In a hushed Vatican Reading Room, the scene is shocking: a crazed professor shot dead after brandishing evidence of a grisly crime. Moments late...
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reviews
Dec 11, 2011
Kelly
rated it: 
It's rare that I neglect to finish a book. I usually do plenty of homework first, choosing books that are highly recommended and/or have subject matter of interest to me.
For this reason, my star-ratings are usually at least a three. I enjoy most of what I read because I'm selective about what I do read.
Perhaps I chose too quickly with this one. I assumed that the Vatican Archives setting would give way to a dense, literary mystery of the Donna Tartt or Ruiz Zafon variety More...
For this reason, my star-ratings are usually at least a three. I enjoy most of what I read because I'm selective about what I do read.
Perhaps I chose too quickly with this one. I assumed that the Vatican Archives setting would give way to a dense, literary mystery of the Donna Tartt or Ruiz Zafon variety More...
Apr 07, 2009
Stephen
rated it: 
I read this book first and found it compelling from beginning to end. The use of Rome is far more than backdrop, it is part of the story itself. There are some horrors in this book, and they keep you on the edge of your seat. I love the Nic Costa series.
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Jan 13, 2009
bookczuk
rated it: 
I first read this author's book called Lucifer's Shadow, which I thought was marvelous. I then snapped up a little mystery of his (something with "Villa in it-- I think it was Villa of Mysteries, which was okay, but not great. So, when I was able to catch this book, I thought I'd see how it stacked up, great like the first or just okay, like the second. I'd put this somewhere between the two, a good, but not fabulous mystery. I got a little impatient with it all, but kept reading to mak
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Dec 22, 2008
Angela
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 08, 2011
Linda
rated it:
This is a book that should be read with very few interruptions. I read it in spurts and lost some of the impact.
However, it did grab my attention and half way through I really didn't want to stop reading. There are a lot of gross death scenes so, if you don't like visualizing bloody, bazaar homicides don't read this book. There are unexpected surprises near the end.
A SEASON FOR THE DEAD is the first in a series of Italian crime thrillers set in Rome featuring Nic Costa as t More...
However, it did grab my attention and half way through I really didn't want to stop reading. There are a lot of gross death scenes so, if you don't like visualizing bloody, bazaar homicides don't read this book. There are unexpected surprises near the end.
A SEASON FOR THE DEAD is the first in a series of Italian crime thrillers set in Rome featuring Nic Costa as t More...
May 16, 2010
John
rated it: 
This book is the first of a series. My sister in England sent the entire series to me and suggested I read them so, being the good brother that I am, I started with #1 in the series.
Now that I have finished this first book, I can tell you I should have paid more attention to the first 200 pages. As art (paintings) is not necessarily my thing, my mind wandered as i started reading "A Season for the Dead". BIG mistake! If you choose to read this book, you should make yourself More...
Now that I have finished this first book, I can tell you I should have paid more attention to the first 200 pages. As art (paintings) is not necessarily my thing, my mind wandered as i started reading "A Season for the Dead". BIG mistake! If you choose to read this book, you should make yourself More...
Mar 13, 2009
Writerlibrarian
rated it:
Sold as a thriller as good as Da Vinci Code, I was weary of it. I hate the Da Vinci Code but I had come across reviews that were negative because it wasn't anything like the Da Vinci Code except for the Vatican and there's a painter involved in it aspect.
The plot has a lot to offer. A fallen cardinal involved in very shady financial transactions, a serial killer with an obsession with martyrs, a young academic with a sulfuric past and two police detectives a burnout older man and a More...
The plot has a lot to offer. A fallen cardinal involved in very shady financial transactions, a serial killer with an obsession with martyrs, a young academic with a sulfuric past and two police detectives a burnout older man and a More...
Dec 10, 2011
F.R.
rated it:
I’ve not read ‘The Da Vinci Code’, but given its immense success, I suppose that we can all expect lots of other thrillers to emerge which lean on strange and dodgy dealings in the Vatican. Not that this is a bad book, it’s entertaining as long as you don’t think about it too much, and certainly feels more of a book – and not a cinema script in waiting – than some of its ilk. If and when they adapt this one for the cinema (or if the BBC gets another Wallander sized hole in its schedule) then it
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Feb 10, 2012
Sheila
rated it:
This enthralling mystery/thriller is the first in the Nic Costa series, set in present-day Rome. We find out who the murderer is shortly before the halfway point, but there are still several mysteries, involving motivation and who might be abetting the serial killer, left to solve.
It was very hard to put this one down, with its intricate plot, complex, eccentric characters, and mix of Vatican intrigue, gruesome murders, a enigmatic young woman academic with a mysterious past, the paint More...
It was very hard to put this one down, with its intricate plot, complex, eccentric characters, and mix of Vatican intrigue, gruesome murders, a enigmatic young woman academic with a mysterious past, the paint More...
Nov 29, 2010
Brendan
rated it:
A Season for the Dead tells the story of a series of horrific murders staged around Rome and the woman who seems to be at the center of them. We follow vigorous young Police Detective Nic Costa as he pursues the crimes and the criminal right to the corrupted hierarchies of the Vatican itself! A few thoughts:
* This book is a decent thriller, but we get too many points of view. We see the killer, we see both detectives, the police chief, the architect, the degenerate, the victim More...
* This book is a decent thriller, but we get too many points of view. We see the killer, we see both detectives, the police chief, the architect, the degenerate, the victim More...
Oct 06, 2009
Eric_W
rated it:
This is the first in a series featuring Nic Costa and Inspector Falcone. Sara Faranese is studying in the Vatican library when a colleague rushes in and frankly whispers, "In the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." He then displays a pistol and a bag containing the skin of a human being. Fearing for her safety a Swiss guard shoots him dead, much to Sara's consternation, because she realized he wasn't trying to kill her, but to convey a message. Realizing that the flayed
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Apr 28, 2011
Gretchen
rated it:
First in a series featuring a 27 year old cop, Nic Costa. The plot is, at times, almost pastoral, but mostly knock over the head gruesome. Set in the grandeur of Rome and the Vatican, there are many murders, a green-eyed heroine, (writers ought to wake up and realize that EVERYONE uses green eyes for their special characters) a disgraced cardinal,and Nic's Communist father who represents sanity and a kinder world. A lot of people are killed and our hero ends up pretty discouraged, but have no
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Mar 02, 2010
Bluemoon
rated it:
It was...interesting. I didn't love the book but i also didn't hate it. The reason why I picked the book was because it said on the cover that it's "better than The Da Vinci Code". The problem is, its not! It's devoid of any Da Vinci Code essence, but it was good on it's own category. The character development is good and it makes you love/hate the characters and David Hewson has a way of writing that makes you pity the villain. I'm conflicted with this book. Would I recommend it? Yes.
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Aug 03, 2009
Carolyn
rated it:
This is the 1st book in the Nic Costa series. They take place in Rome and included numerous interesting historical, architectural and art facts about the city that are woven into the events of the mysteries in a significant way. This one is very dark and gruesome as victims are murdered in the same ways the saints were sacrificed. But, if you can get past that, you will identify with Nic and his partner as they seek the truth from a beautiful, mysterous young lady. It also presents the relations
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Jun 22, 2009
Genevieve
rated it:
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Jul 21, 2008
LARRY
rated it:
As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:
I guess I was rushing that day and in my haste, I thought *Season of the Dead* would be somewhat similar to Dan Brown's *The Da Vinci Code*. Boy, was I wrong!
Nonetheless, I thought this book was long-winded in trying to figure out what is going on and how it ties to the Vatican. Professor Sara Farnese is in the Vatican library, doing her own research when a colleague approaches her. He's carrying with him a gun and a bloody bag, which More...
I guess I was rushing that day and in my haste, I thought *Season of the Dead* would be somewhat similar to Dan Brown's *The Da Vinci Code*. Boy, was I wrong!
Nonetheless, I thought this book was long-winded in trying to figure out what is going on and how it ties to the Vatican. Professor Sara Farnese is in the Vatican library, doing her own research when a colleague approaches her. He's carrying with him a gun and a bloody bag, which More...
Feb 12, 2008
Nancy
rated it:
I would call this one a literary mystery. No cozy material here -- if you're expecting a quick read, forget it. It is tangled & convoluted, very much into character development (as a first in a series should be) and the mystery itself is at times a bit complicated. I thought it was an excellent book, myself, a very intelligent thriller.
plot review, no spoilers
Set in Rome, the story opens in the reading room of the Vatican Library, where professor Sara Farenese is thinking More...
plot review, no spoilers
Set in Rome, the story opens in the reading room of the Vatican Library, where professor Sara Farenese is thinking More...
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Jun 25, 2010
Nicci
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Aug 28, 2009
Leslie
rated it:
Based on the most recent Costa novel, I expected to like the beginning of the series more. Hewson's potential shines, and the Roman scenery and characterization are great, but the mystery itself is a mess. Hewson couldn't decide whether he was writing a serial killer thriller with involvement by the Vatican or the usual sordid Questura conspiracy thriller. The revelations are less and less revelatory and more and more expected. That aside, Nic Costa is a welcome addition to the pantheon of It
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Dec 13, 2008
Walt
rated it:
A Season for the Dead, like The Da Vinci Code, is a thriller that takes an unflattering look at the Catholic Church, but it is better written and more sophisticated. A Season for the Dead, if sometimes blissfully over the top, is intelligent entertainmentReview:
Outsized, eccentric characters, a complex story and an abundance of historical detail make this engrossing book more than just another cookie-cutter, religious-nut serial killer thriller
Outsized, eccentric characters, a complex story and an abundance of historical detail make this engrossing book more than just another cookie-cutter, religious-nut serial killer thriller
Sep 20, 2011
Bettie
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Jun 07, 2009
Amy
rated it:
I had picked up The Villa of Mysteries last spring before a trip to Italy, primarily because of the setting. I do enjoy reading books set in places I have travelled to our plan on travelling to. Having enjoyed The Villa of Mysteries, I decided to try another of Hewson's novels.
The writing is generally strong and the descriptions of the locations in Rome are excellent; however Hewson relies too much on the macabre and out-right weird to engage the reader. His secondary and tertiary More...
The writing is generally strong and the descriptions of the locations in Rome are excellent; however Hewson relies too much on the macabre and out-right weird to engage the reader. His secondary and tertiary More...
Mar 05, 2011
Kelli
rated it:
This book has everything-history, drama, sensuality, and suspense. A Season for the Dead
is the first book I've read by David Hewson, and I was impressed. I really liked the characters, especially Nic Costa, and the story was well written and fascinating.
is the first book I've read by David Hewson, and I was impressed. I really liked the characters, especially Nic Costa, and the story was well written and fascinating.
Aug 01, 2011
Reetta
rated it:
Alku lupasi paljon, sillä nylkemistä on vain pakko rakastaa. Taso laski kuitenkin nopeasti toistamaan korruptiota, salaliittoja, epäilyjä, tympeää seksiä ja kivat tyypit pääsi hengestään. Tiukemmalla ryhdikkyydellä Vatikaanin pahuus ja salaiset kansiot olisivat päässeet paremmin oikeuksiinsa, mutta kidutukset olivat kyllä sieltä parhaasta päästä. Valitettavasti pyhä Stefanus oli jätetty pois, eikä neulepuikkoja nähty :(.
Dec 20, 2011
Cyneva
rated it:
3.5 STARS - I'm giving it an extra half star because the quality of the plot was solid. But I couldn't go for a full four stars here because even though the writing was quite engaging, I still couldn't feel a good connection with the characters in this book. Maybe Nic Costa will appeal more to me in later books. At any rate, this is a decent detective/mystery novel. Recommended.
Oct 23, 2009
Peter
rated it:
The first in a series of novels involving the Rome Detective, Nic Costa, the marathon running vegetarian son of a Commie activist who loves music and the paintings of Carravagio. Not a bad plot involving machinations of money men around the Vatican. Has a nice sense of the "italian" trope of conspiracies all intertwined.
Jan 18, 2011
Got to about page 100 and then put it down. Unfortunately, I didn't get the urge to pick this book up again. While I found it mildly interesting, it just didn't have that I-got-to-get-back-to-my-book appeal. Plus, it was a bit on the graphic side and I prefer my murders less descriptive. But I enjoyed the way the author writes, just didn't care for the story.
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Dec 03, 2011
Tina
rated it:
This book completely fell flat as a thriller. The characters were very wooden, I had zero investment in any of them, and the plot was not paced well at all. I would be reluctant to read anything else from this author based on this first attempt of reading one of his books. I gave up on it at about halfway through.
Nov 26, 2010
Ruth
rated it:
Oh my. Not sure how to describe this convoluted plot. Set in Italy. Young cop investigates a series of grizzly murders. Strange sexual element. Catholicism. High finance. Basically, I think, one bad guy died, a couple of good guys died, and a few got away. Unsatisfying ending.
Jun 06, 2010
Sharonm
rated it:
Murders based on the deaths of martyrs are committed near the Vatican. The characters were totally unconvincing and the Roman setting was unrealized. There wasn’t even much info about the Vatican. I finished this only because it was for a book discussion.
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