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The Villa of Mysteries

The Rome Series: Book 2

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The Villa of Mysteries

By: David Hewson
Narrated by: Christopher Kay
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About this listen

 In Rome's crowded Campo dei Fiori, a woman rushes up to two carabinieri lounging in their sunglasses and uniforms, insisting that her sixteen-year-old daughter has just been abducted. Detective Nic Costa sees the scene unfold and intervenes. Because Costa knows what the two officers don't: that in the morgue at Rome's police headquarters, a forensic pathologist is examining the strange, mummified corpse of another girl, whose disappearance and death bear haunting similarities...

Police pathologist Teresa Lupo is Nic's colleague, friend, and his only equal when it comes to breaking the rules to get results, whatever the cost. Now, after years of living with the dead, Teresa insists that her superiors move quickly to save a life. Poring over the body of the girl in the morgue, she has found too many similarities between the girls, including a unique, leering tattoo. Lupo is sure that the vanished girl is headed for a bizarre ancient Bacchanalia involving virgins and sacrificial murder - a ritual that is only days away.

As Nic and Teresa claw at the case from two sides - and as Nic finds himself at once puzzled and beguiled by the missing girl's seductive mother - a chilling picture is beginning to emerge of secret relationships and sexual depravity, organized crime and unimaginable corruption. With the clock ticking down on a young girl's life, Nic and Teresa are about to make the most horrifying discovery of all - in a pit of human darkness, where an age-old malevolence still endures, evil has consumed innocence. And a very modern vengeance has begun...

©2004 David Hewson (P)2004 W F Howes Ltd Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Thriller Disappearance Rome

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All stars
Most relevant  
Unlike your other reviewers I thought the book was excellent in plot and telling. I fail to see how people that only stick 30 or 40 minutes with a book can make any comment at all. The story line was good and we all despise violence, especially against women, but it happens. The Italian accents of the reader were a bit off the cuff but it's the story, not the accent that's under review.

Distracted by an accent

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I enjoyed this book. Well written and contrary to reviews I read prior to my listening, well read.

Few surprises on the way through.

Enjoyed Beginning to End

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A relaxing way of enjoying a marvellous detective story, read by an excellent actor.The places referred to in and around Rome are spot on and precise.The only blemish was having Kay "Italianise" the pronunciation of the various Italian characters. It was tiring and disturbing, especially for those who actually speak Italian!They should have spoken English with an anglophone accent to convey the impression that for them their accents were "normal".

Nic Costa back in full form!

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Struggled to put up with the cornetto advert Italian accents effected by the narrator. Creepily weird story.

Far-fetched plot, terribile narration

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The narrator of this second book is awful at an Italian accent. If I were Italian I‘d probably be really offended. He should have stuck to reading in plain English and let the rest to our imaginations. After listening for about an hour, I had already begun to wonder if I was going to be able to stick it out for another 15 hours. But it was when he pronounced cadaver as cay-daver that I gave up. Weren’t there any studio editors paying attention while this was being recorded??? I can only hope that he isn‘t narrating the rest of the series, as otherwise I‘ve wasted a lot of credits for nothing.

The terrible narration

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Story excellent as with all David Hewson books

Who was your favorite character and why?

No particular favourite character

Did Christopher Kay do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

Christopher Kay ruined the listening pleasure by insisting on giving virtually every character a really naff, bad Italian accent. The falseness of the accents ruined the listening pleasure for me

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was an intriguing, complex story which I always enjoy

Spoilt by Accents

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... but read the book instead. After just finished listening to the 5th book in the series, this second book, in my opinion has actually the best plot and story line. However, the 'shuta uppa ya face ah' accents of the narrator is truely awful.

The best of the 5 books...

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I really enjoy David Hewson’s writing and was really looking forward to getting into the Nic Costa series. I wish it had been read without the fake Italian accents as at times I was distracted by how rather than what was being said.

Story spoiled by naratator.

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What did you like best about The Villa of Mysteries? What did you like least?

Setting and (some) characterisations were best bit but the many Italian accents of narrator drove me mad ......

Would you ever listen to anything by David Hewson again?

Probably - listened before to others which were I felt much better than this one

What aspect of Christopher Kay’s performance might you have changed?

those italian accents

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Maybe

Any additional comments?

Story ran out of steam for me .....also the first bit about the americans seemed to have been written by some one else stylistically

Mamma Mia - Italian Accents

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Very well written book slightly marred by comedy Italian accents.

Italian?

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