Book Review: ‘The Abomination’ by Jonathan Holt

Religion often sparks debate as well as deep emotions and has been this way for thousands of years. Miracles are often attributed to religious icons, yet atrocities also exist. There are very strong opinions in every facet.

In The Abomination by Jonathan Holt, a body is found in Venice, the victim of two gunshots wounds to the back of the head. During the feast day of La Befana, masked figures cloak the city, much like they do during Mardi Gras, living on the edge, along with energetic passion and gossip. Initially the murder is thought to be one of the revelers caught in an argument of the moment.

Newly promoted Captain Kat Tapo of the Carabinieri begins working her first murder case. When it is discovered that the murdered woman is dressed as a priest, new thoughts begin to grow. When another body is found, a known acquaintance of the first victim, Kat is drawn into a deep and ugly conspiracy. The tentacles spread in varying direction, entangling a host of people. One of them is himself in the depths of trouble over his internet company known as Carnivia.com. What is the secret held by this strangely parallel vision of Venice itself?

Every direction she turns, trails disappear, evidence turns up missing, and the case itself if closed down. But she is not ready to give up. Only finding the real answer will stop a corrupt system.

Holt has given us characters full of passion. Kat is a determined woman, yet has many flaws. She will not allow her digressions to dictate her direction though. She will not allow her mistakes to hold her back.

The system seems so corrupt, and Holt has engendered a bit of belief, yet urgent disbelief as well. Can these things really happen in the real world? And yet, I am sure that some of these very happenings do occur.

Corruption is ages-old, and often much deeper than known in many cases. You will revel in the atmosphere of beauty as well as the degradation of Venice and her canals. The undisputed joys of her people shine through as well as the tightness of some of the belief systems.

If you enjoy murder mysteries, conspiracy theories, and romance, this is a novel for you. Tying the new world through the internet to the old world of Venice is a grand scheme and weaves a deeper twist of ingenuity into an interesting and evocative story.

This would be a great find for a book club or reading group. The myriad and depth of the conspiracies will create a great deal of discussion.