Customer Reviews

Garden of Evil (Nic Costa Mysteries 6)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is my second Hewson book, and I must admit I do enjoy reading them. The problem is I don't really know why.

This admission is not easy to make for a book lover, and I have always considered myself an omnivorous one who sometimes enjoys reading just for the process itself. The solitude and retreat into my own mind has been a comforting and reassuring feeling as long as I can remember, and certain books really resonate because the author effectively creates an alternate reality for me to reside in. Hewson's Rome, the setting of his novels, is just such a place.

The problem is that while I am effectively transported, once there I am never sure what is really happening. That is, is this a mystery, for if so, its not very effective since the murderers are known almost from the beginning. And while the historical thread which weaves through the story about Caravaggio is interesting, it , too, is never really surprising or suspenseful. Perhaps the artist just isn't well known enough to elicit the interest that Dan Brown so ably tapped into.

Even as far as suspense is concerned, while there are high points, most of the novel does not come close to the kind of action one expects, or gets, from a Ludlum or James Rollins.

So why did I enjoy reading this book? The characters are very well drawn, and since this is the seventh of a series, they have begun to have the kind of histories that is achieved only over the course of several books, or by great authors in a single one. I've always felt characters are the key to successful novels, with plot lines being secondary. Anyone who has read Sherlock Holmes will understand what I mean by this. While the sixty original stories may blend together with time, the glimpses of Holmes and Watson as they lounge around Baker Street are treasured forever.

And here is my biggest complaint, or perhaps constructive criticism, regarding The Garden of Evil. The main villain should have, and could have, really been an interesting character, with multiple facets and layers for us to discover and examine. However, Hewson fell short here, and instead we never really get a three dimensional figure, who really could have raised this novel to another level.

But for all its missed potential, I do recommend this book for those who enjoy the thrill of being transported to another place for a brief time, in this case Rome at Christmas, with its serpentine Renaissance streets, majestic Churches, and palatial homes, as a band of detectives and forensic scientists work to defeat Age old evil clothed in modernity but nonetheless redolent of the carnage and perversion seen so often in our history.

Just as his protagonist, Nic Costa, has grown and developed as a policeman, so has David Hewson grown and developed as a writer. At the start of this engaging series, Hewson introduced a group of dedicated law enforcement pros based in Rome, and with each succeeding entry, these individuals have coalesced into a team, becoming friends along the way. Hewson's characters are living, fallible human beings, and he doesn't flinch from depicting their weaknesses and mistakes as well as their strengths and successes. Supporting characters are equally well done. Hewson's understanding of Italian society and his knowledge of the Eternal City are prodigious. Each of these novels has approached crime and justice from a different slant. In The Garden of Evil, the author pits an arrogant, powerful, aristocratic serial killer against the Italian legal system. Along the way, he explores the nature of good and evil, the impact of grief, the bonds of friendship, and value of pain and struggle in the lives of us all. The only other writer in this genre who can match Hewson for depth is Donna Leon, who has created another Italian inspector with true humanity.

The icing on the cake in Garden is the art history and Christmas tradition that Hewson has seamlessly woven into his tale. I, for one, will never again regard a nun or a cup of cappuccino in the same way! 5 stars, highly recommended for readers who enjoy a dose of intellectual stimulation injected into their adventures.

REVIEWED BY BARBARA LIPKIEN GERSHENBAUM (See all my reviews)
THE GARDEN OF EVIL starring David Hewson's ensemble cast propels readers into a mystery that turns into a riddle, wrapped in a secret, and becomes an almost unsolvable conundrum. The story is rooted in the life, paintings, dark secrets and rumors about the painter Caravaggio and his fellows. Two bodies discovered in an old ruin seemed to reflect the pure evil in one of the painter's "hidden" works. Newly promoted Detective Nic Costa has to connect hidden symbols and messages in the art work to what is going on right in the middle of Rome. When more bodies are found buried under the cobblestones the cops realize that someone or a group of someones is acting out pieces of Caravaggio's art to feed their inhuman need for watching the faces of the women they torture.
With the help of a Sister from a nearby convent the team burrows through art history and the impact that muse had on ancient Rome. They also realize that the passion from the past has not been tamed by eons of time.
Hewson is a master storyteller and THE GARDEN EVIL is his best endeavor so far. This is definitely a winner and should not be missed.
REVIEWED BY BARBARA LIPKIEN GERSHENBAUM

David Hewson's Nic Costa series just keeps getting better. Although The Garden of Evil more or less begins with the scene of the requisite gruesome murder, the novel quickly travels well beyond that, examining art history and appreciation, the old adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely, the benefits and drawbacks of a religious life, and love as a destructive as well as a redemptive force.

Although I was a bit disappointed to see Gianni, Theresa, and Leo step back out of the spotlight and into their supporting roles, it was in service of really fleshing out Nic's character. In this novel Nic must face the unthinkable, and everything is not tidily resolved at the end of the book.

Mr. Hewson excels at character develoment - his characters (even the minor ones) are complex and multi-faceted, not the "cardboard cut-outs" that you see in many suspense novels. Additionally, each of the Nic Costa novels has a strong sense of place - Rome (or Venice, in one book) is almost another character in the book.

Evocative, complex, and suspenseful - I truly savor these books and cannot wait for the next one.

I have read other novels by this author, but this one does not measure up.

The story lacks suspense - there are no surprises and the villian appears in the early stages. He is a one dimensional character, and his motives are not explored in much depth. The nuns and convents who play a role in the story are unconvincing and drawn without a real familiarity with religious life. The police actions are muddled, and there is a unlikely explanation about how they cannot conduct an investigation because of legal technicalities. The death of one of the characters early in the story is unbelievably clumsy, and is not consistent with the story of FBI trained, highly experienced operatives.

Really enjoyed this mystery set in Italy. Great storytelling and historical detail, for me one of the most enjoyable parts of the novel. David Hewson is a terrific storyteller. He keeps your attention throughout the book. I found myself relating to his characters and feeling their emotions along with them. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Hewson.

Hewson has now joined the pantheon of authors whose stories contain modern action guided by ancient art. These run from the mundane (RULE OF FOUR) to the good (DEVINCI CODE) to the stellar (GOSPEL). This falls somewhere in the middle. It's another great adventure in the Rome police series. Although the entire gang is back, it is the conflicted Costa who remains front and central throughout the story following an explosive opening - truly one of the best. (Hewson excels in great openings.)

The nub of the story centers around the Italian artist, Micheal Caravaggio and an alleged undiscovered painting. Part of the fun is discovering secrets of the ages (fictional and actual) and of course, the notion that a cadre of evil guys have formed a secret group based on said knowledge. In this case the knowledge leads to violent death and torture for reasons that become clear only later in the tale.

One of the author's greatest techniques is the almost seamless manner in which he blends modern action, history and character development. One is rarely aware that the discussion of an alleged 17th century murder has brought one to a 21st century one. Where the novel fails is the assertion that a minor incongruity in a painting holds a secret for the ages and that for hundreds of years no one has had the idea to check it out. Or worse, that a conspiracy is based on arcane knowledge of the art world. Our passions today derive mostly from religion and ideology and certainly not the artistic impulse.

The action and explanations become more obtuse until the grand finale, again a rousing chase/confrontation between good and evil. The real star of the show turns out to be the Catholic sister whose life intertwines with both good and evil. A great read - A-

At a Roman art studio, Italian police detective Nic Costa and his unit are beginning to work the homicide crime scene; two dead people lie near a painting of a female nude. However, stunningly they find a live hooded gunman, who exchanges fire with the cops. The apparent killer escapes, but not before he adds a third homicide to the total of the dead; former FBI agent Emily Deacon, Costa's wife of three months, is shot dead.

The obvious conflict of interest removes the grieving Costa officially from the case. However, Costa's boss assigns him to help art expert Sister Agata Graziano, who is authenticating the nude to see whether it is a priceless Caravaggio original or a fabulous fake. If genuine, the masterpiece may be a valuable clue to the killer's identity so Sister Agata must die.

Filled with incredible but plausible twists, this is a strong Italian police procedural that will have the audience reading it in one suspense laden sitting. The story line is fast-paced as Costa works the streets of Rome seeking a killer who affirms death imitates art. David Hewson is at his best with this superb Roman thriller (see THE SEVENTH SACRAMENT).

Harriet Klausner

Italian policeman, Nic Costa and his colleagues, discover the bodies of two victims, one clearly murdered, in a secret room which contained an erotic painting, possibly by Caravaccio. It depicts a woman in the throes of orgasm and is both beautiful and threatening. The present head of one of Rome's oldest and most aristocratic families, Franco Malaspina, is the leader of a group of rich and influential men who call themselves the "Extasists", whose basic lusts are covered by only a veneer of respectability, and who live almost untouchable lives. Nic is joined in his quest for the killer of his wife by a woman of a religious order who lives her life as a "Sister", not quite a professed nun. It's a strange, almost creepy book which delves into the world of Rome in the 15th century which still exists in todays world in Rome's old, grand palaces.

This is truely one of the better mysteries that I have read. I highly recommend it...and if your going to Rome read the entire series!