Scan barcode
A review by readbyryan
A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen
5.0
Nick and his boyfriend, Clay, agree to meet in Venice to pull of the perfect crime. As the novel starts to reveal the details of the scheme, we learn how the couple reached this moment. Back in Manhattan, Nick dated a man 20 years his senior who introduced him to silver appraisal. Clay was in a relationship with a 70 year old photographer from a legendary New York family. Now, they are in Venice in a fraud involving silver, art, and even real estate.
I loved the backdrop of Venice with the symbolism of isolation in the Adriatic, while the city’s survival is threatened by tourists and the tides. The main characters were interesting and sympathetic. Every action was surprising yet felt true to the character. The novel explores the themes of intergenerational wealth, new money versus old money, and financial security in a rapidly changing world. Through the actions of the characters, the reader is forced to question what he or she is willing to do for money, security, love. I thought it would be more of a fast-paced thriller, but it’s a slower psychological examination of the characters. The tension builds as the story progresses with jumps in time effectively setting up the suspense of the last act.
Even though the pacing was not what I was expected, I hung on every word of this engrossing novel. From the opening lines I was sucked into this story, this location, these lives and I couldn’t stop thinking about between reading sessions. The story has a few upsetting moments which were handled deftly and were never lurid or gratuitous. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes heists, international intrigue, and art history.
I loved the backdrop of Venice with the symbolism of isolation in the Adriatic, while the city’s survival is threatened by tourists and the tides. The main characters were interesting and sympathetic. Every action was surprising yet felt true to the character. The novel explores the themes of intergenerational wealth, new money versus old money, and financial security in a rapidly changing world. Through the actions of the characters, the reader is forced to question what he or she is willing to do for money, security, love. I thought it would be more of a fast-paced thriller, but it’s a slower psychological examination of the characters. The tension builds as the story progresses with jumps in time effectively setting up the suspense of the last act.
Even though the pacing was not what I was expected, I hung on every word of this engrossing novel. From the opening lines I was sucked into this story, this location, these lives and I couldn’t stop thinking about between reading sessions. The story has a few upsetting moments which were handled deftly and were never lurid or gratuitous. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes heists, international intrigue, and art history.