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A Beautiful Crime
From the author of The Destroyers comes another delicious literary thriller (People)--a twisty story of deception, set in contemporary Venice and featuring a young American couple who have set their sights on a high-stakes con.
When Nick Brink and his boyfriend Clay Guillory meet up on the Grand Canal in Venice, they have a plan in mind--and it doesn't involve a vacation. Nick and Clay are running away from their turbulent lives in New York City, each desperate for a happier, freer future someplace else. Their method of escape? Selling a collection of counterfeit antiques to a brash, unsuspecting American living out his retirement years in a grand palazzo. With Clay's smarts and Nick's charm, their scheme is sure to succeed.
As it turns out, tricking a millionaire out of money isn't as easy as it seems, especially when Clay and Nick let greed get the best of them. As Nick falls under the spell of the city's decrepit magic, Clay comes to terms with personal loss and the price of letting go of the past. Their future awaits, but it is built on disastrous deceits, and more than one life stands in the way of their dreams.
A Beautiful Crime is a twisty grifter novel with a thriller running through its veins. But it is also a meditation on love, class, race, sexuality, and the legacy of bohemian culture. Tacking between Venice's soaring aesthetic beauty and its imminent tourist-riddled collapse, Bollen delivers another seductive and richly atmospheric literary thriller (New York Times Book Review).
When Nick Brink and his boyfriend Clay Guillory meet up on the Grand Canal in Venice, they have a plan in mind--and it doesn't involve a vacation. Nick and Clay are running away from their turbulent lives in New York City, each desperate for a happier, freer future someplace else. Their method of escape? Selling a collection of counterfeit antiques to a brash, unsuspecting American living out his retirement years in a grand palazzo. With Clay's smarts and Nick's charm, their scheme is sure to succeed.
As it turns out, tricking a millionaire out of money isn't as easy as it seems, especially when Clay and Nick let greed get the best of them. As Nick falls under the spell of the city's decrepit magic, Clay comes to terms with personal loss and the price of letting go of the past. Their future awaits, but it is built on disastrous deceits, and more than one life stands in the way of their dreams.
A Beautiful Crime is a twisty grifter novel with a thriller running through its veins. But it is also a meditation on love, class, race, sexuality, and the legacy of bohemian culture. Tacking between Venice's soaring aesthetic beauty and its imminent tourist-riddled collapse, Bollen delivers another seductive and richly atmospheric literary thriller (New York Times Book Review).
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2020
599 people are currently reading
7141 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Bollen
16 books415 followersChristopher Bollen is a writer who lives in New York City. He regularly writes about art, literature, and culture and is the author of six novels, numerous short stories, articles, essays, and interviews.
His first novel, Lightning People, was published in 2011. His second novel, Orient, was published in 2015. He then wrote The Destsroyers, A Beautiful Crime, and The Lost Americans .
His new novel HAVOC was published December 3, 2024 by Harper.
Describing his novels, The Daily Telegraph notes that "Bollen writes expansive, psychologically probing novels in the manner of Updike, Eugenides and Franzen, but he is also an avowed disciple of Agatha Christie.
His first novel, Lightning People, was published in 2011. His second novel, Orient, was published in 2015. He then wrote The Destsroyers, A Beautiful Crime, and The Lost Americans .
His new novel HAVOC was published December 3, 2024 by Harper.
Describing his novels, The Daily Telegraph notes that "Bollen writes expansive, psychologically probing novels in the manner of Updike, Eugenides and Franzen, but he is also an avowed disciple of Agatha Christie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews
November 14, 2019
First things first, if you're interested in a thriller, but are squeamish or get scared easily, this book is for you. It's not scary nor is it gruesome, but it is good.
A Beautiful Crime
is my first read by author Christopher Bollen, but now I am totally a fan. The story centers around con-artist couple, Nick Brink and Clay Guillory, and their journey to Venice. In Venice, the duo plan to sell Clay's ex-boyfriend's fake silver at an exponential cost. Clay's boyfriend came from one of the founding families of the early settlements of New York and now that he's passed away, they plan to cash in. The couple brainstorm a plan and decide to take advantage of this oblivious millionaire, who Clay in fact, has a past history with. During the heist, the couple has to jump through hurdles along the way—will this plan actually come to fruition or did they underestimate their target?
This synopsis brief that I just provided did not give this book any justice, so I guess just read the plot synopsis provided. A Beautiful Crime is not only a thriller, but it also is a great character study; infused with love, romance, and deception. This may be the first time ever that I've fallen in love with all the characters. Everyone was so multifaceted and deep—it was hard to hate on anybody! I loved Nick and Clay, and I loved their relationship. I loved Clay's history with his ex-boyfriend. I thought Mr. West (the millionaire) was hilarious and goofy at just the best moments. Daniela's honesty was refreshing and a good break from the dark-centric drama. Everyone had a role and it was portrayed perfectly.
I loved that A Beautiful Crime was centered around a gay couple, and it wasn't portrayed in a taboo fashion. The story provides a normal view between two men who love each other. It's not over-the-top with their theatrics or made into an unrealistic YA romance like I've seen many authors do lately. The story does show the differences between Millennial gays versus the gay who came before them, which is honestly something I've experienced in New York City as well. I loved the romance between Clay and Nick, and I really wanted to see more into that! I really appreciated how the author portrayed the gay community with respect and gave readers a voyeuristic opportunity into that reality.
My favorite aspect of A Beautiful Crime is how atmospheric the novel is! I really felt like I was in Venice with everyone and now I've added it to my travel bucket-list. I genuinely felt that I was right in the midst of all the chaos as the story was venturing forward and that rarely happens to me when I read a novel. I cannot believe I decided to read this so fast because now I'm craving a vacation to Venice!
Overall, A Beautiful Crime is a beautiful story about love, conflict, sexuality, and desperation. Go into the story with an open mind and an open heart. There's a chapter in the book that choked me up, but other than that, the book is a fun, wild ride! I still am in shock that I read this book in a day. I see real big things for Christopher Bollen and A Beautiful Crime in 2020.
This synopsis brief that I just provided did not give this book any justice, so I guess just read the plot synopsis provided. A Beautiful Crime is not only a thriller, but it also is a great character study; infused with love, romance, and deception. This may be the first time ever that I've fallen in love with all the characters. Everyone was so multifaceted and deep—it was hard to hate on anybody! I loved Nick and Clay, and I loved their relationship. I loved Clay's history with his ex-boyfriend. I thought Mr. West (the millionaire) was hilarious and goofy at just the best moments. Daniela's honesty was refreshing and a good break from the dark-centric drama. Everyone had a role and it was portrayed perfectly.
I loved that A Beautiful Crime was centered around a gay couple, and it wasn't portrayed in a taboo fashion. The story provides a normal view between two men who love each other. It's not over-the-top with their theatrics or made into an unrealistic YA romance like I've seen many authors do lately. The story does show the differences between Millennial gays versus the gay who came before them, which is honestly something I've experienced in New York City as well. I loved the romance between Clay and Nick, and I really wanted to see more into that! I really appreciated how the author portrayed the gay community with respect and gave readers a voyeuristic opportunity into that reality.
My favorite aspect of A Beautiful Crime is how atmospheric the novel is! I really felt like I was in Venice with everyone and now I've added it to my travel bucket-list. I genuinely felt that I was right in the midst of all the chaos as the story was venturing forward and that rarely happens to me when I read a novel. I cannot believe I decided to read this so fast because now I'm craving a vacation to Venice!
Overall, A Beautiful Crime is a beautiful story about love, conflict, sexuality, and desperation. Go into the story with an open mind and an open heart. There's a chapter in the book that choked me up, but other than that, the book is a fun, wild ride! I still am in shock that I read this book in a day. I see real big things for Christopher Bollen and A Beautiful Crime in 2020.
August 27, 2021
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4.25 stars
A Beautiful Crime is a tantalisingly suspenseful part thriller part romance, one that brilliantly captures the landscape, aesthetics, and politics of Venice.
The opening of the novel has a terrific hook. We know that someone at some point is going to die. But who? And how?
Vaguely reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley but starring two much more sympathetic, and empathetic, protagonists, A Beautiful Crime follows a tense cat-and-mouse game in which readers are never sure who is deceiving who.
Nick is a twenty-five year old from Ohio whose move to New York didn’t exactly result in a clearer idea of who he is or what he wants to do. His older boyfriend doesn’t seem to understand Nick’s restlessness. When Nick meets Clay, who is just two years older than him and from New York, sparks fly.
In spite of their different backgrounds, they fall hard and fast for each other. Clay, rumoured to have murdered his best friend after having tricked him into making him his heir, needs a lot of money and fast. Together they decide that the easiest way to get so much money is to con someone who has more money than sense. It just so happens that the person Clay hates most in the world fits the bill.
In order for their plan to succeed they go to Venice since it is where Richard Forsyth West, aka their mark, is currently staying.
Christopher Bollen maintains a taut tension throughout the course of his narrative. Readers, alongside Nick and Clay, will fear that some hitch might reveal and ruin their plans. What may appear as simple conversations will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. And while we know that objectively what Nick and Clay are doing is wrong, we are still rooting for them to succeed.
Time and time again, in both New York and Venice, Nick and Clay wrestle with their morals as well as their greed, desire, love, and any personal vendettas they may or may not harbour.
Bollen's writing style presents us with some breathtaking and insightful descriptions of Venice. As a former resident of the comune of Venice I am perhaps a bit too critical when I read novels that feature this city. So, I’m happy to say, or write, that Bollen's depiction of this city is truly true to life. He really does render its beauty and incongruities, providing an interesting commentary on Venice and its inhabitants, of its fatal dependency on tourism, and of the way it is perceived by the rest of the world.
Although both Nick and Clay view Venice through the eyes of an outsider, the Venetians we encounter along the way, from Daniela to Battista, give us an insight of the ‘real’ Venice.
Venice is much more than the glamorous backdrop to Nick and Clay con as in many ways it plays a central role in the story. It is a city or romance and of ruin. It fills Nick and Clay with equal parts awe and melancholy. The dizzying spell it casts on those who live there is clear. There were moments in which Bollen's portrayal of Venice brought to mind Thomas Mann’s in Death in Venice. In both of these works Venice appears as a labyrinthine and suggestive city one that might very well bring the worst out of people.
Alongside this high-stakes con we read of Nick and Clay’s relationship. Part of me wanted to see more of them together but in order for their plan to succeed it is vital they are not seen together, so it made sense that they didn’t get share many scenes. Their feelings for one another add a moving note to the story.
Both the secondary characters and the ones who had only small cameos were nuanced and fully fleshed out. At times it was difficult to discern whether someone's intentions were good or bad which made the story all the more compelling.
Bollen does a terrific job in rendering the ‘artsy’ community of Venice and of giving us an amusing impression of the ‘inglese italianato’ (or perhaps in this case the Americano italianato/the Italianised American) those types of art and cultural enthusiasts who like to play at being intellectual.
I also appreciated the novel’s engagement with issues such as racism (Clay is black), class, and privilege. Wealth, youth, and beauty also make their way into Bollen’s narrative. Both Nick and Clay have to confront their own desire for wealth and of what they would be willing to do for their own safety.
I only spotted two mistakes in Bollon's Italian which is so refreshing! Usually books set in Italy by non-Italian writers are not only riddled with clichés but with easily avoided mistakes (such as papa instead of papà). Bollon not only captures Venice but he also mentions the Venice-Mestre dynamic.
Bollon's engaging prose offers plenty of amusing descriptions (“the silent brag of an attractive companion”), easily renders a beautiful landscape, and provides thoughtful character studies.
A Beautiful Crime is an exhilarating novel that will have you flipping pages like there’s no tomorrow. In spite of its dark moments and of the unease the pervades most of its scenes, Bollen’s narrative maintains a beautiful momentum. Through striking depictions of love, friendship, and, of course, Venice A Beautiful Crime is a thrilling read.
Some of my favourite quotes
4.25 stars
A Beautiful Crime is a tantalisingly suspenseful part thriller part romance, one that brilliantly captures the landscape, aesthetics, and politics of Venice.
“The love of the city had killed its people. Quite simply, Venice had been visited to death.”
The opening of the novel has a terrific hook. We know that someone at some point is going to die. But who? And how?
“When you see an opportunity, take it. You can brood over the ethics later.”
Vaguely reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley but starring two much more sympathetic, and empathetic, protagonists, A Beautiful Crime follows a tense cat-and-mouse game in which readers are never sure who is deceiving who.
Nick is a twenty-five year old from Ohio whose move to New York didn’t exactly result in a clearer idea of who he is or what he wants to do. His older boyfriend doesn’t seem to understand Nick’s restlessness. When Nick meets Clay, who is just two years older than him and from New York, sparks fly.
In spite of their different backgrounds, they fall hard and fast for each other. Clay, rumoured to have murdered his best friend after having tricked him into making him his heir, needs a lot of money and fast. Together they decide that the easiest way to get so much money is to con someone who has more money than sense. It just so happens that the person Clay hates most in the world fits the bill.
In order for their plan to succeed they go to Venice since it is where Richard Forsyth West, aka their mark, is currently staying.
Christopher Bollen maintains a taut tension throughout the course of his narrative. Readers, alongside Nick and Clay, will fear that some hitch might reveal and ruin their plans. What may appear as simple conversations will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. And while we know that objectively what Nick and Clay are doing is wrong, we are still rooting for them to succeed.
Time and time again, in both New York and Venice, Nick and Clay wrestle with their morals as well as their greed, desire, love, and any personal vendettas they may or may not harbour.
Bollen's writing style presents us with some breathtaking and insightful descriptions of Venice. As a former resident of the comune of Venice I am perhaps a bit too critical when I read novels that feature this city. So, I’m happy to say, or write, that Bollen's depiction of this city is truly true to life. He really does render its beauty and incongruities, providing an interesting commentary on Venice and its inhabitants, of its fatal dependency on tourism, and of the way it is perceived by the rest of the world.
Although both Nick and Clay view Venice through the eyes of an outsider, the Venetians we encounter along the way, from Daniela to Battista, give us an insight of the ‘real’ Venice.
“What would Venice be like without any Venetians living in it? There were only fifty-three thousand of these rare humans left, and the number was shrinking by a thousand each year.”
Venice is much more than the glamorous backdrop to Nick and Clay con as in many ways it plays a central role in the story. It is a city or romance and of ruin. It fills Nick and Clay with equal parts awe and melancholy. The dizzying spell it casts on those who live there is clear. There were moments in which Bollen's portrayal of Venice brought to mind Thomas Mann’s in Death in Venice. In both of these works Venice appears as a labyrinthine and suggestive city one that might very well bring the worst out of people.
“Nick was hallucinating. Hew was mistaking marble ballrooms and gilt facades and velvet-upholstered gondolas for real life. People went mad in Venice because it lacked the reality check of poverty and ugliness and ordinary struggles. ”
Alongside this high-stakes con we read of Nick and Clay’s relationship. Part of me wanted to see more of them together but in order for their plan to succeed it is vital they are not seen together, so it made sense that they didn’t get share many scenes. Their feelings for one another add a moving note to the story.
Both the secondary characters and the ones who had only small cameos were nuanced and fully fleshed out. At times it was difficult to discern whether someone's intentions were good or bad which made the story all the more compelling.
“These monsters, Nick thought, and at the same exact moment, These wonderful people.”
Bollen does a terrific job in rendering the ‘artsy’ community of Venice and of giving us an amusing impression of the ‘inglese italianato’ (or perhaps in this case the Americano italianato/the Italianised American) those types of art and cultural enthusiasts who like to play at being intellectual.
I also appreciated the novel’s engagement with issues such as racism (Clay is black), class, and privilege. Wealth, youth, and beauty also make their way into Bollen’s narrative. Both Nick and Clay have to confront their own desire for wealth and of what they would be willing to do for their own safety.
I only spotted two mistakes in Bollon's Italian which is so refreshing! Usually books set in Italy by non-Italian writers are not only riddled with clichés but with easily avoided mistakes (such as papa instead of papà). Bollon not only captures Venice but he also mentions the Venice-Mestre dynamic.
Bollon's engaging prose offers plenty of amusing descriptions (“the silent brag of an attractive companion”), easily renders a beautiful landscape, and provides thoughtful character studies.
A Beautiful Crime is an exhilarating novel that will have you flipping pages like there’s no tomorrow. In spite of its dark moments and of the unease the pervades most of its scenes, Bollen’s narrative maintains a beautiful momentum. Through striking depictions of love, friendship, and, of course, Venice A Beautiful Crime is a thrilling read.
Some of my favourite quotes
“He believed in friendliness the same way he believed in his youth: he thought both could save him. His youth and friendliness were master keys to all future rooms.”
“The world promised Nick nothing at that age but showed him glimpses of its finest possibilities.”
“For him, walking around as a gay man in his hometown was tantamount to being out on bail: he was free to go about his business, but everyone treated him with a heightened suspicion, as if unsure whether he had committed a crime.”
“Nick saw it as a chance to be delivered from the purgatory of mid-twenties aimlessness.”
“In the stronghold of dry, hot days, visitors clotted the streets like human glue, and cruise ships barged into San Marco's Basin with horns that blasted louder than any church bells.”
“Wheelie suitcases had become the unofficial soundtrack of Venice, a city that had triumphed for millennia on the very absence of wheels.”
“It was a secondhand high to watch a first-timer take in the city.”
“Another person's idea of normalcy was always a foreign country, just as your borders on that dominion were constantly expanding or shrinking, ejecting proud, long-standing residents while taking in exciting new émigrés that would have been denied entry the year before.”
“In the hush of early evening, Venice changed from past to present. ”
“Nick preferred to think of people as messy whirlpools of wants and desires, as unpredictable bundles of urges even when the appropriate bait was placed in front of them. ”
“Nothing else could touch him, large or small, because he'd filled his quota on pain. But the loss of a parent doesn't immunize a person from betrayal any more than surviving a shark bite protects its victim from a car crash.”
“Nick found himself impressed by his own bullshit. It was undeniably top-quality bullshit. It sounded so erudite and convincing, even to the one who was spewing it.”
May 31, 2020
Good Lord, I am STILL catching up here on Goodreads, adding reviews for books I finished weeks (or even months) ago. How is it that a pandemic and social distancing have made me derelict here? In any case, A BEAUTIFUL CRIME is fantastic -- and I do not throw around that adjective liberally. Christoper Bollen is our era's Patricia Highsmith, and A BEAUTIFUL CRIME is a spectacular slow-burn of a thriller: think THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY for a new generation. The dread is palpable, the grift is fascinating, and the descent from decency to deceit is gripping. Also? Bollen is a brilliant stylist and writer, crafting some of the beautiful and lush sentences I've read this year.
March 20, 2020
Take Patricia Highsmith’s Mr. Ripley and mix well with John Berendt’s City of Fallen Angels and you have a taste of what awaits you with Christopher Bollen’s latest novel.
At its heart, it’s a heartfelt ode to Venice: the scandal, skullduggery and seductiveness of this one-of-a-kind city. Into this location of crumbling palazzos and shaky morality enters antiquarian assistant Nick Blake, a handsome “aw shucks” type of guy and his debt-ridden boyfriend, Clay Guillory. They’ve cooked up a fantastical scheme: to sell the counterfeit silver antiques that Clay has just inherited from his now-deceased much older bohemian boyfriend to a wealthy and unsuspecting American. It all seems foolproof. But as the two begin to discover, separating a billionaire from his money may not be as easy as it appears.
The proposed swindle provides the framework for the plot but what keeps the novel fresh is a close look at queer culture from different perspectives – Nick is white and unencumbered, Clay is black and living by a different set of rules. Then there’s Ari (Nick’s former boyfriend and benefactor) and Freddy (the flamboyant man Clay lived with and is suspected of murdering) and Daniella, Clay’s friend who now lives freely and unapologetically as a woman. Love, social class, race and sexuality all play out in Europe’s ultimate playground where tourists far outnumber residents.
The intrigue and twists would have been enough to carry the book, but Christopher Bollen is given to stage-directing: his characters sneer and whimper and spit and growl and balk and mutter. The book would have been stronger had Mr. Bollen trusted his readers to intuit his characters’ reactions and state of mind. His encyclopedic knowledge of Venice and the art world – he was himself a Peggy Guggenheim art intern in Venice – can sometimes feel overplayed. Having noted these issues, the book still deserves kudos for its original and atmospheric development. Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up.
My thanks to #HarperCollins for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
At its heart, it’s a heartfelt ode to Venice: the scandal, skullduggery and seductiveness of this one-of-a-kind city. Into this location of crumbling palazzos and shaky morality enters antiquarian assistant Nick Blake, a handsome “aw shucks” type of guy and his debt-ridden boyfriend, Clay Guillory. They’ve cooked up a fantastical scheme: to sell the counterfeit silver antiques that Clay has just inherited from his now-deceased much older bohemian boyfriend to a wealthy and unsuspecting American. It all seems foolproof. But as the two begin to discover, separating a billionaire from his money may not be as easy as it appears.
The proposed swindle provides the framework for the plot but what keeps the novel fresh is a close look at queer culture from different perspectives – Nick is white and unencumbered, Clay is black and living by a different set of rules. Then there’s Ari (Nick’s former boyfriend and benefactor) and Freddy (the flamboyant man Clay lived with and is suspected of murdering) and Daniella, Clay’s friend who now lives freely and unapologetically as a woman. Love, social class, race and sexuality all play out in Europe’s ultimate playground where tourists far outnumber residents.
The intrigue and twists would have been enough to carry the book, but Christopher Bollen is given to stage-directing: his characters sneer and whimper and spit and growl and balk and mutter. The book would have been stronger had Mr. Bollen trusted his readers to intuit his characters’ reactions and state of mind. His encyclopedic knowledge of Venice and the art world – he was himself a Peggy Guggenheim art intern in Venice – can sometimes feel overplayed. Having noted these issues, the book still deserves kudos for its original and atmospheric development. Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up.
My thanks to #HarperCollins for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2020
QUICK TAKE: A stunning crime caper with an LGBTQ twist. Set against the backdrop of Venice, Italy, the story revolves around Nick and Clay, a gay couple running from their troubled past to start fresh in Europe. However, in order to start their new life, the couple needs money, so they decide to sell a collection of counterfeit antiques to an unsuspecting American living in Venice who happens to have a complicated history with Clay. It’s part THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, part THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, and to say anything else about the story would spoil the fun. It’s “sophisticated and savage”, full of complicated characters and beautiful imagery; it’s stylish and sexy, but also packs an emotional gut-punch, and it’s the mix of high-stakes and heartbreak that really elevate this book above so many other titles I’ve read this year.
September 24, 2020
I hated to put this book down while I was reading it, but upon reflection, I think I lean closer to three rather than four stars. There are some twists in the book, so all thoughts to support this decision are spoiler tagged!
The biggest strengths of this book, however, are twofold. First, it has been 4 years since I visited Italy and Bollen brought the country back for me vividly. It was a pleasure to recall the tastes and sounds and vibrancy, the art and the sun and the people.
Secondly, I loved the homage to the older generations of LGBT Americans in the characters of Freddy and Daniela, those who lived in the margins long before medical management of HIV and legalized gay marriage. LGBT contemporary stories have multiplied exponentially on bookshelves over the last few years and that is a boon to current generations. But it is so important to keep telling the stories of the past, too.
The biggest strengths of this book, however, are twofold. First, it has been 4 years since I visited Italy and Bollen brought the country back for me vividly. It was a pleasure to recall the tastes and sounds and vibrancy, the art and the sun and the people.
Secondly, I loved the homage to the older generations of LGBT Americans in the characters of Freddy and Daniela, those who lived in the margins long before medical management of HIV and legalized gay marriage. LGBT contemporary stories have multiplied exponentially on bookshelves over the last few years and that is a boon to current generations. But it is so important to keep telling the stories of the past, too.
March 29, 2020
A Beautiful Crime is a twisty, smart M/M heist thriller. The first half was a bit confusing for me due to going back & forth in time and all the different characters but it doesn’t take too long to sharpen to a point and I ploughed through most of it in a single sesh. I was able to escape to Venice, Italy for a few hours and it felt wonderful. Books like this are why I read 🖤
January 10, 2023
4.0 stars I have wanted to go to Venice for a long time. When I finally had the time COVID got in the way but I still hope to go. This book helped me to experience it vicariously with lots of beautiful and sometimes not so pleasant details. This is the first book I have read by this author. I found I could not read it quickly as it was so descriptive. The con proceeded a little too conveniently at times and there were other instances that were unlikely to have worked out the way they did. I enjoyed the story very much overall in spite of the fact that the main characters were not very likeable. If you like stories about Venice you will enjoy this book.
February 6, 2020
This book really grabbed my attention & held on from start to finish. I wanted to give it 5 stars but there were two plot holes that just bagged at me though it’s still a really good read.
November 10, 2021
Quando ho qualche giorno libero e so di aver tempo per leggere mi piace prendermi degli ebook 'leggeri', qualche crime o altri libri poco impegnativi. In una puntata del podcast Copertina avevo sentito parlare di questo e mi aveva incuriosito. Quindi.
Quindi il genere thriller non fa per me perché mi rompo le palle. Questo ha solo il bonus track di essere ambientato a Venezia ma non la solita Venezia da cartolina ma quella un po' più normale di qualcuno che ci ha vissuto. Girare per le calli e i campi con i protagonisti è l'unica cosa che mi è piaciuta, per il resto, ribadisco, non il mio genere.
Un bello spritz in campo Santa Margherita, ma sono reduce da una dolorosissima colica renale, quindi, ahimè, tocca aspettare.
Quindi il genere thriller non fa per me perché mi rompo le palle. Questo ha solo il bonus track di essere ambientato a Venezia ma non la solita Venezia da cartolina ma quella un po' più normale di qualcuno che ci ha vissuto. Girare per le calli e i campi con i protagonisti è l'unica cosa che mi è piaciuta, per il resto, ribadisco, non il mio genere.
Un bello spritz in campo Santa Margherita, ma sono reduce da una dolorosissima colica renale, quindi, ahimè, tocca aspettare.
January 20, 2023
You know, it would be the easiest thing in the world to just say "Be Gay, Do Crimes: Venice Edition!" and call it a review, and I was kind of expecting to do so before I picked this one up, but this was just too goddamn good of a book to be flippant about.
From one of the best opening chapters I've read in a while, I was invested in this meticulously researched novel. I'm one of those people who can spend hours on Google Earth just zooming around for fun, so when the opening scene describes a pier called Ca' Rezzonico being just across the Grand Canal from San Samuele, of course I had to look it up. Sure enough, they're just opposite from each other. Hell, most of this book can be traced to very specific real-world locations, and even the made up ones pull so heavily on certain neighborhoods that I could believe they were real. There are a few mentions to specific works of art as well, and it was neat to look them up and see the exact same thing the characters were describing seeing.
Venice itself surpassed being just a setting and became a character itself in this story with its own desires and needs and flaws. But that's not to say the rest of the cast couldn't hold up on their own; this was actually a very strong roster of people I enjoyed reading about. You had the passionate locals trying to defend their city from hordes of tourists, the young and ambitious couple Nick and Clay who came to the city to pull off a con, and an expertly charismatic antagonist (who oddly enough really reminded me of my father-in-law; it's not often a book character reminds me of someone from my personal life). They all made for an interesting web of interactions, and the house of cards that Nick and Clay constructed to walk away with hundreds of thousands of dollars of another man's money constantly threatened to come crashing down depending on who knew what and when.
One of my favorite characters in this book was dead before it even began (which kind of set the whole plot in motion), and we only visit this eccentric old Manhattan socialite in flashbacks, at the twilight of his life. But he tied into a theme of older generations of gay men passing down specific knowledge and experiences to the younger one so perfectly that the core of the book would've suffered without his absence. All this despite the fact that, again, he was dead before we met him.
The story isn't told in a strictly chronological order, but it never got confusing. This wasn't an especially violent book with shootouts or assassins or anything bloody, but the stakes still felt high. The ending felt realistic and earned; it wasn't a perfect storybook happily ever after, but it was as good as it could have been as a direct result of the choices made by these flawed protagonists. And they were very much different people at the end of this story than they were at the beginning, which is always the sign of a competent writer in my opinion.
If you want a low-stakes thriller that's well-written and has an authentic portrayal of gay culture (both modern and older), this is your book.
From one of the best opening chapters I've read in a while, I was invested in this meticulously researched novel. I'm one of those people who can spend hours on Google Earth just zooming around for fun, so when the opening scene describes a pier called Ca' Rezzonico being just across the Grand Canal from San Samuele, of course I had to look it up. Sure enough, they're just opposite from each other. Hell, most of this book can be traced to very specific real-world locations, and even the made up ones pull so heavily on certain neighborhoods that I could believe they were real. There are a few mentions to specific works of art as well, and it was neat to look them up and see the exact same thing the characters were describing seeing.
Venice itself surpassed being just a setting and became a character itself in this story with its own desires and needs and flaws. But that's not to say the rest of the cast couldn't hold up on their own; this was actually a very strong roster of people I enjoyed reading about. You had the passionate locals trying to defend their city from hordes of tourists, the young and ambitious couple Nick and Clay who came to the city to pull off a con, and an expertly charismatic antagonist (who oddly enough really reminded me of my father-in-law; it's not often a book character reminds me of someone from my personal life). They all made for an interesting web of interactions, and the house of cards that Nick and Clay constructed to walk away with hundreds of thousands of dollars of another man's money constantly threatened to come crashing down depending on who knew what and when.
One of my favorite characters in this book was dead before it even began (which kind of set the whole plot in motion), and we only visit this eccentric old Manhattan socialite in flashbacks, at the twilight of his life. But he tied into a theme of older generations of gay men passing down specific knowledge and experiences to the younger one so perfectly that the core of the book would've suffered without his absence. All this despite the fact that, again, he was dead before we met him.
The story isn't told in a strictly chronological order, but it never got confusing. This wasn't an especially violent book with shootouts or assassins or anything bloody, but the stakes still felt high. The ending felt realistic and earned; it wasn't a perfect storybook happily ever after, but it was as good as it could have been as a direct result of the choices made by these flawed protagonists. And they were very much different people at the end of this story than they were at the beginning, which is always the sign of a competent writer in my opinion.
If you want a low-stakes thriller that's well-written and has an authentic portrayal of gay culture (both modern and older), this is your book.
November 23, 2021
È definito dal New York Times “romanzo di un’eleganza assoluta” e viene dalla premiata scuderia di Bill Clagg: sembravano buone garanzie per me che cercavo un libro scorrevole e leggero, ma non stupido, per passare una settimana stressante. Anche perché è ambientato a Venezia e io leggo tutto quello che è ambientato a Venezia, anche le peggiori boiate, per il piacere di ritrovare le vie e i campi dove passo ogni giorno.
È la storia di una truffa, che si compie nell’ambiente dei ricchi americani a Venezia, storia di eredità, di palazzi in rovina, di affreschi trascurati, di personaggi eccentrici, artistoidi e genderfluid (ecco forse dov’è l’eleganza: nell’ambientazione, che ricorda certi racconti di Leavitt). Una storia ben congegnata e piena di personaggi che fanno la mossa giusta al momento giusto. Uno di quei prodotti ben confezionati dopo un diploma in scrittura creativa, uno di quei prodotti che potrebbero diventare un film. Ci sono molte ingenuità, inverosimiglianze e coincidenze miracolose che rendono la vicenda ben poco credibile, ma solo per chi si soffermi a pensare. L’autore, un giovane che ha passato qualche mese a Venezia come stagista della Gugghenheim e sostiene di amarla, dimostra una discreta conoscenza della città e dei suoi attuali problemi (discreta, non ottima come lui crede: errori e inesattezze ce ne sono a iosa, dalle calli lastricate di ciottoli, ai pozzi di ferro, ai palazzi di stucco). Ma nonostante questo, e nonostante le ottime credenziali, è un americano, e da ogni pagina trasuda il solito, inguaribile disprezzo per gli italiani che sono inaffidabili, corrotti, incapaci, cialtroni, sempre in ritardo, e non pagano le tasse; e per l’Italia, paese affogato nella burocrazia dove nulla funziona, gli ospedali sono da terzo mondo, e dove un notaio ti dà appuntamento il giorno dopo e sbriga in venti minuti un rogito ultramilionario. Non sarò certo io a difendere questo paese, ma a tutto c’è un limite.
È la storia di una truffa, che si compie nell’ambiente dei ricchi americani a Venezia, storia di eredità, di palazzi in rovina, di affreschi trascurati, di personaggi eccentrici, artistoidi e genderfluid (ecco forse dov’è l’eleganza: nell’ambientazione, che ricorda certi racconti di Leavitt). Una storia ben congegnata e piena di personaggi che fanno la mossa giusta al momento giusto. Uno di quei prodotti ben confezionati dopo un diploma in scrittura creativa, uno di quei prodotti che potrebbero diventare un film. Ci sono molte ingenuità, inverosimiglianze e coincidenze miracolose che rendono la vicenda ben poco credibile, ma solo per chi si soffermi a pensare. L’autore, un giovane che ha passato qualche mese a Venezia come stagista della Gugghenheim e sostiene di amarla, dimostra una discreta conoscenza della città e dei suoi attuali problemi (discreta, non ottima come lui crede: errori e inesattezze ce ne sono a iosa, dalle calli lastricate di ciottoli, ai pozzi di ferro, ai palazzi di stucco). Ma nonostante questo, e nonostante le ottime credenziali, è un americano, e da ogni pagina trasuda il solito, inguaribile disprezzo per gli italiani che sono inaffidabili, corrotti, incapaci, cialtroni, sempre in ritardo, e non pagano le tasse; e per l’Italia, paese affogato nella burocrazia dove nulla funziona, gli ospedali sono da terzo mondo, e dove un notaio ti dà appuntamento il giorno dopo e sbriga in venti minuti un rogito ultramilionario. Non sarò certo io a difendere questo paese, ma a tutto c’è un limite.
October 12, 2021
2.5★, DNF. Normally I enjoy stories about heists and cons but our criminal boyfriend main characters are really just run of the mill assholes. And Nick is a bit of a twat.
I was really enticed when the reviews contained descriptors like "smart, fast paced", "irresistible and stylish" but the 1/3 of the book that I got through was anything but. Certainly not the slick heist story with that dash of LGBTQ perspective I was looking for - the pace felt so stuttering I kept finding my attention wandering off.
Perhaps it could work as a movie with more charismatic actors, but neither of the main characters feels complex or sympathetic enough to let us get over how deeply unlikeable they are. We all know they're supposed to be, but they're dogged by the burden of so many awful people in fiction - they're not compelling enough for me to find their antics interesting or justifiable in their characterisation.
Bonus half-star for the plurality of racially diverse queer characters (especially older ones like Ari, Daniela and Freddy). But I'd say to go look for your genre-fiction LGBTQ rep elsewhere.
I was really enticed when the reviews contained descriptors like "smart, fast paced", "irresistible and stylish" but the 1/3 of the book that I got through was anything but. Certainly not the slick heist story with that dash of LGBTQ perspective I was looking for - the pace felt so stuttering I kept finding my attention wandering off.
Perhaps it could work as a movie with more charismatic actors, but neither of the main characters feels complex or sympathetic enough to let us get over how deeply unlikeable they are. We all know they're supposed to be, but they're dogged by the burden of so many awful people in fiction - they're not compelling enough for me to find their antics interesting or justifiable in their characterisation.
Bonus half-star for the plurality of racially diverse queer characters (especially older ones like Ari, Daniela and Freddy). But I'd say to go look for your genre-fiction LGBTQ rep elsewhere.
October 12, 2020
A psychological funhouse of a thriller. The twisty, deceptive geography of Venice is the perfect setting for this twisty story about two deceptive hustlers in love scheming to get rich quick. The cat and mouse plot is enhanced as it is masterfully told from both con-artists’ point of view—never knowing who are the good guys and who are the bad and, subsequently, turning each page with intrigue.
February 17, 2020
More travelogue than anything else. Story secondary to the love of Venice. Slow read.
January 28, 2020
What attracts me to Christopher Bollen is his tensile literary thrillers. THE DESTROYERS and LIGHTNING PEOPLE were standouts of dramatic and suspenseful plots with prose to match them, and kept me fascinated until the exciting finales. Like DESTROYERS, Bollen selected an exotic backdrop; not Greece this time, but Venice, Italy, for his story of intrigue and grift in his latest boiler, A BEAUTIFUL CRIME. Venice, to me, was like a character in the book—the unique pedestrian city of canals and confinement that, at times, expanded its claustrophobic setting, especially if you’re trying to get away with a “beautiful crime.” It brought me right back to Venice—-the author animated it for me once more.
Two fairly new lovers, Nick and Clay, come to Venice from NYC with an agenda to rip off a wealthy American, Richard West, who lives in a historic palazzo, a walled half once shared with a former Dutch scion of NYC, Freddy Van der Haar, who lost his wealth to his flamboyant lifestyle and drugs, and recently died of AIDS. He left it to Clay, a true platonic friend. West lives in the other half of the house.
West was an enemy to Freddy, and Clay has his reasons, also. The plan is to sell to West Freddy’s ancestral family’s (now) counterfeit silver, enough to pay off debts and start a new life together, away from their sorrows in NYC. It’s an elaborate but simple plan, but develops into even more entangled grift as their rip-off scheme becomes less risk averse and more perilous. I’ll leave it to the reader to watch the plot amplify.
Bollen did an adept job of bringing Clay and Nick to life—less so on some of the secondary characters. Although the brutal plot was believable, and I felt each footfall along the Venetian Lagoon, the middle section of the story lost some tempo, as it lulled me with a stretched out narrative—until a knotty jam shook Nick to the core. It added another layer of suspense, but all this treachery had less effect on Clay and Nick’s relationship than I would have imagined. For me, it wasn’t Bollen’s best, but it possessed an acrid charm. 3.5 rounded up
Thank you to Harper for sending me an ARC for review
Two fairly new lovers, Nick and Clay, come to Venice from NYC with an agenda to rip off a wealthy American, Richard West, who lives in a historic palazzo, a walled half once shared with a former Dutch scion of NYC, Freddy Van der Haar, who lost his wealth to his flamboyant lifestyle and drugs, and recently died of AIDS. He left it to Clay, a true platonic friend. West lives in the other half of the house.
West was an enemy to Freddy, and Clay has his reasons, also. The plan is to sell to West Freddy’s ancestral family’s (now) counterfeit silver, enough to pay off debts and start a new life together, away from their sorrows in NYC. It’s an elaborate but simple plan, but develops into even more entangled grift as their rip-off scheme becomes less risk averse and more perilous. I’ll leave it to the reader to watch the plot amplify.
Bollen did an adept job of bringing Clay and Nick to life—less so on some of the secondary characters. Although the brutal plot was believable, and I felt each footfall along the Venetian Lagoon, the middle section of the story lost some tempo, as it lulled me with a stretched out narrative—until a knotty jam shook Nick to the core. It added another layer of suspense, but all this treachery had less effect on Clay and Nick’s relationship than I would have imagined. For me, it wasn’t Bollen’s best, but it possessed an acrid charm. 3.5 rounded up
Thank you to Harper for sending me an ARC for review
February 9, 2020
It’s risky to write a novel set in Venice. Eminent literary shades --- Thomas Mann, Henry James, Daphne du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith --- inevitably gather, setting up echoes and comparisons: DEATH IN VENICE meets THE WINGS OF THE DOVE meets DON’T LOOK NOW meets THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY. On the other hand, La Serenissima, with its ravishing water and light, its mazelike streets, never fails to dazzle and enchant. (I’m lucky enough to have just been there, which made reading this book all the more fun.)
A BEAUTIFUL CRIME, Christopher Bollen’s fourth novel, has some of the same themes as that roll call of Venice-inspired books: schemes to swindle the wealthy, same-sex love, getting away with murder. Former editor-in-chief of Interview, the author no doubt has intimate knowledge of the rich, arty and offbeat --- and he’s adept at imagining the tangled psyches of those who plot to rip them off.
Getting the reader to root for a charming con man/killer --- in this case, two of them --- is a classic fictional strategy, from Ripley to (more recently) ethical serial killer Dexter and Joe, the stalker/murderer guy in YOU. Bollen pulls it off. And by making Nick Brink and Clay Guillory not only co-conspirators but lovers, he appeals to the romantic in all of us. We don’t want them to be caught; we want them to get their happily-ever-after.
The story is told alternately from the two men’s points of view. Nick, a newcomer to Venice, is a devastatingly handsome, compulsively flirtatious guy from Dayton, Ohio: bullied as a kid, still closeted to his family (“For him, walking around as a gay man in his hometown was tantamount to being out on bail: he was free to go about his business, but everyone treated him with a heightened suspicion, as if unsure whether he had committed a crime”), and chafing at the role (“the eternal apprentice”) laid out for him by Ari, his older, highly cultured, marriage-minded boyfriend in New York.
Clay’s first contact with Venice, like Bollen’s, was as an intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the city’s premier modern-art museum; he describes himself as “a middle-class black kid from the Bronx suddenly crowned a prince of Italy.” Still reeling from the premature death of his mother (who “smothered him with love and acceptance” when he came out) and the remoteness of his grieving father, Clay was at a vulnerable point when he became the part-time assistant of an affluent American expatriate, Richard Forsyth West. Later, he found out that his employer had spread false rumors about him, sabotaging his chances for a permanent job at the museum.
It was then that Clay became the soulmate of one Freddy van der Haar, scion of an illustrious Dutch-American family that had fallen on hard times and a legendary, flamboyant figure in New York’s gay subculture. For four years Clay lived with Freddy in Venice, Paris and Brooklyn; cared for him during his final illness; and, when he died, inherited some “antique” silver of dubious authenticity; part of a Venetian palazzo; and a humongous pile of debts. Now he needs money, and he wants revenge on West.
The route to both is to get West to pay hundreds of thousands for the phony heirlooms. Nick’s role is to authenticate them (Ari, an expert on silver, taught him enough to pose as a professional). So far, so good. Until, well… A BEAUTIFUL CRIME is the kind of novel where you just know something is going to go wrong with the scam sooner or later, leading one or both of the guys to commit acts they’d never imagined themselves capable of. But you don’t know when, or how, and Bollen is adept at keeping the suspense nicely taut.
He also excels at evoking Venice itself. His fascination with the watery city is clear, his descriptions both accurate and eloquent. Clay “loved getting lost. It seemed like the whole point of Venice, built to trick and confuse. Taking a wrong turn and nearly plunging into a canal or skipping over a bridge that dead-ended in a brick wall was part of the town’s fugitive magic.” Bollen underlines the tension between those who want to save Venice, preserving its ancient glories, and those who replace palazzi with cheap tourist housing and run roughshod over the diminishing number of people, only 53,000, who actually live there. “I’m afraid the tourists are finally winning,” Daniela, a friend of Clay’s, tells Nick. “We’ve been conquered by a well-organized army of occupiers who have no interest in staying more than three nights.” Or, to put it another way, “Venice has been visited to death.”
While Bollen’s characterizations of Venice really sing (“a symphony playing inside a shipwreck”), his people aren’t always as vivid. Supporting players like Ari, Freddy and West’s current assistant, Battista --- even the villainous silver expert Dulles Hawkes --- seem to me more colorful than Nick and Clay, who need to be presented attractively and somewhat blandly in order to sustain the reader’s sympathy.
Nick especially is a bit of a cipher, cute and initially rather passive. He hasn’t yet found his life’s passion; meanwhile, “he has Clay.” Clay is tougher; he grew up “expecting every door to be nailed shut before he even reached to open it.” Yet he, too, is sweet and decent, hardly a hustler or gold digger, though Freddy’s old friends label him as just that.
Some critics have compared Bollen to Patricia Highsmith; however, I think he’s gentler than she is. Unlike her antihero, the amoral Ripley, Nick and Clay struggle with conscience; there is nothing offhand about their crimes and misdemeanors. “I’m a really bad crook,” Nick tells Clay. His response: “A bad crook is the best kind.” A BEAUTIFUL CRIME has a lot more heart than Highsmith’s dark thrillers, but the plotting is less skillful, lacking the surprise twists I expected.
If the structure is imperfect, the setting is marvelous. Venice isn’t just a scenic background for the action of A BEAUTIFUL CRIME. Its capricious tides and twisty, deceptive geography seem to mirror the characters’ secrets and intrigues. I rooted for Clay and Nick to get away with their swindle. I also rooted --- and still do --- for proud, resilient Venice to survive the floods of water and tourists that threaten to drown her.
Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman
A BEAUTIFUL CRIME, Christopher Bollen’s fourth novel, has some of the same themes as that roll call of Venice-inspired books: schemes to swindle the wealthy, same-sex love, getting away with murder. Former editor-in-chief of Interview, the author no doubt has intimate knowledge of the rich, arty and offbeat --- and he’s adept at imagining the tangled psyches of those who plot to rip them off.
Getting the reader to root for a charming con man/killer --- in this case, two of them --- is a classic fictional strategy, from Ripley to (more recently) ethical serial killer Dexter and Joe, the stalker/murderer guy in YOU. Bollen pulls it off. And by making Nick Brink and Clay Guillory not only co-conspirators but lovers, he appeals to the romantic in all of us. We don’t want them to be caught; we want them to get their happily-ever-after.
The story is told alternately from the two men’s points of view. Nick, a newcomer to Venice, is a devastatingly handsome, compulsively flirtatious guy from Dayton, Ohio: bullied as a kid, still closeted to his family (“For him, walking around as a gay man in his hometown was tantamount to being out on bail: he was free to go about his business, but everyone treated him with a heightened suspicion, as if unsure whether he had committed a crime”), and chafing at the role (“the eternal apprentice”) laid out for him by Ari, his older, highly cultured, marriage-minded boyfriend in New York.
Clay’s first contact with Venice, like Bollen’s, was as an intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the city’s premier modern-art museum; he describes himself as “a middle-class black kid from the Bronx suddenly crowned a prince of Italy.” Still reeling from the premature death of his mother (who “smothered him with love and acceptance” when he came out) and the remoteness of his grieving father, Clay was at a vulnerable point when he became the part-time assistant of an affluent American expatriate, Richard Forsyth West. Later, he found out that his employer had spread false rumors about him, sabotaging his chances for a permanent job at the museum.
It was then that Clay became the soulmate of one Freddy van der Haar, scion of an illustrious Dutch-American family that had fallen on hard times and a legendary, flamboyant figure in New York’s gay subculture. For four years Clay lived with Freddy in Venice, Paris and Brooklyn; cared for him during his final illness; and, when he died, inherited some “antique” silver of dubious authenticity; part of a Venetian palazzo; and a humongous pile of debts. Now he needs money, and he wants revenge on West.
The route to both is to get West to pay hundreds of thousands for the phony heirlooms. Nick’s role is to authenticate them (Ari, an expert on silver, taught him enough to pose as a professional). So far, so good. Until, well… A BEAUTIFUL CRIME is the kind of novel where you just know something is going to go wrong with the scam sooner or later, leading one or both of the guys to commit acts they’d never imagined themselves capable of. But you don’t know when, or how, and Bollen is adept at keeping the suspense nicely taut.
He also excels at evoking Venice itself. His fascination with the watery city is clear, his descriptions both accurate and eloquent. Clay “loved getting lost. It seemed like the whole point of Venice, built to trick and confuse. Taking a wrong turn and nearly plunging into a canal or skipping over a bridge that dead-ended in a brick wall was part of the town’s fugitive magic.” Bollen underlines the tension between those who want to save Venice, preserving its ancient glories, and those who replace palazzi with cheap tourist housing and run roughshod over the diminishing number of people, only 53,000, who actually live there. “I’m afraid the tourists are finally winning,” Daniela, a friend of Clay’s, tells Nick. “We’ve been conquered by a well-organized army of occupiers who have no interest in staying more than three nights.” Or, to put it another way, “Venice has been visited to death.”
While Bollen’s characterizations of Venice really sing (“a symphony playing inside a shipwreck”), his people aren’t always as vivid. Supporting players like Ari, Freddy and West’s current assistant, Battista --- even the villainous silver expert Dulles Hawkes --- seem to me more colorful than Nick and Clay, who need to be presented attractively and somewhat blandly in order to sustain the reader’s sympathy.
Nick especially is a bit of a cipher, cute and initially rather passive. He hasn’t yet found his life’s passion; meanwhile, “he has Clay.” Clay is tougher; he grew up “expecting every door to be nailed shut before he even reached to open it.” Yet he, too, is sweet and decent, hardly a hustler or gold digger, though Freddy’s old friends label him as just that.
Some critics have compared Bollen to Patricia Highsmith; however, I think he’s gentler than she is. Unlike her antihero, the amoral Ripley, Nick and Clay struggle with conscience; there is nothing offhand about their crimes and misdemeanors. “I’m a really bad crook,” Nick tells Clay. His response: “A bad crook is the best kind.” A BEAUTIFUL CRIME has a lot more heart than Highsmith’s dark thrillers, but the plotting is less skillful, lacking the surprise twists I expected.
If the structure is imperfect, the setting is marvelous. Venice isn’t just a scenic background for the action of A BEAUTIFUL CRIME. Its capricious tides and twisty, deceptive geography seem to mirror the characters’ secrets and intrigues. I rooted for Clay and Nick to get away with their swindle. I also rooted --- and still do --- for proud, resilient Venice to survive the floods of water and tourists that threaten to drown her.
Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman
January 21, 2020
Like a five course meal in which each course leaves you both reflecting on what's passed and eager for what's to come, Christopher Bollen's "A Beautiful Crime," is the queer suspense novel I didn't know I needed until I finished it.
Nick and Clay, a young, interracial gay couple from New York City have landed right at the heart of a Venice in the throes of a city overrun by tourists. Putting together a con that will hopefully bring this rural Midwestern boy and black gay boy from the Bronx a bit of freedom and stability, the boys go further and deeper than either of them planned. Fading in and out from stories in both cities, Bollen uses suspense and relief as a way to deliver a story that is queer and shocking, but also deeply thoughtful.
With complex characters, suspense on every page, and a plot line that will have you hooked, I'd be surprised if you didn't finish this book in one sitting.
Nick and Clay, a young, interracial gay couple from New York City have landed right at the heart of a Venice in the throes of a city overrun by tourists. Putting together a con that will hopefully bring this rural Midwestern boy and black gay boy from the Bronx a bit of freedom and stability, the boys go further and deeper than either of them planned. Fading in and out from stories in both cities, Bollen uses suspense and relief as a way to deliver a story that is queer and shocking, but also deeply thoughtful.
With complex characters, suspense on every page, and a plot line that will have you hooked, I'd be surprised if you didn't finish this book in one sitting.
February 29, 2020
So not what I expected. The synopsis is incredibly misleading which I DO NOT APPRECIATE.
For starters, Clay and Nick barely had any scenes together. BARELY!
I hated Nick. Hated him so much.
A lot of things were a little too convenient.
The dialogues didn’t make sense. Some of the things that some of the characters were saying just didn’t mesh with who they are.
The writing was really basic.
But all that being said, I still enjoyed the reading experience.
For starters, Clay and Nick barely had any scenes together. BARELY!
I hated Nick. Hated him so much.
A lot of things were a little too convenient.
The dialogues didn’t make sense. Some of the things that some of the characters were saying just didn’t mesh with who they are.
The writing was really basic.
But all that being said, I still enjoyed the reading experience.
January 31, 2021
Nick and his boyfriend, Clay, agree to meet in Venice to pull of the perfect crime. As the novel starts to reveal the details of the scheme, we learn how the couple reached this moment. Back in Manhattan, Nick dated a man 20 years his senior who introduced him to silver appraisal. Clay was in a relationship with a 70 year old photographer from a legendary New York family. Now, they are in Venice in a fraud involving silver, art, and even real estate.
I loved the backdrop of Venice with the symbolism of isolation in the Adriatic, while the city’s survival is threatened by tourists and the tides. The main characters were interesting and sympathetic. Every action was surprising yet felt true to the character. The novel explores the themes of intergenerational wealth, new money versus old money, and financial security in a rapidly changing world. Through the actions of the characters, the reader is forced to question what he or she is willing to do for money, security, love. I thought it would be more of a fast-paced thriller, but it’s a slower psychological examination of the characters. The tension builds as the story progresses with jumps in time effectively setting up the suspense of the last act.
Even though the pacing was not what I was expected, I hung on every word of this engrossing novel. From the opening lines I was sucked into this story, this location, these lives and I couldn’t stop thinking about between reading sessions. The story has a few upsetting moments which were handled deftly and were never lurid or gratuitous. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes heists, international intrigue, and art history.
I loved the backdrop of Venice with the symbolism of isolation in the Adriatic, while the city’s survival is threatened by tourists and the tides. The main characters were interesting and sympathetic. Every action was surprising yet felt true to the character. The novel explores the themes of intergenerational wealth, new money versus old money, and financial security in a rapidly changing world. Through the actions of the characters, the reader is forced to question what he or she is willing to do for money, security, love. I thought it would be more of a fast-paced thriller, but it’s a slower psychological examination of the characters. The tension builds as the story progresses with jumps in time effectively setting up the suspense of the last act.
Even though the pacing was not what I was expected, I hung on every word of this engrossing novel. From the opening lines I was sucked into this story, this location, these lives and I couldn’t stop thinking about between reading sessions. The story has a few upsetting moments which were handled deftly and were never lurid or gratuitous. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes heists, international intrigue, and art history.
December 9, 2020
I liked the story and I liked the characters of Nick and Clay. They were very naive and somehow that turned out to be a good thing for them. They certainly shouldn’t continue their career of art counterfeit since they really sucked at it. The heist went on way too long and actually began to drag the story down. I came to the conclusion that they need to think about what they really want in their relationship as that is in total jeopardy if they don’t tread carefully. The book does have a tension filled plot and the author has a smooth, easy to get into, writing style. These things will make it fairly easy to connect with Nick and Clay.
January 5, 2020
I received an advanced copy via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
My first ARC finished this year! And a really good one, too. This book is a wonderful mystery to read in a rainy afternoon - this character-oriented story follows two young men in love as they plan the scam that will save them from financial ruin. I loved how atmospheric this was, and it's definitely not a quick thriller kind of book - it's one to savor slowly and get emotionally connected to the main characters, understand their motivations. I loved it - it was very The Talented Mr Ripley, charming and romantic, even. The ending had me SO ANXIOUS. Great read.
My first ARC finished this year! And a really good one, too. This book is a wonderful mystery to read in a rainy afternoon - this character-oriented story follows two young men in love as they plan the scam that will save them from financial ruin. I loved how atmospheric this was, and it's definitely not a quick thriller kind of book - it's one to savor slowly and get emotionally connected to the main characters, understand their motivations. I loved it - it was very The Talented Mr Ripley, charming and romantic, even. The ending had me SO ANXIOUS. Great read.
November 27, 2023
(3.5)
Rep: gay mc, Black gay mc, trans side character, gay side characters
Rep: gay mc, Black gay mc, trans side character, gay side characters
January 6, 2021
4.5/5
"Be gay, do crime." That pretty much sums up the book for me, but I have to say that A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen stands up to its title and presents to us a veritable twisted thriller that's equally digestible and entertaining.
My favorite character, without a doubt, was Venice which stands out throughout the pages of the novel. The cryptic geography, menacingly enchanting beauty and capricious nature of the city seemed to mirror the personalities of its residents. But I must give special mentions to Nick, Clay, Richard and myriad other characters who have been sculpted so perfectly and delicately.
A Beautiful Crime would be the perfect script for the next blockbuster, but I doubt that any director would be able to capture the beauty of Bollen's descriptions which transport you to a city that has enchanted not only its residents but also its tourists and would keep you up for long nights.
My only criticism is that however beautiful the crime might be, it seemed almost too clean and by the end of it everything seemed a little too convenient. The conflict that is created seemed to settle a little too soon than I would have liked. Moreover, one disadvantage of excessively specific descriptions is that the implicit understanding between the characters and the reader is often lost, and I felt that some parts could have been left ambiguous and open to interpretation.
Regardless, A Beautiful Crime deserves much more attention than it has got, and I would recommend it to everyone, for them to give it a chance, if not for its story but for its charming love letter to Venice and bohemian culture that lies at the core of the novel.
"Be gay, do crime." That pretty much sums up the book for me, but I have to say that A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen stands up to its title and presents to us a veritable twisted thriller that's equally digestible and entertaining.
My favorite character, without a doubt, was Venice which stands out throughout the pages of the novel. The cryptic geography, menacingly enchanting beauty and capricious nature of the city seemed to mirror the personalities of its residents. But I must give special mentions to Nick, Clay, Richard and myriad other characters who have been sculpted so perfectly and delicately.
A Beautiful Crime would be the perfect script for the next blockbuster, but I doubt that any director would be able to capture the beauty of Bollen's descriptions which transport you to a city that has enchanted not only its residents but also its tourists and would keep you up for long nights.
My only criticism is that however beautiful the crime might be, it seemed almost too clean and by the end of it everything seemed a little too convenient. The conflict that is created seemed to settle a little too soon than I would have liked. Moreover, one disadvantage of excessively specific descriptions is that the implicit understanding between the characters and the reader is often lost, and I felt that some parts could have been left ambiguous and open to interpretation.
Regardless, A Beautiful Crime deserves much more attention than it has got, and I would recommend it to everyone, for them to give it a chance, if not for its story but for its charming love letter to Venice and bohemian culture that lies at the core of the novel.
February 22, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I always wanted to read "just one more chapter," which is a sign of great read to me! I agree with those who compare the story and characters to Patricia Highsmith AND with those who remark upon the vivid world-building in Venice. It also has a whiff of Goldfinch about it (maybe it's the antique store aspect or the hint of old New York or the heist travel to Europe), but somehow I found myself absorbing and re-reading passages in a way that reminded me of my first time through the Goldfinch (which is one of my all-time favs). If you're looking for beautifully written prose with a tension-filled plot set in steamy Venice, this one is for you!
February 13, 2021
The best part of this for me is the way it made the city of Venice real in all its beauty and problems. The story has been compared to The talented Mr Ripley in some reviews but it’s not that good. A rather interesting tale of two young American men attempting a swindle on another American living in Venice who is a little larcenous himself. The ending was a bit problematic for me.
December 23, 2021
Solid but slow.
June 22, 2021
The atmosphere and the intrigue of Christopher Bollen's novel are so reminiscent of Higsmith's The Talented Mr Ripley, yet it is much less striking than the latter.
Bollen certainly sets the right tone for his essentially mystery/thriller story: the decaying charm of Venice at its best, where the contemporary issues of its depopulation, still kept alive because of the hordes of tourists pouring through its corners. The great difficulties of getting by, of making a career, especially if you're young and ambitious. The perfect, corrupted place for all sorts of dirty business.
Yet, despite the perfect locations, the humour, the elegance and sensuality which, at times, dominates the prose, the novel is plenty of pointless descriptions and confusing events, which make the plot less attractive, or captivating, even unrealistic (in many cases). The dialogues are pretty bland, as well as the characters and the connections they create. They are basically flat, they don't seem to undergo a specific development.
However, there are some curious, yet not that particularly witty, meditations on the fears and the absurdities of the gay/LGBTQ+ world, especially in terms of loneliness, acceptance, stable relationships and other people's judgements.
Not a memorable read, for sure.
Bollen certainly sets the right tone for his essentially mystery/thriller story: the decaying charm of Venice at its best, where the contemporary issues of its depopulation, still kept alive because of the hordes of tourists pouring through its corners. The great difficulties of getting by, of making a career, especially if you're young and ambitious. The perfect, corrupted place for all sorts of dirty business.
Yet, despite the perfect locations, the humour, the elegance and sensuality which, at times, dominates the prose, the novel is plenty of pointless descriptions and confusing events, which make the plot less attractive, or captivating, even unrealistic (in many cases). The dialogues are pretty bland, as well as the characters and the connections they create. They are basically flat, they don't seem to undergo a specific development.
However, there are some curious, yet not that particularly witty, meditations on the fears and the absurdities of the gay/LGBTQ+ world, especially in terms of loneliness, acceptance, stable relationships and other people's judgements.
Not a memorable read, for sure.
July 6, 2021
be gay, scam rich Americans, kill a few people (maybe?)
I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, it was engaging and entertaining. The two main characters were endearing and I was rooting for them.
However the book fell a little flat at the second half. I wish the author would’ve taken more risky decisions. I wouldn’t call the novel “literary fiction” as it has plenty of mystery/thriller elements, but they aren’t doing enough. I wish they were more fun and out of the world.
Nevertheless, I hyped the book for myself as be gay do crime novel and it for sure delivered.
I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, it was engaging and entertaining. The two main characters were endearing and I was rooting for them.
However the book fell a little flat at the second half. I wish the author would’ve taken more risky decisions. I wouldn’t call the novel “literary fiction” as it has plenty of mystery/thriller elements, but they aren’t doing enough. I wish they were more fun and out of the world.
Nevertheless, I hyped the book for myself as be gay do crime novel and it for sure delivered.
Want to read
May 2, 2022$1.99 kindle May 2, 2022
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