching back decades that could destroy all three of them . . . but not without a fight.
On Venice’s popular Lido beach, a man is found lying on the shore, his throat slit and his tongue viciously torn out, and his face covered by an unusual antique mask.
Superiors inside the Venice Carabinieri have finally given Captain Kat Tapo permission to run her first murder case. But when she learns that the mask is a Masonic “hoodwink”—and that the circumstances of the man’s death are eerily similar to the Masonic punishment for betrayal—she suspects that her appointment has darker implications. As a woman, she cannot penetrate the closed world of Italian freemasonry.
The dead man is identified as a senior partner in a small Catholic bank currently engaged in negotiations with one of Italy’s richest men. Yet Kat knows that, when it comes to Venice’s most powerful and influential, money isn’t the only motive for murder.
While she focuses on her investigation, American intelligence analyst Holly Boland finds a document among her father’s possessions that offers evidence of a shocking Cold War cover-up. The deeper the second lieutenant digs into what her father knew, the more she begins to wonder: Was her father silenced before he could expose the truth?
Reclusive genius Daniele Barbo, creator of the anonymous virtual world Carnivia.com, makes a chilling discovery of his own: his website has been contaminated by a malevolent virus that will cripple Italy unless he can break his own encryption and prevent catastrophe.
As the three cases merge, the trio of allies uncover a conspiracy involving the security services, the Church, and the CIA—a devastating plot stretching back decades that could destroy all three of them . . . but not without a fight.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2015
27 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 5, 2015
The Traitor – The Final Act
The Traitor is the final part of the Carnivia Trilogy by Jonathan Holt set around the beautiful and scenic city of Venice. Just as Venice is the magnificent backdrop to a thriller that at times is jaw dropping that illuminates part of the CIA’s mucky hands in Italian politics of the Cold War era. The Traitor has all the ingredients you expect from a successful thriller trilogy, a breathtaking storyline, brilliant writing with plenty of suspense and a stunning finale.
Captain Kat Tapo is a Captain in the Carabinieri and she has been given her first murder investigation to lead, but like all things she soon discovers things may not be as straightforward as they should be. A body discovered on an exclusive beach outside Venice has been found in Freemason garb minus his tongue and his neck is severed and she is being told by the Medical Examiner that things will be tough as many in the Carabinieri were Freemasons. She has a new deputy who is being sick at the sight of a dead body who is there to spy on her. Not much could go wrong from there with every door closing in front of her.
Holly Bolland a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Corps based in Italy is still on rest after being rescued in the previous book The Abduction. She is at home in the USA when she discovers a memo written by her father before his stroke and locked in syndrome robbed him of his life. The memo is written about CIA activity in Italy and what it may or may not have done in the years of trouble there. She decides she needs to return to Italy and finally find the answers to her father’s questions and she must meet former CIA station head Ian Gilroy.
Daniele Barbo is still locking himself away from the people of Venice in his decaying Palace while he decides what to do with Carnivia. He still has many unresolved issues that cause him to be distant from most people he is considering just giving Carnivia away to its users and this alone could cause chaos that he has not foreseen.
In Libya a younger hacker is showing an Imam and a Commander how through the use of technology and the internet you can cause enough chaos from one place without much effort and get maximum effect. He shows them both that they can cause disaster in Italy from another country as he switches off the fans in the Frejus road tunnel and the cars start to pile up and the fire kills deaths follow, they are impressed and send him to Italy to plan and action an attack.
As Kat, Holly and Daniele progress with their various inquiries they start to uncover the answers that have haunted them across the trilogy. As the end becomes closer their investigations come together with surprising outcomes and the reader finally gets the answers they have asked throughout the trilogy.
This is a stylish and intelligent thriller that delivers on all levels for the reader to enjoy and at the same time saddening as we may not see these characters again. This is well written, and using Italy’s dark past and Venice as a backdrop is inspired as you this is a story of secrets and lies. A wonderful thriller, a fantastic end to the trilogy.
The Traitor is the final part of the Carnivia Trilogy by Jonathan Holt set around the beautiful and scenic city of Venice. Just as Venice is the magnificent backdrop to a thriller that at times is jaw dropping that illuminates part of the CIA’s mucky hands in Italian politics of the Cold War era. The Traitor has all the ingredients you expect from a successful thriller trilogy, a breathtaking storyline, brilliant writing with plenty of suspense and a stunning finale.
Captain Kat Tapo is a Captain in the Carabinieri and she has been given her first murder investigation to lead, but like all things she soon discovers things may not be as straightforward as they should be. A body discovered on an exclusive beach outside Venice has been found in Freemason garb minus his tongue and his neck is severed and she is being told by the Medical Examiner that things will be tough as many in the Carabinieri were Freemasons. She has a new deputy who is being sick at the sight of a dead body who is there to spy on her. Not much could go wrong from there with every door closing in front of her.
Holly Bolland a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Corps based in Italy is still on rest after being rescued in the previous book The Abduction. She is at home in the USA when she discovers a memo written by her father before his stroke and locked in syndrome robbed him of his life. The memo is written about CIA activity in Italy and what it may or may not have done in the years of trouble there. She decides she needs to return to Italy and finally find the answers to her father’s questions and she must meet former CIA station head Ian Gilroy.
Daniele Barbo is still locking himself away from the people of Venice in his decaying Palace while he decides what to do with Carnivia. He still has many unresolved issues that cause him to be distant from most people he is considering just giving Carnivia away to its users and this alone could cause chaos that he has not foreseen.
In Libya a younger hacker is showing an Imam and a Commander how through the use of technology and the internet you can cause enough chaos from one place without much effort and get maximum effect. He shows them both that they can cause disaster in Italy from another country as he switches off the fans in the Frejus road tunnel and the cars start to pile up and the fire kills deaths follow, they are impressed and send him to Italy to plan and action an attack.
As Kat, Holly and Daniele progress with their various inquiries they start to uncover the answers that have haunted them across the trilogy. As the end becomes closer their investigations come together with surprising outcomes and the reader finally gets the answers they have asked throughout the trilogy.
This is a stylish and intelligent thriller that delivers on all levels for the reader to enjoy and at the same time saddening as we may not see these characters again. This is well written, and using Italy’s dark past and Venice as a backdrop is inspired as you this is a story of secrets and lies. A wonderful thriller, a fantastic end to the trilogy.
December 28, 2018
It's the most underrated book, I've ever seen on this website so far. It was a real page-turner! I loved everything in this book -the plot, the place - Venice, the characters... In my opinion, it deserved much more interest, than it got... Just, IMHO, the idea of having two titles ("The Traitor"-I've read and "The Absolution") is very confusing and unnecessary. Besides, to be honest, the cover of the book, at least the one I've read was a bit dull and it said nothing about such an intriguing story, whereas the cover of "The Absolution" reflects it much better.
November 21, 2017
carnivia üçlemesinin son ve bence en iyi kitabı. okuyucunun zekasına pay bırakan, akıcı ve farklı kollardan devam ederek çözülen uluslararası bir düğüm. üstelik gerçek olaylar ve derin bir araştırmayla desteklenmiş olduğu çok belli. yazarın italya sevgisi, meşhur italyan yemekleri, Amerika'nın diğer ülkeler üzerindeki stratejik baskısı, perde arkası operasyonlar ve olmazsa olmaz ilişkiler sarmalı. venedik'te dolaşıyormuşsunuz gibi hissettiren zengin görsel anlatım da cabası.
polisiyeseverlere şiddetle tavsiye ederim.
polisiyeseverlere şiddetle tavsiye ederim.
May 19, 2019
The weakest entry in a great trilogy. A man is murdered during a Freemason ritual, his body is subsequently found on the Venetian lido. The wiry (it is mentioned more than a few times) American soldier, Italian policewoman (not wiry also mentioned a lot) and the reclusive math/computer genius uncover a plot at the core of Italian power. Great elements, but either I or the author stopped caring so much at a certain point.
February 20, 2016
And so endeth the Carnivia Trilogy...but you know what?
Seriously, how can we be done with this Gothic hacker's world already? And after such a stylish and high-intensity thriller too. While not as harrowing as its predecessor, it deals with the threat of a terrorist attack in Venice, with a combination of hacking and bombing being planned as part of a greater anti-American campaign. And as for the ultimate reveal of the plot - it's not only very cleverly foreshadowed early on in this book, but it's so very much out of Clive Cussler's playbook that you have to gape in shock at the audacity of this book's terrorists.
I don't think this should be the end of the series. I still think there's much to learn about Daniele Barbo in particular, although the urgent and extensive repairs being done to his manor serve as a great metaphor for him having to step back from his life and maybe just....move on.
That being said, though...ave atque vale, Carnivia.
Seriously, how can we be done with this Gothic hacker's world already? And after such a stylish and high-intensity thriller too. While not as harrowing as its predecessor, it deals with the threat of a terrorist attack in Venice, with a combination of hacking and bombing being planned as part of a greater anti-American campaign. And as for the ultimate reveal of the plot - it's not only very cleverly foreshadowed early on in this book, but it's so very much out of Clive Cussler's playbook that you have to gape in shock at the audacity of this book's terrorists.
I don't think this should be the end of the series. I still think there's much to learn about Daniele Barbo in particular, although the urgent and extensive repairs being done to his manor serve as a great metaphor for him having to step back from his life and maybe just....move on.
That being said, though...ave atque vale, Carnivia.
October 6, 2019
Serinin en iyi kitabı ...
Çok iyi bir çeviriyle, keyifle okunan, akıcı bir polisiye.
İtalya’da yaşanan P2 locası, Gladyo hikayelerinden yola çıkan, spekülatif kurgu. Bir gün belki Türkiye için de yazılır...
Çok iyi bir çeviriyle, keyifle okunan, akıcı bir polisiye.
İtalya’da yaşanan P2 locası, Gladyo hikayelerinden yola çıkan, spekülatif kurgu. Bir gün belki Türkiye için de yazılır...
January 9, 2016
A slightly sad but neat conclusion to the Carnivia trilogy, and such a gripping book. Holt's books aren't heavy going, but they are page turners, and I love the way he mixes the modern history (and of course some older history!) of Italy along with current events into his plots. It makes it a wee bit frightening as you could imagine these things really going on. In this one we've got just what a scary monster the internet can be, along with that fear that the secret services are watching everything you do, and have more of a hand in world events that you might like to think.
A Venetian banker is found on the beach, seemingly killed in a ritualistic masonic way. Kat Tapo is back investigating, and naturally her investigation turns out to be tied in with skulduggery going on in Daniele's Carnivia, and the back story of Holly the good-girl American solider who is about to have the very foundations of the good old USA rocked from beneath her feet.
Can't really fault this trilogy.
A Venetian banker is found on the beach, seemingly killed in a ritualistic masonic way. Kat Tapo is back investigating, and naturally her investigation turns out to be tied in with skulduggery going on in Daniele's Carnivia, and the back story of Holly the good-girl American solider who is about to have the very foundations of the good old USA rocked from beneath her feet.
Can't really fault this trilogy.
June 24, 2015
The Traitor is the third book in the Carnivia trilogy by Jonathan Holt. The first two books: The Abomination and The Abduction were real page-turners and so is The Traitor.
Now I first want to gripe about something that has nothing to do with the content of the books. I want to gripe about renaming books. It seems to be a trend to have different titles for the European and the American market. Ridiculous. It only causes confusion. The Abomination is now renamed as The Boatman and The Abduction is renamed as The Dancer. It happens a lot with thrillers and fantasy books (the Harry Potter series as well). The Abomination was a great title that really linked to the story. Please stop this nonsense of renaming books.
Anyway, back to the book. The characters are believable, the story is exciting, the descriptions of food and drink in the book are mouth-watering and the backdrop of Venice adds to the atmosphere. With thrillers like this you have to take some of the events and actions as they come and accept them without question. It would take the writer too long to explain everything and that would make the book too long and would take the pace out of the story. At least that’s what I hear a lot from others who like thrillers. I myself don’t mind if a writer elaborates more and gives more background information. That’s what I liked about the Stieg Larsson books. Holt does give some background information on the way political games were played and uses events that actually took place, sometimes twisting them a bit to fit the story. The only thing that I missed in this trilogy is that I couldn’t really identify with any of the characters, because the emphasis is on the story and not so much on the lives of the characters (that’s where the Stieg Larsson books and the Henning Mankell books differ). It is a choice I suppose and despite that fact I still thoroughly enjoyed Holt’s The Traitor as a fast-paced conspiracy thriller.
All in all, it is a great read with a conclusion that could be taken as an opening for more books about these main characters (wishful thinking on my part). I really recommend this trilogy to people who like well-researched page-turners with likeable but basic characters.
Now I first want to gripe about something that has nothing to do with the content of the books. I want to gripe about renaming books. It seems to be a trend to have different titles for the European and the American market. Ridiculous. It only causes confusion. The Abomination is now renamed as The Boatman and The Abduction is renamed as The Dancer. It happens a lot with thrillers and fantasy books (the Harry Potter series as well). The Abomination was a great title that really linked to the story. Please stop this nonsense of renaming books.
Anyway, back to the book. The characters are believable, the story is exciting, the descriptions of food and drink in the book are mouth-watering and the backdrop of Venice adds to the atmosphere. With thrillers like this you have to take some of the events and actions as they come and accept them without question. It would take the writer too long to explain everything and that would make the book too long and would take the pace out of the story. At least that’s what I hear a lot from others who like thrillers. I myself don’t mind if a writer elaborates more and gives more background information. That’s what I liked about the Stieg Larsson books. Holt does give some background information on the way political games were played and uses events that actually took place, sometimes twisting them a bit to fit the story. The only thing that I missed in this trilogy is that I couldn’t really identify with any of the characters, because the emphasis is on the story and not so much on the lives of the characters (that’s where the Stieg Larsson books and the Henning Mankell books differ). It is a choice I suppose and despite that fact I still thoroughly enjoyed Holt’s The Traitor as a fast-paced conspiracy thriller.
All in all, it is a great read with a conclusion that could be taken as an opening for more books about these main characters (wishful thinking on my part). I really recommend this trilogy to people who like well-researched page-turners with likeable but basic characters.
January 9, 2021
Ultimo libro sulla trilogia di Carnivia ultima avventura di Daniele Barbo, creatore di Carnivia e rapito e mutilato da bambino, del capitano dei carabinieri Caterina Taddei e del tenente americano Holly Bolland ultima atmosfera di Venezia vista da Holt che ci parla della nostra Italia, dei nostri misteri massonici e delle ingerenze americane e sopratutto della Cia.
Holt ha dato forma con la sua fantasia alle tante voci che girano sugli anni di piombo, sull’uccisione di Moro e alle tante domande che ognuno di noi si è posto.
Carnivia la ricostruzione di Venezia sull’etere, un social dove c’è anonimato dove si possono fare molte cose nell’anonimato si può vivere una vita diversa dalla propria.
Il libro mi ha inquietato, forse quest’ultimo molto di più dei precedenti, tutti diciamo di essere controllati, ma poi quando lo leggi e vedi che c’è tanta vulnerabilità che un hacker ben addestrato può fare dei danni, molto ma molto grandi, ci pensi e rifletti sui tanti attentati e ti domandi, ma potevano essere evitati o qualcuno voleva che accadessero?
Lo stile di Holt è avvincente le sue ricostruzioni molto minuziose e se anche usa molto la fantasia per una descrizione particolare su San Marco, io avevo il respiro accelerato perché mi trovavo li, ma non aggiungo altro per non fare spoiler, leggetelo perché questa trilogia fanta politico merita molto, perché parla della nostra storia di Gladio dei suoi gladiatori.
Su questo libro troviamo tutto, adrenalina, indagine, spie amore e odio tutto miscelato con maestria e con una scrittura che non stanca, pagina dopo pagina la storia scorre e tu non vuoi lasciarla andare via.
Sulla spiaggia del Lido viene trovato un uomo pugnalato, è a torso nudo e ha una corda che lo circonda, sembra un uomo che ha fatto un rito finito male l’indagine viene affidata a Cate, la sua prima indagine, ora è lei a coordinare a comandare, ma non è un indagine semplice l’uomo è un massone ed è un attimo a collegare, massoneria, cia e i segreti dell’Italia e poi anche Carnivia diventa uno strumento di morte, chi c’è dietro agli attacchi e dietro a questi delitti e perché ora Daniele vuole ricordare cosa gli è accaduto?
Quanto costerà ai personaggi il pagamento per la verità finale?
Confermo che anche in questo ultimo capitolo il personaggio che mi è entrato nel cuore è Daniele.
Holt ha dato forma con la sua fantasia alle tante voci che girano sugli anni di piombo, sull’uccisione di Moro e alle tante domande che ognuno di noi si è posto.
Carnivia la ricostruzione di Venezia sull’etere, un social dove c’è anonimato dove si possono fare molte cose nell’anonimato si può vivere una vita diversa dalla propria.
Il libro mi ha inquietato, forse quest’ultimo molto di più dei precedenti, tutti diciamo di essere controllati, ma poi quando lo leggi e vedi che c’è tanta vulnerabilità che un hacker ben addestrato può fare dei danni, molto ma molto grandi, ci pensi e rifletti sui tanti attentati e ti domandi, ma potevano essere evitati o qualcuno voleva che accadessero?
Lo stile di Holt è avvincente le sue ricostruzioni molto minuziose e se anche usa molto la fantasia per una descrizione particolare su San Marco, io avevo il respiro accelerato perché mi trovavo li, ma non aggiungo altro per non fare spoiler, leggetelo perché questa trilogia fanta politico merita molto, perché parla della nostra storia di Gladio dei suoi gladiatori.
Su questo libro troviamo tutto, adrenalina, indagine, spie amore e odio tutto miscelato con maestria e con una scrittura che non stanca, pagina dopo pagina la storia scorre e tu non vuoi lasciarla andare via.
Sulla spiaggia del Lido viene trovato un uomo pugnalato, è a torso nudo e ha una corda che lo circonda, sembra un uomo che ha fatto un rito finito male l’indagine viene affidata a Cate, la sua prima indagine, ora è lei a coordinare a comandare, ma non è un indagine semplice l’uomo è un massone ed è un attimo a collegare, massoneria, cia e i segreti dell’Italia e poi anche Carnivia diventa uno strumento di morte, chi c’è dietro agli attacchi e dietro a questi delitti e perché ora Daniele vuole ricordare cosa gli è accaduto?
Quanto costerà ai personaggi il pagamento per la verità finale?
Confermo che anche in questo ultimo capitolo il personaggio che mi è entrato nel cuore è Daniele.
October 1, 2017
In the third book of the Carnivia trology, Captain Kat Tapo investigates the viscous murder of a man found on a beach in Venice. It is the body of a senior partner in a catholic Bank, and the the mask he is found wearing is linked to free masonry. Holly Boland, the American Intelligence officer also returns to investigate the revelation she discovers in a document from her fathers possessions. It leads her to believe there was a cover up during the Cold War that could have led to the death of her father. Daniel Barbo, the creator of Venice as a virtual world known as Carnivia, learns that someone has hacked his software with the intention of using Carnivia to cause a major catastrophe. The three story lines converge from intriguing smaller plots, to a larger conspiracy involving terrorists, the CIA, and Freemasons. The book is cross between Dan Brown, Thomas Harris, and Charles Cumming. It is intelligent, detailed in terms of plot, location, and character, and highly engaging. Questions about Daniel Barbo's kidnappers from the earlier books are answered, Holly Boland discovers the truth about her past which leads to a dark unexpected resolution, and Kat Tapo matures as a Carabinieri Officer. She has to get to grips with a personal tragedy, and learns what innocent people are capable of when they are confronted with the truth. It's an emotional end to an original and riveting trilogy which leaves the reader fully satisfied with the ending. We learn new aspects to older characters that adds a richness and depth which makes this an above average thriller.
January 25, 2025
This is the third book in the series. A man is found dead on a beach with his tongue cut out and wearing a mask that is associated with the Masonic orders. Kat Tapo is assigned the case and is in charge of a murder investigation for the first time. In investigating, she finds that the man is high up in the organization of a small Catholic bank that is being acquired by one of Venice’s richest men. The circumstances around his death point to the rituals taken in Masonic orders for those who betray them. As she investigates, Holly Boland finds a document in her father’s papers that points to a cold war conspiracy and she begins to wonder if his stroke was something beyond natural. Daniele finds his own conspiracy when he discovers a hidden code within Carnivia that may threaten the entire population of Italy. The three cases begin to converge and lead to a frightening plot that may destroy them all. Daniele must revisit his kidnapping through a dangerous and controversial procedure to find critical information, Kat's investigation leads to a horrifying crime, and Holly must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to discover the truth.
May 31, 2020
This is the third and last book in the trilogy. Each book just got better and better. The characters and their interrelationships continued to develop from the first two books, becoming deeper and more complex and more complicated.
Three storylines, all of them excellent. Holly, the CIA, and her relationship with Gilroy. Kat with her personal and professional life and the related police procedural. Holt's police procedurals in all three books were excellent. And Daniele trying to get some closure on his kidnapping and deal with the complex morality of Carnivia.
The pace was crazy good. It started off slow in the first book but kept getting faster. This book started out pretty fast and then got crazy fast, and then rollercoaster whoosh, still accelerating to the end. So much fun.
But the ending of this book? Absolutely amazing. I can't believe there's not gonna be a fourth book. Aaaaaaah!!! Where does Holt live? We need to talk.
Three storylines, all of them excellent. Holly, the CIA, and her relationship with Gilroy. Kat with her personal and professional life and the related police procedural. Holt's police procedurals in all three books were excellent. And Daniele trying to get some closure on his kidnapping and deal with the complex morality of Carnivia.
The pace was crazy good. It started off slow in the first book but kept getting faster. This book started out pretty fast and then got crazy fast, and then rollercoaster whoosh, still accelerating to the end. So much fun.
But the ending of this book? Absolutely amazing. I can't believe there's not gonna be a fourth book. Aaaaaaah!!! Where does Holt live? We need to talk.
September 23, 2020
Viene ritrovato un cadavere su una spiaggia del lido di Venezia. Unico indizio è la sua gola tagliata. Cate, considerate le condizioni del cadavere sospetta di un omicidio rituale, legato alla Massoneria.
Terzo ed ultimo volume che ancora una volta si riconferma una bella lettura!
Il cerchio si chiude senza lasciare buchi nelle vicissitudini e nei personaggi conosciuti in tutta la trilogia. La fanno da padrone in questo ultimo lavoro gli anni di piombo italiani l, il terrorismo islamico. Un libro che tiene incollati, che crea pathos, voglia di sapere assolutamente quale sarà la prossima mossa. Come sempre un piacere ritrovare i vecchi personaggi, ormai diventati quasi amici; e trovarli così maturati è così evoluti.
Questo terzo libro, dei 3, per me il più bello!
Una trilogia che merita davvero
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Terzo ed ultimo volume che ancora una volta si riconferma una bella lettura!
Il cerchio si chiude senza lasciare buchi nelle vicissitudini e nei personaggi conosciuti in tutta la trilogia. La fanno da padrone in questo ultimo lavoro gli anni di piombo italiani l, il terrorismo islamico. Un libro che tiene incollati, che crea pathos, voglia di sapere assolutamente quale sarà la prossima mossa. Come sempre un piacere ritrovare i vecchi personaggi, ormai diventati quasi amici; e trovarli così maturati è così evoluti.
Questo terzo libro, dei 3, per me il più bello!
Una trilogia che merita davvero
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
June 27, 2021
I really enjoyed this trilogy, a fast-paced thriller, a political mystery, a historical analysis on the cold war in Europe. The history of Italy after the war and the interference into it is really tragic. The cautionary tale about the future of the Internet and the possible damage to everyone life is very important. I can put this book on the same level as Millennium trilogy, but more universal and scary. All 3 books in Carnivia trilogy, even if they are fiction can change your view on reality and the present.
The writer who goes under different names, now writes psychological mysteries but I wish him to came back as Jonathan Holt again in our turbulent times.
The writer who goes under different names, now writes psychological mysteries but I wish him to came back as Jonathan Holt again in our turbulent times.
July 1, 2017
Mystery, suspense, danger, and more.
I won an uncorrected proof advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to a senior assisted living facility.
I won an uncorrected proof advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to a senior assisted living facility.
January 25, 2022
7-2022. This read like a slightly improved Dan Brown book, full of Italy and Venice, and a touch of Masons, and cyber stuff. It would have been more fun to have more of the evil quasi-Masonic groups in it. I was a little let down by the end of it, but I’m glad to have read this series. I will not be back if there is a book four, though.
February 8, 2023
If you enjoy graphic animal abuse for nothing more than a couple of sleazy characters' shallow entertainment, then this book is for you. If you remotely like animals, you should probably not read this book. It's super boring anyway when compared to the first two, and those were barely readable or memorable either. This one really drags.
September 6, 2017
Excellent
This was brilliant. A very convoluted story showing how the CIA manipulated Italian politics during the seventies to the present day. I can only compare this series of books to the Millennium series and recommend it to anyone.
This was brilliant. A very convoluted story showing how the CIA manipulated Italian politics during the seventies to the present day. I can only compare this series of books to the Millennium series and recommend it to anyone.
August 12, 2024
I think this was the weakest one. Really not enough interaction between the 3 characters you love and in many ways; the ending sucks. The first book was quite different than the norm, but by the third, it became a run of the mill "Ludlum" like story.
December 30, 2017
Serinin son kitabıydı, fazlaca İtalyanca terim bulunsa da severek okuduğum bir polisiye oldu
November 14, 2018
Lyn 2016
June 22, 2019
Not the best end to a trilogy. Shame!
July 29, 2019
It was okay.
January 27, 2025
Oh, what a sad ending to this trilogy.
The plot is entertaining but the resolution is just frustrating.
The plot is entertaining but the resolution is just frustrating.
September 26, 2020
did not feel like the rest of the series. It is still a fun book to read on vacation, but the other two books in this series are far better.
May 28, 2015
The Traitor 4 stars
Jonathan Holt
An excellent read
A man is murdered in a ritualistic way and his body dumped (or was it carefully placed?) on the beach in Venice. The story starts as it means to go on and doesn’t disappoint. Who is lying and who can be trusted?
The CIA, a rogue Freemason lodge, the police, an all encompassing social network – these are all players in a complex web of intrigue and cyber terrorism. Two of the main characters are women from different sides of the Atlantic who become intricately involved in attempting to search for their version of the truth. No-one is safe.
The choice of Venice as a setting works well and the flavour of the city is well established from an early point. Attention to detail pays dividends as in the full description of Italian dishes which whet the appetite in more than one way. The main characters are well conceived with their strengths and weaknesses fully explored.
The plot is expertly developed and rattles along at a good pace towards an ending which rather leaves the reader hanging as to what happens to the main characters. As the last of the Carnivia trilogy it might have been expected that loose ends were tied up. However, this is the only criticism of a novel which is well worth reading.
mr zorg
Best Selling Crime Thrillers were given an advanced copy of the book to review.
Jonathan Holt
An excellent read
A man is murdered in a ritualistic way and his body dumped (or was it carefully placed?) on the beach in Venice. The story starts as it means to go on and doesn’t disappoint. Who is lying and who can be trusted?
The CIA, a rogue Freemason lodge, the police, an all encompassing social network – these are all players in a complex web of intrigue and cyber terrorism. Two of the main characters are women from different sides of the Atlantic who become intricately involved in attempting to search for their version of the truth. No-one is safe.
The choice of Venice as a setting works well and the flavour of the city is well established from an early point. Attention to detail pays dividends as in the full description of Italian dishes which whet the appetite in more than one way. The main characters are well conceived with their strengths and weaknesses fully explored.
The plot is expertly developed and rattles along at a good pace towards an ending which rather leaves the reader hanging as to what happens to the main characters. As the last of the Carnivia trilogy it might have been expected that loose ends were tied up. However, this is the only criticism of a novel which is well worth reading.
mr zorg
Best Selling Crime Thrillers were given an advanced copy of the book to review.
January 8, 2016
I loved the first book in this series - The Abomination. The second book in the series was almost as good, but Mr Holt's obsession with America and the CIA as the font of the world's evil got a little tiring. In The Absolution Mr Holt's dislike with American armed forces actually leads to a whole paragraph taking a gratuitous swipe at the daughters of military personnel as being little more than sluts and whores.
And it's too bad, because it's a good story and I get frustrated when an author's obsessions keep sidetracking a good thriller. IMHO if you have your knickers in wringer about something and you're feeling all righteous, then write a damn essay and quit pretending you're writing a novel. I didn't like it when Brad Thor just imploded over the Federal Reserve in The Hidden Order and I didn't like it in this book.
And it's too bad, because it's a good story and I get frustrated when an author's obsessions keep sidetracking a good thriller. IMHO if you have your knickers in wringer about something and you're feeling all righteous, then write a damn essay and quit pretending you're writing a novel. I didn't like it when Brad Thor just imploded over the Federal Reserve in The Hidden Order and I didn't like it in this book.
August 1, 2015
Semplicemente spettacolare, nel terzo e ultimo capitolo della trilogia di Carnivia, Holt ancora una volta si supera. Oltre alla sua abilità nello sfruttare fatti realmente accaduti, per poi mescolarli nella trama, riesce a rendere il romanzo originale ma allo stesso tempo collegato ai primi due. Le idee sulla loggia, l'idea di separare il Veneto dall'Italia e la minaccia finale rendono giustizia ai precedenti capitoli migliorando la storia già di per se avvincente. Gli intrighi reali sono abilmente amalgamati con fatti di finzione rendendo il romanzo una storia prettamente realistica su cui riflettere, soprattutto ai nostri giorni dove la privacy è una barzelletta che ci raccontiamo.
Spero e non vedo l'ora che presto esca un suo nuovo romanzo, convinto che sarà sicuramente un successo!
Spero e non vedo l'ora che presto esca un suo nuovo romanzo, convinto che sarà sicuramente un successo!
May 10, 2015
Not really a round up of the trilogy, so much as the same set of characters looking at a new mystery. Fascinating look into the U.S. Presence in Italy as well as the corruption of the State. A find balance of love for Venice and bleak outlook on its political future. Some scary ideas about cyber terrorism that seem all too possible.
I'm also puzzled about the rebranding of the other titles. The Abomination is now The Boatman which seems such a weak title compared to the first.
I'm also puzzled about the rebranding of the other titles. The Abomination is now The Boatman which seems such a weak title compared to the first.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews