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The Geneva Deception (2008)

by James Twining(Favorite Author)

3.76 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0007230435 (ISBN13: 9780007230433)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

HarperCollins

series

Tom Kirk

review 1: When I originally picked up this book, I had been under the impression that it was going to be like all of the other adventure thrillers that I read - an ancient artifact is discovered that could change the world and a massive pursuit begins with competiting people, agencies, and other sorts chasing after it. Twining's last novel of his that I had read followed this outline. Well, I was mistaken about the story of this book. The story this time involves the illegal looting and sale of ancient antiquities and the people involved with perpetuating these crimes.Of course, there is the sale of a much-sought after artifact that sets the plot in motion, but from there the book takes place over roughly five days as the two main protaganists, Tom Kirk and Allegra Damico, race over... more Italy and Europe trying to hunt down the people behind several murders. The novel brings in the mafia, policemen on the take, the Vatican once again behaving as if they are above the laws of everyone else, unscrupulous bankers, and shady art dealers and museum personnel. This is a book that moves briskly, not allowing a great deal of time for full analysis of the story as it plows along to the inevitable showdown between all the parties. The book does stick to the formula of a male/female pairing, working together to figure out how to stop the crimes about to be committed. There's the presence of technical gadgets, daring escapes, weapons, double crosses, but not a great deal of character development. The characters are there to fill their roles and to execute the plot, which is not to say that this is a bad thing. The book is good for a quick summer read.
review 2: James Twining’s intricate plot sends Tom Kirk, on his fourth assignment since reforming from being an art thief. From the casinos of Las Vegas to those in Monte Carlo where along the way he crosses paths with his former partner in skullduggery Archie Connolly they team up with Italian detective Allegra Damico. The chase is a hunt to find the missing Caravaggio masterpiece with attempts to solve several murders along the way.Each murder has been staged to represent a Caravaggio scene and the implications of these deaths tie in not just two, warring Mafia families of Rome, but reaches to the very heart of the Catholic Church—through the Vatican bank.Politics, religion and mobsters all jockey for that place of power and wealth, through police corruption, deceit, lies and betrayals. Kirk is driven on by the death of his lover—an FBI agent—and is intent on seeing justice done for her sake. While death waits at the end of the journey, will it be his or will he and his assembled team of experts bring an end to the tyranny the Delian League has perpetrated on the art world in Italy for generations.This story, loosely based on facts garnered from the tales of the tomb raiders of Europe, will leave you gasping and struggling to reach your own conclusion, as the pieces dramatically fall into place one-by-one. I promise you the surprise is well worth the wait. less

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