Rating: 
Summary: "Deeply atomospheric and creepy...amusing and entertaining"
Review: A crime novel for those who may not think they enjoy crime novels. Deeply atmospheric and creepy, protagonist and cynical police detective Aureilo Zen returns to his native Venice to find a vanished American millionaire. The character of Zen is a beaten-down yet resilient revelation-and a character that consistently amuses and entertains. Italy is a morally ambiguous landscape full of unsavory characters where it's hard to discern the criminals from the crime fighters. The good news is that if you enjoy this Zen crime mystery, there's plenty more enjoyment in store for you since Dibdin has written several in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Highly recommended, richly atmospheric mystery set in Venice
Review: Dead Lagoon is a richly atmospheric and complex psychological
mystery set in Venice. Michael Dibdin does an excellent job
of using the Venetian landscape as a supporting character in
the mystery at hand. Best of all for armchair travelers, the two maps included in the book help you follow the action which ranges across the lagoon in all directions on land,
sea and air. Following the main character, Aurelio Zen, as he resolves the dual interwoven mysteries and his personal
romantic problems is a most enjoyable reading experience. Zen is deep, dark and driven. His peregrinations across Venice in winter are a source of pure delight. The mysteries
at the core of the book are well formulated and keep the reader guessing until the very end. Dibdin leavens the darkness of the novel with a touch of black humor. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended, richly atmospheric mystery set in Venice
Review: Dead Lagoon is a richly atmospheric and complex psychologicalmystery set in Venice. Michael Dibdin does an excellent jobof using the Venetian landscape as a supporting character in the mystery at hand. Best of all for armchair travelers, the two maps included in the book help you follow the action which ranges across the lagoon in all directions on land, sea and air. Following the main character, Aurelio Zen, as he resolves the dual interwoven mysteries and his personal romantic problems is a most enjoyable reading experience. Zen is deep, dark and driven. His peregrinations across Venice in winter are a source of pure delight. The mysteries at the core of the book are well formulated and keep the reader guessing until the very end. Dibdin leavens the darkness of the novel with a touch of black humor. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Dead Loss
Review: Dire, cliche-ridden crime 'thriller'. Silly, contrived plot. Venice feels about 10 blocks wide with characters bumping into each other. Dead Lagoon almost works as a parody with its mad spinster, bent cops, dodgy politicians, nazi past, beautiful love foil and terrible prose style weighed by comically bad metaphor and simile.In the three Dibdin novels I've read there is always a climatic chase scene at the end. Unfortunately the 'big chase' here is just tendious and the outcome contrived. There are some passages which made me giggle as they were so badly written. Zen's reaction to a night of passion for instance. Or when a character blows a puff of smoke (there is a lot of gung ho smoking in this novel by the way) and makes a non-smoking sign gently spin. This mess doesn't so much as come to an end but collapse in a heap with a particularly risible final paragraph. Try Dibdin's Last Sherlock Holmes Story instead. It is infinitely superior.
Rating:
Summary: Dead Loss
Review: Dire, cliche-ridden crime 'thriller'. Silly, contrived plot. Venice feels about 10 blocks wide with characters bumping into each other. Dead Lagoon almost works as a parody with its mad spinster, bent cops, dodgy politicians, nazi past, beautiful love foil and terrible prose style weighed by comically bad metaphor and simile. In the three Dibdin novels I've read there is always a climatic chase scene at the end. Unfortunately the 'big chase' here is just tendious and the outcome contrived. There are some passages which made me giggle as they were so badly written. Zen's reaction to a night of passion for instance. Or when a character blows a puff of smoke (there is a lot of gung ho smoking in this novel by the way) and makes a non-smoking sign gently spin. This mess doesn't so much as come to an end but collapse in a heap with a particularly risible final paragraph. Try Dibdin's Last Sherlock Holmes Story instead. It is infinitely superior.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely a page turner
Review: I had read Iain Pears books on the recommendation that they were full of Italian background. I found them lacking. Now, this writer and this book take you into the heart of Venice. He captures the italian personality so well. For those of you who have visited Venice you will relive the experience. Great read. Don't miss it! The previous reader didnt enjoy Zen drinking his expresso con grappa. It is the national drink. CinCin
Rating: 
Summary: Nice setting, weak plot
Review: I have been drawn to this series as this is the fourth "Zen Mystery" I have read recently. For any readers new to these books all the installments are available except "Cabal", which Amazon shows scheduled for release next month. Nothing I have read so far has suffered from my out of sequence start, but as in any series there are references to prior events that would make the reader more comfortable with the history of the character, if known. The Author Michael Dibdin gives at least a sketch of what has happened if not the details, so starting with the most recent book, as I did, was still very enjoyable. "Dead Lagoon" brings the protagonist back home, to the City of Venice, the Zen Family house, and a Venice in political turmoil that welcomes only those Venetians that meet their criteria. While this book continues the investigative mystery that is the core of these books, Mr. Dibdin coils a second plot line that is politically based in to the narrative. While it is not as distinct an element, the latter half of 20th Century Venetian History is also intertwined. The subsequent books will tell, but I believe this is a turning point in the development of Aurelio Zen. As he has in the past he winds up in the middle of a crime, but the practical realities of right and wrong, are blurred by who the victim is, what childhood friends are involved, and other issues long thought to be laid to rest that come back to make Zen's world even more chaotic. And as in the other works, Zen is forced to deal with his Mother who has no use for anyone or anything, when her boy leaves her alone in Rome. Different from the others I have read, but still very worthy of the time spent.
Rating:
Summary: Aurelio Goes Home
Review: I have been drawn to this series as this is the fourth "Zen Mystery" I have read recently. For any readers new to these books all the installments are available except "Cabal", which Amazon shows scheduled for release next month. Nothing I have read so far has suffered from my out of sequence start, but as in any series there are references to prior events that would make the reader more comfortable with the history of the character, if known. The Author Michael Dibdin gives at least a sketch of what has happened if not the details, so starting with the most recent book, as I did, was still very enjoyable. "Dead Lagoon" brings the protagonist back home, to the City of Venice, the Zen Family house, and a Venice in political turmoil that welcomes only those Venetians that meet their criteria. While this book continues the investigative mystery that is the core of these books, Mr. Dibdin coils a second plot line that is politically based in to the narrative. While it is not as distinct an element, the latter half of 20th Century Venetian History is also intertwined. The subsequent books will tell, but I believe this is a turning point in the development of Aurelio Zen. As he has in the past he winds up in the middle of a crime, but the practical realities of right and wrong, are blurred by who the victim is, what childhood friends are involved, and other issues long thought to be laid to rest that come back to make Zen's world even more chaotic. And as in the other works, Zen is forced to deal with his Mother who has no use for anyone or anything, when her boy leaves her alone in Rome. Different from the others I have read, but still very worthy of the time spent.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent View of Venice, Lousy Plot
Review: I love books by Pears, Swan, Reverte, and Hill, and wanted to add Dibdin to my list. But somehow this book did not quite live up to those expectations. I thought Dibdin did a fine job of recreating Venice for the reader (although one more reference to Zen having some type of coffee and grappa...). However, I never found myself caring one way or the other about the so-called mystery. At one point he solves the "ghost" story, only to be told to forget it by the offended party. The various plot lines were as various and meandering as the canals of Venice, which were all wound up into what amounts to too neat an ending. I may read another Zen mystery but not for awhile, and not until I'm at a loss for another book.
Rating:
Summary: Nice setting, weak plot
Review: I read this novel because I have a professional interest in Venice. After David Hewson's truly dreadful 'Lucifer's Shadow', also set in the city, this was a relatively pallatable novel. But it has some serious failings. Firstly Zen doesn't really exhibit the attitudes and sensibilities of an Italian police officer, but rather that of a well-educated middle class Englishman - i.e. what the author is. This becomes more and more obvious as the story goes on. The second big problem is the way the plot simply fizzles out. There are few, if any, real surprises or revelations, which is rather a let down. Also, like other British authors before him, Dibdin cannot resist reminding us at every turn how mysterious Venice is: the fogs, the creepy narrow streets, the smelly canals and crumbling palazzos, etc etc etc. The trouble is, it's all too familiar. We've all seen it, or at least seen the movies set there.
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