“Gripping.... The tangle of Italia
criminale and Italia lite is irresistible; and well worth not resisting.” —
Los Angeles Times Book Review
“A suspenseful, complex mystery that is beautifully written and filled with humor, rich insight and deep feeling.” —
The Denver Post“Dibdin’s Italy-based Aurelio Zen tales are among the best in the mystery genreÉ. Dibdin’s a special writer, onw who is a joy to read.” --
Boston Globe“A wholly pleasing and satisfying novel.” —
San Jose Mercury News"Exceptional. . . . If you like your thrillers impeccably written and sharpened with a political edge, Michael Dibdin's
Medusa provides everything from car bombs to secret societies to military intrigue. . . . Zen is appealing human, while Dibdin's insights into Italian history, culture and landscape are packed with atmospheric detail enough to keep readers hanging on through the final page." --
San Antonio Express-News “The mercenary and the political are . . . sinisterly intertwined. . . . Dibdin is essential reading for those who love mysteries and Italy without illusions.” --
The Washington Post“Tense and elegantly plotted.” --
Newsday"Dibdin is superb at evoking the exaggerated politics of an era of Italian turmoil and uncertainty. He has always been a master of ambiguous atmosphere, and
Medusa is a splendid example of his writing and plotting excellence, as well as his social and political acuity." --
The Times (London)
"Remarkable [in the] depth and breadth of its on-the-ground detail." --
The New York Times Book Review
"Crime writers don't get much better than Michael Dibdin. . . . His prose is characteristically supple, expressive and seductive." --
The Independent (London)
"[Zen is] a wonderful creation. . . . Dibdin's characters, his wit, his comedy and his loving description of the details of Italian life make this book a special treat." --
Pittsburg Post-Gazette
"Atmospheric. . . . [A] well-crafted literary mystery." --
Seattle Post-Intelligencer"[Dibdin] delves so deeply into Italy's unsavory past and distinctly dodgy present it will have you choking on your grappa. . . . [His] writing is rich with the kind of texture that comes from a profound love of place. There is horror in
Medusa, and some unforgettable images of fear, but beneath Dibdin's authorial harshness there lies a tender poetic sensibility. The combination is every bit as effective as Zen's unorthodox methods of detection." --
The Herald (Glasgow)
“Seductive. . . Very satisfying. . . . Plunge[s] into the murky politics of Italy in the 1970s.” --
Hartford Advocate"One of the most adrenaline-producing outings for Aurelio Zen in some time." --
The Express (London)
“Dibdin’s work deserves comparison with such . . . giants as Raymond Chandler.” --
The Oregonian
"A detective who can slip the boundaries of genre without losing the pace of the chase, from a writer capable of giving a tangible substance to his creations' habitats and haunts." --
The Independent on Sunday (London)
"Slick. . . . Dibdin is a master of his craft." --
Roanoke Times
Michael Dibdin was born in England and raised in Northern Ireland. He attended Sussex University and the University of Alberta in Canada. He spent five years in Perugia, Italy, where he taught English at the local university. He went on to live in Oxford, England and Seattle, Washington. He was the author of eighteen novels, eleven of them in the popular Aurelio Zen series, including
Ratking, which won the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger, and
Cabal, which was awarded the French Grand Prix du Roman Policier. His work has been translated into eighteen languages. He died in 2007.
