Drawing the reader in with intricate plot and detail, “The Abomination” by Jonathan Holt is the quintessential mystery novel, tying together three different “worlds” that span continents, languages, and even touch in the virtual world. This is truly a masterpiece and one of the few books where praise is deserved. The book begins with three seemingly disconnected stories; one of a technological mastermind who is on trial for creating an anonymous copy of Venice and protecting privacy of the users; one of a US Army who has now been posted in Italy in order to replace a deployed soldier who is tracking down archives of an old military mission for an activist, and one of a police officer who is put on a case of a female dressed in priest’s attire who washed up in Venice during acqua alta. As the soldier tries to track down the archives for the lady activist, she is sent on an adventure as many of the old archives are being moved from base to base. Meanwhile, the activist who requested the information is found shot dead in her hotel room, with her body and laptop dumped in the canals of the city. To make matters worse, when the dead priest is traced back to the dump zone, it is a deserted island that is covered with superstitions. There is blood all over the walls and with the mysterious occult symbols, it is evident that the place has been used for sacrifices .The book is then tied to a tech genius, who started his own virtual world, but was being hacked from the inside in order to be framed. As he is looking for his enemy, he is embroiled in US special operations to prevent a witness from testifying to rapes committed by the US military in Kosovo.
Jonathan Holt does a fantastic job creating a backstory so that the reader is never lost and is always amidst the action. He ties in actual history and a controversial operation that is not commonly known to the public and creates a story around this that is not only educational, but also entertaining. The characters are formed well and interact with the others in a realistic way, not in the same cliché ways that are commonly found. As they travel around the world trying to unravel this intricate plot, they find themselves interacting with spies and treachery. The reader will be taken on a whirlwind of a journey, as the two women have to combat the Kosovo special forces and Predator drones that are all intent on killing them. By following them around, the reader is delightfully presented with clever solutions to intricate problems and witty commentary and interactions.
This is the perfect book for anyone who is interested in reading a true detective novel. Although is strays from the typical detective novel by not having one detective and one crime, the blend between history and fiction will thrill the reader regardless. “The Abomination” will capture the reader from the first page and will treat them to the fastest and most intense reader experience yet.