Best one yet

This is my favourite Zen book so far, funny and clever and very well written. I think it was helped by excellent reading from Michael Kitchen. I know some people don’t like his style, but I think he gets it spot on, especially in this book. He seems to have changed his reading style a bit for this book, but I think his tone, pacing and style was perfect.

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Murder buffa

Laugh out loud funny, a diversion from the normal sardonic humour of Zen- but brilliantly written and brilliantly read. Bravo!

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Dibdin and Zen - unpredictable and compelling.

It takes concentration to follow and understand the machinations of the minds of his characters, not least of all, Zen himself, but once grasped, following them is a breathless journey - they never disappoint!!

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2 people found this helpful

Cosi Fan Tuti

After the too short 3 episode Zenn series on BBC, I thought I'd try an audio version of the one of the books, I was not disappointed. I found it's witty, tongue in cheek humour, and light touch most entertaining. Couldn't stop listening, until I'd finished it, and have immediately bought another Zenn audio book. The narrator Michael Kitchen is perfect for the style of prose, and 'acts' the narrative superbly, adding to my total enjoyment. Highly recommended.

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4 people found this helpful

Good book, not a traditional murder mystery

Good book, not a traditional murder mystery but worth listening to, a lot of character development happens in this book so worth listening to if you are interested in the whole series of books

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1 person found this helpful

The Art of Zen...

An intriguing plot, presented with a deftness of touch rarely encountered in such novels.
This author understands the dark heart of Italy.

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2 people found this helpful

Excellent.

Another great instalment of Aurillio's Zen's chaotic police and private life. Excellently brought to life by Michael Kitchen's narration.

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So clever!

This shows Dibdin's mastery at its fullest extent. It is quite unlike anything else in the Zen canon and needs to be considered as such.The conflation of the Mozart/Da Ponte Cosi Fan Tutte in present day Naples is managed to perfection. The gender switching of the pairs of lovers - the Albanians being the "girls" rather than the boys, the assumed identity of Zen as Alfonso Zembla (Don Alfonso), the Despino/a character, Dottore Esposito bringing in the "mesmeric dimension. There is also a nod to the Marriage of Figaro in the final parenting reveal as with Marcellino and Bartolo in the opera. This a pure Mozartian riff and Dibdin weaves it all into a fabric that works, albeit improbably. The dream like qualities of Naples - quite unlike anywhere else in Italy - create a context where all of this can happen. Taken on its own I can understand the disappointment and sense of surprise from some reviewers with this novel but, in the right context, it is clearly a triumph. For those readers who do not yet know the Mozart opera a great, wonderful treat in store including a tune some might remember from Shawshank Redemption.

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1 person found this helpful

Uneven writing, brilliantly read

The story has some very good parts, but altogether - it is too long, too convoluted and sporting a number of half-baked characters. The details are better than the whole. Michael Kitchen reading is superb.

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One of my favourite Audiobooks

I love the storyline which is an ideal vehicle for Zen and his adventures.
It’s very very funny.
Michael Kitchen’s narration is the best I’ve ever heard. He is perfect for Zen and the crazy crisscrosses of Italy.
A loveable exposition of Italian life and the characters who inhabit it.

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