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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
A Beautiful Crime is a twisty, smart M/M heist thriller. The first half was a bit confusing for me due to going back & forth in time and all the different characters but it doesn’t take too long to sharpen to a point and I ploughed through most of it in a single sesh. I was able to escape to Venice, Italy for a few hours and it felt wonderful. Books like this are why I read
I needed a foreign-set grifter book and this hit the spot.
3.8/ Fun read -- suspense/thriller involving a conning gay couple in Venice. The characters all had clear wants and motivations and the story worked pretty well. Ironically I feel like the setting was kind of lacking -- lots of mentions of Venetian art and landmarks, but I didn't quite feel the place. It all fit together pretty well with few plot contrivances. It would be a great summer vacation read for someone who likes international suspense. I'll definitely read more from Bollen.
Saw another review which compared this to The Talented Mr. Riey, and that seems right to me. It wasn’t what I expected (but I have no idea what I expected), and it took me a little while to get into it, but I did end up liking it.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Enjoyed this one for the description of Venice, its people and curiosities-the crime part of it didn’t grip me that much, the character’s backstory made up for that.
The book was good, not great. It is somewhat predictable, but that isn't always bad and the characters do surprise you a bit in their actions. It is definitely an "easy" thriller - meaning there is very little violence or gruesome parts. I will say reading it did make me want to go back to Venice!
Book Club Book.
I had high hopes for this thriller but excitement was missing. I did love the descriptive writing on Venice and the architecture there! It is one of my favorite cities so that part of the story I loved! As a whole though, I was disappointed by how little excitement or big twists there were. Easy read, just not a favorite.
I had high hopes for this thriller but excitement was missing. I did love the descriptive writing on Venice and the architecture there! It is one of my favorite cities so that part of the story I loved! As a whole though, I was disappointed by how little excitement or big twists there were. Easy read, just not a favorite.