The Abomination - (Carnivia Trilogy) by Jonathan Holt (Paperback)

About the Book

Set in two Venices, the modern physical world and its virtual counterpart, The Abomination by Jonathan Holt is a propulsive tale of murder, corruption, and international intrigue--the first book in an outstanding new trilogy in which Carabiniere Captain Kat Tapo must unravel a dark conspiracy linking the CIA and the Catholic Church.By the stunning white dome of one of Venice's grandest landmarks a body with two slugs in the back of the head has been pulled from the icy waters. The victim is a woman, dressed in the sacred robes of a Catholic priest--a desecration that becomes known as the Abomination.Working her first murder case, Captain Kat Tapo embarks on a trail that proves as elusive and complicated as the city's labyrinthine backstreets. What Kat discovers will test her loyalties and remind her of a simple truth: Unless old crimes are punished, corrupt forces will continue to repeat their mortal sins.The Abomination is book one of Jonathan Holt's Carnivia Trilogy.

Book Synopsis

Set in two Venices, the modern physical world and its virtual counterpart, The Abomination by Jonathan Holt is a propulsive tale of murder, corruption, and international intrigue--the first book in an outstanding new trilogy in which Carabiniere Captain Kat Tapo must unravel a dark conspiracy linking the CIA and the Catholic Church.

By the stunning white dome of one of Venice's grandest landmarks a body with two slugs in the back of the head has been pulled from the icy waters. The victim is a woman, dressed in the sacred robes of a Catholic priest--a desecration that becomes known as the Abomination.

Working her first murder case, Captain Kat Tapo embarks on a trail that proves as elusive and complicated as the city's labyrinthine backstreets. What Kat discovers will test her loyalties and remind her of a simple truth: Unless old crimes are punished, corrupt forces will continue to repeat their mortal sins.

The Abomination is book one of Jonathan Holt's Carnivia Trilogy.

From the Back Cover

A propulsive tale of murder, corruption, and international intrigue at the crossroads of real and virtual Venice, where a female Italian police captain works to unravel a dark conspiracy linking the CIA and the Catholic Church

Review Quotes

"[This] first novel of a trilogy set in Venice...[has] more than enough plot and well-drawn characters to stir interest in the sequels...A skillfully rendered debut." - Kirkus Reviews
"Venetians love to dress up in costumes and masks, especially in winter, during the Epiphany, and of course, at Carnivale. Jonathan Holt puts a breathtaking spin on this charming custom in his first novel, The Abomination, by inventing Carnivia, an elaborate computer game in which masked visitors enter a creepy 3-D mirror world of Venice. He also pulls off a nasty twist on the rituals of disguise when the body of a woman dresses as a Roman Catholic priest washes up on the steps of a church....there is something truly haunting about those glimpses into the mysterious shadow world of Carnivia, where masked avatars meet." - Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"Venetians love to dress up in costumes and masks.... Holt puts a breathtaking spin on this charming custom ... by inventing Carnivia, an elaborate computer game. ....There is something truly haunting about those glimpses into the mysterious shadow world ." - Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"[A] beautifully complicated thriller.... A brilliant blend of fascinating story lines, serious issues, impeccable research, gripping intrigue, and engaging characters, Holt's debut is eminently satisfying from start to finish. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers (think Joseph Kanon)." - Library Journal (starred review)
"This remarkable debut novel starts off like a lot of Venetian crime novels-body discovered in a canal, acqua alta getting everyone's feet wet-but we quickly sense this is no ordinary mystery. ...[It's] a multi-stranded conspiracy thriller with plenty of pop. Think Dan Brown without the clunky prose and the pompous PhD hero but with the fascinating mix of history, paranoia, and real-live terror (drones on your tail)." - Booklist (starred review)
"This remarkable debut novel... [is] a multi-stranded conspiracy thriller with plenty of pop. Think Dan Brown without the clunky prose and the pompous PhD hero but with the fascinating mix of history, paranoia, and real-live terror (drones on your tail)." - Booklist (starred review)
"Don't be deceived by the title, The Abomination. There's nothing unreal about Jonathan Holt's excellent first mystery. It's solidly based in present-day Venice, with two women protagonists, Captain Kat Tapo of the Cabinieri and an American Second Lieutenant Holly Boland.... Holt writes in a deft engaging fashion. He's outstanding in sketching out his characters.... But it's Carnivia that is fascinating. Besides being a reproduction of Venice, it also 'uses encryption technology to keep its users anonymous'....The Abomination leaves you hungry for more." - Chicago Tribune
"Don't be deceived by the title, The Abomination. There's nothing unreal about Jonathan Holt's excellent first mystery.... [He] writes in a deft engaging fashion.... The Abomination leaves you hungry for more." - Chicago Tribune
"[A] diverting debut...Holt captures the allure of Venice and its creative cyber-counterpart, and creates two forceful . . . protagonists in Kat and Holly. The author gets carried away by throwing mystery on top of mystery, but, well, that's part of the fun." - Publishers Weekly
"Speedy, clever.... [A] very fun beach (or boat) read for fans of thrillers." - MSN.com
"[A] tantalizing debut, a masterful melding of religious mystery, political intrigue and just a bit of fantasy/sci-fi." - BookPage