Vendetta Hardcover – November 1, 1991

Michael Dibdin has given us a virtuoso performance in his latest thriller in which the fates themselves have a particular fondness for putting Aurelio Zen if peculiar situations. Sent to Sardinia to "solve" a murder, which to the corrupt he reports to, he is told to frame anyone in order to put the crime to rest and out of the papers. Meanwhile he is being pursued by a man whom he helped put into prison for a murder he did not commit (although he committed others) Zen truly finds himself between a Sardinian rock and a Roman hard place.Vendetta is an apt title for the world of Zen, since everyone is so hell bent on having their revenge that they seem to exist for this pursuit alone.Other vendettas are pursued such as Tania's husband, Zen's latest paramour, the memory of his father, his mother who is truly the bane of his existence, the oily Fabrizi (Zen fellow detective and enemy) a poor deranged girl who has set the whole machine in order. Needless to say Zen has his and the reader's hands full. It is only a quirk of fate that allows Zen to solve the mysteries and inadvertently save his honor if not to others, at least to himself.Mr. Dibdin laces his cocktail of mystery with some amazing comic satiric relief even in the most deadly situations e.g. while being pursued by a killer he gets into the most fantastic car chase in a car that will not start (figure that one out) his romantic pursuit of Tania has a the sophistication and panache of two teenagers speaking different languages while stuttering and the more honorable his motives and actions, the more he is perceived as corrupt and conniving.This book is a serpentine delight.

I bought the whole series for my Mom for a Hanukkah present and she's really enjoying them. They arrived quickly, too. Since I live out of state I shipped them to my sister to wrap as a set, and she wrote the sequential number of each book on the inside cover to make things easy for my Mom. Best sister and great gift!

In this second installment of Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, we re-encounter the Weltshmerz detective as he wades through an onion skin layering of vendettas that almost cost him his life. Firstly, we glimpse the case of the brutal murder of Oscar Burolo and his guests in his supposed-fortress-like luxury complex on the Italian island of Sardinia. Then, we are again made painfully aware of the infernally clogged(but precisely groomed and clothed) machinery of the Italian bureaucracy with its syncophants, favor mongers, payoffs, good old boy's club and nefarious double dealings with the less-than-desirable underworld. We realize that wealthy and powerful higher-ups in the Italian Ministry have a vendetta of their own---they hotly desire Burolo's murder avenged as Burolo's corrupt dealings lined their purses with the an ever-pleasant flow of cash. Dissatisfied with the currently held murder suspect,and pleased with little-known Zen's written conclusion that exonerates the said suspect, the Italian Ministry moves Zen to Sardinia to drum up a case against ANYONE who will fit the scapegoat bill. Before he leaves, Zen encounters yet another vendetta, one that may be directed solely at himself. Perturbed, but not scathed, Zen ferries off to the island in what he thinks is a sufficient undercover disguise. When he bungles his dealings with police-shy locals,he finds himself stalked by a killer who serendipidiously aids him in discovering the real murderer as he runs for his life over Sardinia's bleak interior. The luck that held for him in "Ratking" sticks with him during this foray; he returns to Rome in disheveled glory.As in the first Zen mystery, the actual crime and its solution act as a compelling backdrop and springboard to Zen's real problems. In this case, his mother, his love life and his inability to fare well in the midst of the male society of the Criminalpol provide ample insight to an already enjoyable character of immense depth. The settings of Rome and Sardinia add glamour to the well-heeled image-conscious Italian populace which Dibdin allows us to view through Zen's accomplished and somewhat jaded eyes as he further immerses himself within the complex inner workings of Italian law enforcement.Even thoughI read 'Cabal' and 'Dead Lagoon' before reading 'Ratking' and 'Vendetta', I would recommend reading the books in sequence so that the entire panorama of Zen's difficult life is laid out in front of you as it is intended. Zen's motivation become more understandable. When reading the books out of sequence,the reader has little information about Zen on which to fall back on and there is nothing but the mystery itself to fully engage the reader. Get the whole experience and start from number 1.

Zen is smart, resourceful and not above pressing his luck to solve puzzles. I read this series when I want to be immersed and a good, slow-burning, twisty story. They have not disappointed so far.

I reviewed Ratking and had to say I wasn't keen on it, but decided to keep at this series and read the second book, Vendetta. It is somewhat better than Ratking. The female characters are still stick figures -- Didbin doesn't show that he has any insight into women with these novels. But he is pretty good at describing the strange world of Italian men of different classes and regions. The odd italicized storyline that allows us to see inside a particular character's mind is fairly well-done, but doesn't come across as a different voice. And Zen is still not a particularly likeable person: he is not very clear-thinking, suspicious, venal, and petty. His one positive characteristic is that he needs to solve puzzles and get at the truth of a crime. But he's not so faithful to the truth that he won't lie when it suits him. I'm still on the fence with this series, and may take a break.

Far too many characters with similar names (I don't speak Italian but a lot of the names looked alike in print). Short novel, maybe that's good or bad depending on your need.

I don't love Michael Dibden though I sure wish I did. His character - Aurelio Zen is a sad & cynical man to me & the authors' view of Italian politics/ corruption, etc. is a bit overwhelming.

The reader is transported to the culturally rich and complex life of crime and the police style of justice in late 20th century Italy. Food and wine are the spice of life in Aurelio Zen's daily fight for an Italian sense of crime and punishment. Life and human behavior are very complicated for those who want to know the vivid world of the late author Michael Dibdin.

Michael Dibdin's second Zen novel "Vendetta" is elegantly written and, for a book now 30 years old, surprisingly fresh and contemporary when re-read. Much more accessible than "Ratking", the book balances a complex plot with some exciting action sequences, notably when Zen is dispatched to Sardinia in the second half of the novel. If a few plot strands feel unlikely, well, that's Italian politics for you, but overall this is a beautifully written book that contains dark, world-weary humour not unlike that to be found in the early novels of Len Deighton. Zen's personality and slight mis-match with the world he finds himself in is a constant source of entertainment in these books. In a few well-chosen sentences, Dibdin vividly brings to life various parts of Italy, from the bustle of Rome to the barren and unwelcoming landscape of the Sardinian countryside. Superior crime entertainment.

Zen’s character continues to develop in this second book of the series. His own battles with life at home and work provide a great backdrop to a wonderfully twisting plot. A good read that gives just enough clues to what might be going on to allow the reader to play detective too, without telegraphing all the answers too early.The fascinating world that is Italy is lovingly drawn and instantly recognisable to those who know and love the complex idiosyncrasies of this beautiful nation.

This is the second in the series of novels featuring the detective from Venice, Aurelio Zen. As in the other titles, Dibden is excellent at bringing out the rivalries in Italian law enforcement, both between individuals and organisations. The political element is always lurking in the background and is, for lesser mortals like Zen, difficult to gauge.Although this is only the second book in the series Zen is already disillusioned, having realised that getting a result might not be the same as identifying the actual culprit. It may not be politic to do that since the desired outcome may be to fit someone else up for a given crime for purely political reasons. And this is the case here, where all the people living within the perimeter of a fortress-like safe house are murdered.On the emotional level, Zen is having problems on two fronts. The first is his mother, who seems to be losing it - especially when she is living with him. The second is a married police officer, Tania Biacis, whom he seems to desire solely on the grounds that she is there. In fact, Zen is not a particularly likeable man, not a person you would warm to. On the other hand, he is intelligent and well suited to detection.The title of the book refers, not to a vendetta Zen is investigating, but to a criminal who intends to kill him to get even for past grievances. The plot is complex but the solution to the mysterious deaths, though unexpected, makes good sense.Dibin's books are unusual in that the quality of writing is unusually high for this genre and would stand comparison quite easily with literary fiction. There is real pleasure to be had from his prose, and that can't be said very often.

Why do people rave about these stories? I found this dull and pointless. I have book 3 to read, but I shall put it on indefinite hold after having waded through this turgid somehow smug effort. I feel the author thinks that he is superiors to us all...not a satisfying few hours of reading

I am reading the books in order - this was the second in the serIes - and much better than the first one in terms of clarity of plot.However, the author has a habit of devoting a few pages of lengthy explanation about plot/characters mid story which I find tedious .The third book which I am reading (set in Venice) is interesting and we learn more about Zen the man and his motivations/love life. These books are an enjoyable read for the locations as much as anything so I will continue with the series.