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Chris Bronson #4
The Nosferatu Scroll
BOHEMIA, 1741
On the northern banks of the Vltava River, an extraordinary event is taking place. Inside a private chapel, a high-born Hungarian lady is being laid to rest. But not before her heart is removed from her body, and she is buried beneath a layer of heavy stones -- lest she rise again to prey upon her victims.
VENICE, 2010
Holidaying in the world's most beautiful city, Chris Bronson and Angela Lewis discover a desecrated tomb. Inside it is a female skeleton and an arcane diary dating back hundreds of years. Written in Latin, it references a scroll that will provide an answer to an ancient secret. Soon corpses of young women, all killed in the same ritualistic manner, start appearing throughout the city. And when Angela disappears, Bronson knows that he must find her before she too is slaughtered.
But Bronson's hunt for Angela leads him back to the Island of the Dead, and into a conspiracy more deadly than he could ever have imagined.
On the northern banks of the Vltava River, an extraordinary event is taking place. Inside a private chapel, a high-born Hungarian lady is being laid to rest. But not before her heart is removed from her body, and she is buried beneath a layer of heavy stones -- lest she rise again to prey upon her victims.
VENICE, 2010
Holidaying in the world's most beautiful city, Chris Bronson and Angela Lewis discover a desecrated tomb. Inside it is a female skeleton and an arcane diary dating back hundreds of years. Written in Latin, it references a scroll that will provide an answer to an ancient secret. Soon corpses of young women, all killed in the same ritualistic manner, start appearing throughout the city. And when Angela disappears, Bronson knows that he must find her before she too is slaughtered.
But Bronson's hunt for Angela leads him back to the Island of the Dead, and into a conspiracy more deadly than he could ever have imagined.
466 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 9, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
March 5, 2019
Disappointing to say the least.
About 100 pages in, I was totally sold into the story. A desecrated corpse, murder, a beautiful Venetian backdrop, kidnapping and just weird shit going down, like weird milk and a very old diary.... COOL!
About half way through it started to get a bit boring and repetitive. I lost count at how many times the main characters "shuddered" which I know is trivial but it got on my bloody nerves.
Then, what joy, it picked up again and got fast paced, exciting and scary, YAY!!!
Getting towards the end, I feel that James Becker simply did not stick the landing. He did not pick a side, or really END the story in a pleasing way.
Was the leader of the cult a real vampire??
Do vampires really exist in this world???
Its like banging an ex, you build up to it, it happens, its really disappointing, the excitement quickly wears off and you pretend it never happened.
I give 2 stars as some bits where genuinely exciting and that's the most disappointing part of all. This story has so much potential to be great and I was genuinely into it, gutted.
2/5
About 100 pages in, I was totally sold into the story. A desecrated corpse, murder, a beautiful Venetian backdrop, kidnapping and just weird shit going down, like weird milk and a very old diary.... COOL!
About half way through it started to get a bit boring and repetitive. I lost count at how many times the main characters "shuddered" which I know is trivial but it got on my bloody nerves.
Then, what joy, it picked up again and got fast paced, exciting and scary, YAY!!!
Getting towards the end, I feel that James Becker simply did not stick the landing. He did not pick a side, or really END the story in a pleasing way.
Was the leader of the cult a real vampire??
Do vampires really exist in this world???
Its like banging an ex, you build up to it, it happens, its really disappointing, the excitement quickly wears off and you pretend it never happened.
I give 2 stars as some bits where genuinely exciting and that's the most disappointing part of all. This story has so much potential to be great and I was genuinely into it, gutted.
2/5
April 8, 2012
It's easy to be scathing about these kinds of books. As an Indie publisher, I like to keep up with what's 'hot' in the mass-market bestsellers, so every now and then I swipe randomly at the Top 10 case in the station, or on the ferry, to receive the litmus fix.
#4 of a series, apparently, by Becker, the jacket blurb was enough to show where the story would lead well before its almost 500-page block was exhausted. I therefore held no high literary expectations, anticipating the generic 'historical conspiracy thriller' that has been the final destination of so many 'renewable' forests the last decade or so. Surprise surprise, only a few pages in I was witnessing my inner judgementalist frothing over the lack of originality - of setting, of descriptive prose, of character, of basic storytelling know-how (curse Dan Brown - why do these writers feel every demonstrated motive and action must be explained in the subsequent sentence!) Then I reminded myself the purpose of this kind of fiction and calmed the fuming word-snob inside.
This is ready-made meals to pop in the microwave. The recipe is tried and tested (caricature heroes and antiheroes, short chapters, MSG hooks to keep you flipping, in every sense), and it has a commensurate nutritional value for the mind. How it gets to #6 on a bestseller list is a rant for elsewhere. Something about the dumbing down of the human race in general - if our individual quality were higher, maybe the planet would require fewer of us? Bygones. It's good news for corporate s**t-shovellers the globe over. Back to the bursting vampire-frenzy bandwagon.
To be fair, as mentioned there are 3 other copycat titles prior to this scroll - the first involving a conspiracy at the heart of Christianity, imagine - perhaps that was where the central characters we meet here were developed? Hmm, I fear I shall never find out. With a name like 'Bronson', though, I guess the traditional notion of carefully crafting and slowly revealing through action a multi-faceted, layered protagonist with whom the reader may engage is surplus to requirement. Still, when he speaks like this:
"I like hearing you talk, especially when you're talking about something that really interests you. And you know I'm never tired of hearing about Italy."
Moving on.
I enjoyed some of the facts, if not descriptions (there are few in this book in general), about Venice. Obviously the author has done his factual research here, also with regards to historical events (eg: plague) and customs (burials, vampire lore etc). This is laudable. I also appreciated the angle that instead of another straightforward supernatural discovery story, the twist was that here was a cult of wannabee immortals (trust me, this won't spoil it), through which permeated a zest with otherworldly overtones. Was he or wasn't he a bonafide bloodsucker? Alas, it's beyond Bronson's ken, or that of his 2D and very friendly ex-wife, incidentally. At least in this sense the book departs from the usual, congested, scary undead thriller.
In truth, it was never scary. The arch-villain, in fact, comes across as little more than nefariously pungent. And his principal sidekick, Marco, is so flat that even the author doesn't bother telling us what happened to him after the last great shootout. I'd forgotten that, however, until long after the story finished. To garner suspense and sympathy in the absence of characterisation, therefore, the entrapped heroines spend their time either screaming or weeping. I wish the bad guys' Tasers had been set to more than stun from the start, it would have saved an uneconomic use of cliche.
However, I finished it and by the end, though I'd met nobody new and my pulse hadn't flickered, I wasn't angry with the book anymore. It numbed my mind for a few hours (there's little craftsmanship to dally over in terms of prose - the word "Stygian" applied to a cellar almost woke me up, but by the time it had been used thrice the pony was starting to stink as much as the villain) - and I guess that's what these kind of books are designed to do. The fact it is done so blandly, that what is in some instances elementary school levels of writing can be hailed as worthy of adorning the top 0.00005 of published books in the UK for the year, is an indictment not on the author, but on the book-buying public. Can we blame the editors? Of course not - they're like the once-proud Venetian palazzi, sinking inexorably beneath the weight of last-gasp commercialism. If you were in marketing, you'd shoot for the same wide, lazy target, which is exactly what happens here. The fact that even the plot doesn't add up (if the evil leader is who he is oh-so subtly flagged to be, the scroll of the title is entirely unnecessary) elicits little more than a mental shrug. If as a reader you're aiming for something less definable, something more 'noble', then just like Bronson, you'll almost certainly miss.
#4 of a series, apparently, by Becker, the jacket blurb was enough to show where the story would lead well before its almost 500-page block was exhausted. I therefore held no high literary expectations, anticipating the generic 'historical conspiracy thriller' that has been the final destination of so many 'renewable' forests the last decade or so. Surprise surprise, only a few pages in I was witnessing my inner judgementalist frothing over the lack of originality - of setting, of descriptive prose, of character, of basic storytelling know-how (curse Dan Brown - why do these writers feel every demonstrated motive and action must be explained in the subsequent sentence!) Then I reminded myself the purpose of this kind of fiction and calmed the fuming word-snob inside.
This is ready-made meals to pop in the microwave. The recipe is tried and tested (caricature heroes and antiheroes, short chapters, MSG hooks to keep you flipping, in every sense), and it has a commensurate nutritional value for the mind. How it gets to #6 on a bestseller list is a rant for elsewhere. Something about the dumbing down of the human race in general - if our individual quality were higher, maybe the planet would require fewer of us? Bygones. It's good news for corporate s**t-shovellers the globe over. Back to the bursting vampire-frenzy bandwagon.
To be fair, as mentioned there are 3 other copycat titles prior to this scroll - the first involving a conspiracy at the heart of Christianity, imagine - perhaps that was where the central characters we meet here were developed? Hmm, I fear I shall never find out. With a name like 'Bronson', though, I guess the traditional notion of carefully crafting and slowly revealing through action a multi-faceted, layered protagonist with whom the reader may engage is surplus to requirement. Still, when he speaks like this:
"I like hearing you talk, especially when you're talking about something that really interests you. And you know I'm never tired of hearing about Italy."
Moving on.
I enjoyed some of the facts, if not descriptions (there are few in this book in general), about Venice. Obviously the author has done his factual research here, also with regards to historical events (eg: plague) and customs (burials, vampire lore etc). This is laudable. I also appreciated the angle that instead of another straightforward supernatural discovery story, the twist was that here was a cult of wannabee immortals (trust me, this won't spoil it), through which permeated a zest with otherworldly overtones. Was he or wasn't he a bonafide bloodsucker? Alas, it's beyond Bronson's ken, or that of his 2D and very friendly ex-wife, incidentally. At least in this sense the book departs from the usual, congested, scary undead thriller.
In truth, it was never scary. The arch-villain, in fact, comes across as little more than nefariously pungent. And his principal sidekick, Marco, is so flat that even the author doesn't bother telling us what happened to him after the last great shootout. I'd forgotten that, however, until long after the story finished. To garner suspense and sympathy in the absence of characterisation, therefore, the entrapped heroines spend their time either screaming or weeping. I wish the bad guys' Tasers had been set to more than stun from the start, it would have saved an uneconomic use of cliche.
However, I finished it and by the end, though I'd met nobody new and my pulse hadn't flickered, I wasn't angry with the book anymore. It numbed my mind for a few hours (there's little craftsmanship to dally over in terms of prose - the word "Stygian" applied to a cellar almost woke me up, but by the time it had been used thrice the pony was starting to stink as much as the villain) - and I guess that's what these kind of books are designed to do. The fact it is done so blandly, that what is in some instances elementary school levels of writing can be hailed as worthy of adorning the top 0.00005 of published books in the UK for the year, is an indictment not on the author, but on the book-buying public. Can we blame the editors? Of course not - they're like the once-proud Venetian palazzi, sinking inexorably beneath the weight of last-gasp commercialism. If you were in marketing, you'd shoot for the same wide, lazy target, which is exactly what happens here. The fact that even the plot doesn't add up (if the evil leader is who he is oh-so subtly flagged to be, the scroll of the title is entirely unnecessary) elicits little more than a mental shrug. If as a reader you're aiming for something less definable, something more 'noble', then just like Bronson, you'll almost certainly miss.
March 20, 2012
This was a really difficult decision giving 2 starts.
It's the only James Becker I've read, so maybe I'm missing something of the characters, but they don't seem well developed to me.
There are lots of reviews on Amazon and elsewhere that unfairly criticise the book - I don't have any problem with the plot or the content - I think my main problem is threefold:
1) It's too long. There is no need for this book to be more than 300 pages. Which leads me to...
2) IMHO it needed another edit. Either by Becker or an editor, but the whole flow and pacing needed to be controlled much better - especially in the earlier parts of the book. One aspect was bad enough that I've given it it's own number.
3) The dialogue. Mr Becker, perhaps you could read it aloud and then rewite it so that it sounds like actual people are talking.
I don't normally write reviews but I have this time because I'm disappointed. This could have, and should have been a 4 star read for me, and I think the only reason it isn't is that it's not finished.
It's the only James Becker I've read, so maybe I'm missing something of the characters, but they don't seem well developed to me.
There are lots of reviews on Amazon and elsewhere that unfairly criticise the book - I don't have any problem with the plot or the content - I think my main problem is threefold:
1) It's too long. There is no need for this book to be more than 300 pages. Which leads me to...
2) IMHO it needed another edit. Either by Becker or an editor, but the whole flow and pacing needed to be controlled much better - especially in the earlier parts of the book. One aspect was bad enough that I've given it it's own number.
3) The dialogue. Mr Becker, perhaps you could read it aloud and then rewite it so that it sounds like actual people are talking.
I don't normally write reviews but I have this time because I'm disappointed. This could have, and should have been a 4 star read for me, and I think the only reason it isn't is that it's not finished.
November 13, 2015
A little bit disappointed if I'm honest. This reads like a thriller but the ending was always very obvious to me. There was a hint of there being an actual vampire in the story but the reader never finds out if it was one or not. I also would have preferred if the two main characters were an actual couple rather than divorced with very strong feelings for one another. I've not read the previous books in this series but it didn't make sense to me for them to be divorced.
In all, an OK read but nothing to write home about.
In all, an OK read but nothing to write home about.
November 1, 2012
Mr. Becker has brought Christmas early! This book is so far his best and has left me wanting more. The incorperation of vampires and crime in this novel can satisfy all.
Bronson and Lewis are unable to have a quiet holiday and end up racing through Venice chasing men who after the gift of immortality.
A truly gripping read!
Bronson and Lewis are unable to have a quiet holiday and end up racing through Venice chasing men who after the gift of immortality.
A truly gripping read!
March 26, 2012
This must be my favourite Chris Bronson novel to date. Vampires are a popular subject at the moment - Trueblood, Vampire Diaries, Twilight to mention just a few but this story manages to take a fresh approach to the vampire legend. Chris Bronson is in the ultimate race against time to save the day in this tense, exciting adventure.
May 11, 2024
dnf at around 60%, god this was BLEAK. the voyeuristic tone of violence against women felt so uncomfortable to read (which i could talk about a lot more but truly just cant’t be bothered to) and the narrative was stale. tldr: im disappointed!
April 24, 2014
I devoured this book in a little over a week. This either tells you that it is a great book which I couldn't put down or that I had too much time on my hands. A bit of both I think and a 3 hour train journey also helps. It also helps that James Becker writes in a very formulaic style with short “chapters” and cliff hanging last paragraphs and carrying 2 or 3 story lines in alternate “chapters “ (Terry Pratchett does the same). Some may dismiss this book on that basis as a good beach read and little else and that would be to do an injustice to Becker. Not literature but very entertaining story writing.
Our hero ( Bronson, a British policeman) and his wife, Angela, ex wife in this book I think (an archaeologist) are on holiday in Venice when they stumble into a series of events including grave robbing, abduction, sexual assault and killing of young girls. Bronson can’t help but dig around (pardon the pun) to find out what is going on and Angela can’t help but steal a relic (a Vampire Diary no less) from one of the opened graves. This of course drags them into a strange world of Vampires and rituals and provides a great excuse for chases, fights, boat chases and an exploration of the many islands that scatter the lagoons around Venice. Not so much Bond or Bourne more Raiders or CSI.
If I had one criticism it would be the detailed description of the ritual in the church basement. I know Becker would say it is essential to the plot (and probably has its origin in something he found in his research) but I found it way too graphic and felt it could have been removed or sanitised without really spoiling the story. As it is it is an 18+.
The story is routed in fact it would seem and Bronson provides the justification for the premise of the story in a fascinating precise of the history of Vampires and the origination of the word “Nosferatu” at the end of the book. I was also amazed to read lately that Vampire cults are on the rise and causing concern to the Venetian authorities......
Our hero ( Bronson, a British policeman) and his wife, Angela, ex wife in this book I think (an archaeologist) are on holiday in Venice when they stumble into a series of events including grave robbing, abduction, sexual assault and killing of young girls. Bronson can’t help but dig around (pardon the pun) to find out what is going on and Angela can’t help but steal a relic (a Vampire Diary no less) from one of the opened graves. This of course drags them into a strange world of Vampires and rituals and provides a great excuse for chases, fights, boat chases and an exploration of the many islands that scatter the lagoons around Venice. Not so much Bond or Bourne more Raiders or CSI.
If I had one criticism it would be the detailed description of the ritual in the church basement. I know Becker would say it is essential to the plot (and probably has its origin in something he found in his research) but I found it way too graphic and felt it could have been removed or sanitised without really spoiling the story. As it is it is an 18+.
The story is routed in fact it would seem and Bronson provides the justification for the premise of the story in a fascinating precise of the history of Vampires and the origination of the word “Nosferatu” at the end of the book. I was also amazed to read lately that Vampire cults are on the rise and causing concern to the Venetian authorities......
February 18, 2014
The book opens with a scene set in 1741. The burial of Princess Eleonora Amalia Magdalena of Lobkowicz. A Princess of the Schwarzenberg family, but one who received no royal funeral and no family in attendance.
Next we jump to the present day, Chris Bronson and his ex-wife are on holiday in Venice. They are witnesses to a broken grave, on the day of the Festival of the Dead. They find an old diary in the broken grave of Carmelita Paganini and a strange burial sight.
The police in Venice are under pressure as another young girl goes missing and when Bronson and his wife discover 3 dead bodies of young girls they find themselves wrapped up in the search for an ancient scroll with connections to myths about vampires.
I liked the pace of the book. There were a small number of characters for the reader to keep up with. Bronson had just enough skill, experience and qualities to make him a hardened hero. His wife Angela was sensible and knowledgeable. Their relationship added a little mystery to the plot. The story of Vampires which unfolded was gruesome and the ending left me wondering what if?
Next we jump to the present day, Chris Bronson and his ex-wife are on holiday in Venice. They are witnesses to a broken grave, on the day of the Festival of the Dead. They find an old diary in the broken grave of Carmelita Paganini and a strange burial sight.
The police in Venice are under pressure as another young girl goes missing and when Bronson and his wife discover 3 dead bodies of young girls they find themselves wrapped up in the search for an ancient scroll with connections to myths about vampires.
I liked the pace of the book. There were a small number of characters for the reader to keep up with. Bronson had just enough skill, experience and qualities to make him a hardened hero. His wife Angela was sensible and knowledgeable. Their relationship added a little mystery to the plot. The story of Vampires which unfolded was gruesome and the ending left me wondering what if?
May 20, 2012
When British cop Chris Bronson and his ex-wife take a week's vacation to Venice he wasn't expecting a busman's holiday. Neither was he expecting vampires. In fact, it takes serious suspension of disbelief, on his part and ours, to expect them now but when Angela, his ex-wfe, is kidnapped by the serial killer, Chris refuses to rule out any possibility. Graeme Malcolm's cultured European accent doesn't romanticize the vampires but it does serve to romanticize Europe which helps because the story itself is not particularly brilliantly written nor are the characters particularly well drawn. But Malcolm's accent keeps you wanting more. But not in a Hollywood vampire sort of way. These are inhumane serial killers. While they may have a less emotional purpose than most serial killers, it doesn't change the facts. Interesting but neither exactly a romance nor exactly a thriller or really a mystery but a cobbled blending of the latter two with a decent friendship between Chris and Angela forming the bond that matters.
April 27, 2014
Chris Bronson and Angela Lewis, divorced but back together, are enjoying a relaxing, romantic trip to Venice but their good time soon turns sour when they discover a diary, written in Latin, hidden in the tomb of a supposed vampire. Angela, an archaeologist, is kidnapped by a cult dedicated to the bloodline of the Princess Eleanora, the so-called 'Vampire Princess', and forced to translate the document. Several young women have been raped and killed by this group and Chris Bronson, himself a policeman, knows he has only a limited window of opportunity to save Angela's life. He enlists the help of an Italian colleague, Inspector Bianchi, but can he be trusted? Or is he aiding the 'vampires' in their bloodthirsty quest? "The Nosferatu Scroll" was a fun book that I especially liked for the Venetian setting, a city that is steeped in history and legend. The characters of Bronson and Lewis are well matched and the author, James Becker, kept the story moving along well. A good holiday weekend read.
June 10, 2018
Interesting take on whether vampires really exist. I do not believe in them.
August 5, 2011
I'm sure I've read other books by this author and they were more original. This just seemed like a rehash of every other novel of this type with nothing fresh or different about it. Pedestrian writing and a cliched plot and I'm not sure why I bothered.
And the deus ex machina twist? What a let down.
And the deus ex machina twist? What a let down.
February 8, 2012
Another book I picked up as I had nothing else to read. What a stupid book and waste of paper. First of all, though it said nowhere on the title, or outer or inner description, it was about vampires. I am so bloody sick of vampires. Since "Twilight," every third book is about vampires. Secondly, vampires aside, some of the events were absolutely unbelievable and did not make sense, even in context. Third, the ending was a "deus ex machina," and I hagte that. Finally, the disposition of the vampire was so trite and overdone, it left me cold.
June 19, 2020
Just finished this one. Probably the worst book I've read this year.
He spent far too much time describing every single minor detail. And I felt like his knowledge of Venice just seemed rather like he just wanted to show off to me.
A whole two paragraphs describing how he loaded a gun was ridiculous. And the story had no proper ending.
The only redeeming factor was that I love the vampire myth, but even then it was quite meh. Wouldnt reccomend.
He spent far too much time describing every single minor detail. And I felt like his knowledge of Venice just seemed rather like he just wanted to show off to me.
A whole two paragraphs describing how he loaded a gun was ridiculous. And the story had no proper ending.
The only redeeming factor was that I love the vampire myth, but even then it was quite meh. Wouldnt reccomend.
February 25, 2021
Chris Bronson and his ex wife Angela are holidaying in Venice in November. They join a group of people going to a big cemetery to celebrate the lives of dead relatives. As the couple walk round, they find an old grave that has been desecrated. The skull has been placed between the skeleton's legs, which is indicative that the dead person had been a vampire. When the carabinieri arrive and start investigating, Angela picks something up from under the old bones as she and Chris are asked to leave the scene. The book is written in Latin and turns out to be part diary and part old text on how to become a vampire.
Also in Venice, several young women go missing. They are taken to an island in the lagoon, kept prisoner and then killed. As part of their death ritual, the women suffer mass rape and one of their captors bites their throats.
Angela is abducted by the same group of men who have taken the other women. As an historian, Angela is able to translate the Latin for the would be vampires, so they can follow their dreams.
Chris Bronson goes to the Italian police, but the inspector is less than helpful. Bronson decides to do his own investigation and eventually manages to find the island where Angela has been taken. Once there, he calls the police, only to find that his suspicions have been confirmed. Feeling alone, Bronson enters the dungeon and manages to conceal himself as one of the robed figures who will be raping and killing a second woman being held prisoner with Angela.
Just as Bronson is called on to be the first to rape the woman, the Italian version of SWAT arrive and the robed men are either killed or arrested, except their leader. He appears and disappears silently and always has the strong odour of rotting flesh around him.
Bronson follows the hooded figure and Angela to their speedboats and gives chase. The police manage to catch up and Angela is mercifully rescued. However, despite being shot several times at close range, the smelly hooded figure disappears again.
Despite their disbelief in vampires, Chris and Angels wonder how he got away and why there was no blood on the discarded robe.
A fast moving thriller that had me guessing all the way through as to what was going to happen.
Also in Venice, several young women go missing. They are taken to an island in the lagoon, kept prisoner and then killed. As part of their death ritual, the women suffer mass rape and one of their captors bites their throats.
Angela is abducted by the same group of men who have taken the other women. As an historian, Angela is able to translate the Latin for the would be vampires, so they can follow their dreams.
Chris Bronson goes to the Italian police, but the inspector is less than helpful. Bronson decides to do his own investigation and eventually manages to find the island where Angela has been taken. Once there, he calls the police, only to find that his suspicions have been confirmed. Feeling alone, Bronson enters the dungeon and manages to conceal himself as one of the robed figures who will be raping and killing a second woman being held prisoner with Angela.
Just as Bronson is called on to be the first to rape the woman, the Italian version of SWAT arrive and the robed men are either killed or arrested, except their leader. He appears and disappears silently and always has the strong odour of rotting flesh around him.
Bronson follows the hooded figure and Angela to their speedboats and gives chase. The police manage to catch up and Angela is mercifully rescued. However, despite being shot several times at close range, the smelly hooded figure disappears again.
Despite their disbelief in vampires, Chris and Angels wonder how he got away and why there was no blood on the discarded robe.
A fast moving thriller that had me guessing all the way through as to what was going to happen.
January 14, 2017
I must admit I avoid detective stories. Despite the logic and the uncertainty till the very end I find them usually too predictable and not as thrilling as I would want.
But since I needed a break from those free e-reads I'm trying to go through I thought why not kill two birds with one stone. This book had been sitting on my shelf for years so it definitely needed attention. And since it was a gift from my brother who couldn't resist buying two books for one price while he was waiting at the airport, I really needed to get this over with in case he asked about it. Not that he remembers what he gave me last year let alone many years ago but for my conscience' sake...
The first half of this book was quite boring. I felt like a tourist listening to advice of a tourist guide. I know that attention to detail plays key role in many detective stories but listing the numbers of vaporretos which could get me from point A to point B is just TMI. I get it, you've been to Venice and you want to show your knowledge of the place but who hasn't been to Venice?! We all know about that place and get it even without knowing which street crosses which and so on.
Anyway, after this rather dull start the story picks up the pace and something starts happening. A lot of evil things actually. And you cannot wait to get to the end and find out if this is all just about a modern cult which worships allegedly real vampires OR if there really is a vampire in the story. I will not tell you, of course. You have to read it yourself.
The author's research on the vampire topic was thorough and that kept the vampire mystery in the book really interesting. I appreciate the historical research so that it all looks very believable. It is well-written so that you may resist the urge to ask questions about certain aspects of the story which seem too far-fetched.
But since I needed a break from those free e-reads I'm trying to go through I thought why not kill two birds with one stone. This book had been sitting on my shelf for years so it definitely needed attention. And since it was a gift from my brother who couldn't resist buying two books for one price while he was waiting at the airport, I really needed to get this over with in case he asked about it. Not that he remembers what he gave me last year let alone many years ago but for my conscience' sake...
The first half of this book was quite boring. I felt like a tourist listening to advice of a tourist guide. I know that attention to detail plays key role in many detective stories but listing the numbers of vaporretos which could get me from point A to point B is just TMI. I get it, you've been to Venice and you want to show your knowledge of the place but who hasn't been to Venice?! We all know about that place and get it even without knowing which street crosses which and so on.
Anyway, after this rather dull start the story picks up the pace and something starts happening. A lot of evil things actually. And you cannot wait to get to the end and find out if this is all just about a modern cult which worships allegedly real vampires OR if there really is a vampire in the story. I will not tell you, of course. You have to read it yourself.
The author's research on the vampire topic was thorough and that kept the vampire mystery in the book really interesting. I appreciate the historical research so that it all looks very believable. It is well-written so that you may resist the urge to ask questions about certain aspects of the story which seem too far-fetched.
September 26, 2019
Mind you: I only read the fourth book, because my parents bought it for me in England and thought I might like it.
Which I did. To my own surprise, I must add, so: Sorry, Mr. Becker, I underestimated you and judged your book before I started reading it.
Here is what I expected: The book was written at the end of the 20th century. And it has a male, police-man protagonist.
I thought that I would get a looot of: All the women are sexy but stupid, and the protagonist is a broken, pseudo-nice hero-type guy. The story would be okayish but probably boring.
That's not true! I honestly have no idea how the women looked because they didn't have much description (which is good!). And they were far from stupid. Angela, the female half-protagonist, was surprisingly intelligent and strongwilled. After she was kidnapped, she first of all tried to gain as much information as possible, asked questions and was clever enough not to provoke her kidnappers which is such. An. Annoying. Trope.
Bronson was actually REALLY nice and definitly not the perfect with everything guy. He admitted that he was only an average shooter (and that was actually shown in the novel) and relied more on brains than on muscles. He wasn't the one and only hero of the day but I won't spoil anything.
The story itself had some interesting, inspiring details which I enjoyed. The beginning was extremly catching but got a bit boring around the mid. Which is the biggest reason for the 3-star-rating.
The writing style was okay and good enough to read.
Overall a nice read. Not something for fans of great action or a VERY surprising story, but I still enjoyed reading it and might take a look into the first books of the series!
Which I did. To my own surprise, I must add, so: Sorry, Mr. Becker, I underestimated you and judged your book before I started reading it.
Here is what I expected: The book was written at the end of the 20th century. And it has a male, police-man protagonist.
I thought that I would get a looot of: All the women are sexy but stupid, and the protagonist is a broken, pseudo-nice hero-type guy. The story would be okayish but probably boring.
That's not true! I honestly have no idea how the women looked because they didn't have much description (which is good!). And they were far from stupid. Angela, the female half-protagonist, was surprisingly intelligent and strongwilled. After she was kidnapped, she first of all tried to gain as much information as possible, asked questions and was clever enough not to provoke her kidnappers which is such. An. Annoying. Trope.
Bronson was actually REALLY nice and definitly not the perfect with everything guy. He admitted that he was only an average shooter (and that was actually shown in the novel) and relied more on brains than on muscles. He wasn't the one and only hero of the day but I won't spoil anything.
The story itself had some interesting, inspiring details which I enjoyed. The beginning was extremly catching but got a bit boring around the mid. Which is the biggest reason for the 3-star-rating.
The writing style was okay and good enough to read.
Overall a nice read. Not something for fans of great action or a VERY surprising story, but I still enjoyed reading it and might take a look into the first books of the series!
April 23, 2021
You can listen to my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3jbZ...
A book written in the same vein as the works of Dan Brown, The Nosferatu Scroll makes a good attempt at doing for vampires what Indiana Jones did for aliens, and succeeded about as much.
Whilst Becker has several good ideas, the execution of these ideas is sorely lacking. The prose itself, whilst simple and easy to follow, is also flat and over-explained, with far too much detail where such detail is not required which slows the pace. Meanwhile, the dialogue is stilted and unnatural.
Whilst I liked the character of Angela, she isn’t given enough focus, with the book instead mostly following Detective Chris Bronson who has none of the natural flair or knowledge required for the main character of a conspiracy/supernatural novel.
The plot itself is fine for the most part, and it’s clear that Becker has done his research with regards to folklore and history, with some great details about the burial of vampires and the funeral of Eleonora von Schwarzenberg, the ‘Vampire Princess’. The ending, however, leaves a lot to be desired, posing more questions than it answers and relies on rehashing previous action scenes to reach its conclusion.
Overall, it is a fun read, and certainly a way to pass a few spare hours, but it definitely has problems which could have been fixed with an extra few drafts before being sent to print.
A book written in the same vein as the works of Dan Brown, The Nosferatu Scroll makes a good attempt at doing for vampires what Indiana Jones did for aliens, and succeeded about as much.
Whilst Becker has several good ideas, the execution of these ideas is sorely lacking. The prose itself, whilst simple and easy to follow, is also flat and over-explained, with far too much detail where such detail is not required which slows the pace. Meanwhile, the dialogue is stilted and unnatural.
Whilst I liked the character of Angela, she isn’t given enough focus, with the book instead mostly following Detective Chris Bronson who has none of the natural flair or knowledge required for the main character of a conspiracy/supernatural novel.
The plot itself is fine for the most part, and it’s clear that Becker has done his research with regards to folklore and history, with some great details about the burial of vampires and the funeral of Eleonora von Schwarzenberg, the ‘Vampire Princess’. The ending, however, leaves a lot to be desired, posing more questions than it answers and relies on rehashing previous action scenes to reach its conclusion.
Overall, it is a fun read, and certainly a way to pass a few spare hours, but it definitely has problems which could have been fixed with an extra few drafts before being sent to print.
February 19, 2023
Ladies and gents, if you’re looking for a vampire book, this is not it. Prior to reading this I didn’t know anything about James Becker and his preferred genre of novel to write. I had read the title of the book and the synopsis on the book and figured I’d give it a go: I do love a jaunt into the macabre.
I repeat, this was not it. This was a lazy, condescending “thriller” novel full of tiring clichés. The synopsis really should have cottoned me on to this since it tells you the female character gets kidnapped, but hey, one can hope.
The one thing I’ll give this book credit for is it’s a quick and easy read. So if you’re looking for something you don’t need to think too hard about, this is it. If you’re looking for “macho” men (see Bronson: martial arts specialist, holidaying police officer, headstrong and interfering) who strive to save the regularly-screaming damsel in distress, this is it. If you’re looking to be patronised to with every description in the story, this is it. If you’re looking for regular descriptions of the “Stygian” darkness, this is it (at least 3 distinct uses). If you’re looking for an ambiguous, dissatisfying ending, this is it.
I doubt I’ll read anything else by the author as his flavour of book is not it for me.
I repeat, this was not it. This was a lazy, condescending “thriller” novel full of tiring clichés. The synopsis really should have cottoned me on to this since it tells you the female character gets kidnapped, but hey, one can hope.
The one thing I’ll give this book credit for is it’s a quick and easy read. So if you’re looking for something you don’t need to think too hard about, this is it. If you’re looking for “macho” men (see Bronson: martial arts specialist, holidaying police officer, headstrong and interfering) who strive to save the regularly-screaming damsel in distress, this is it. If you’re looking to be patronised to with every description in the story, this is it. If you’re looking for regular descriptions of the “Stygian” darkness, this is it (at least 3 distinct uses). If you’re looking for an ambiguous, dissatisfying ending, this is it.
I doubt I’ll read anything else by the author as his flavour of book is not it for me.
June 13, 2023
The one thing this book did was make me want to visit Venice, which I have never previously considered. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the city, the Island of the Dead, the crumbling old buildings and all that history. But that was it. I couldn’t get engrossed in the plot because it just didn’t draw me in, and I was consciously aware of it being a story all the way through. I didn’t connect with any of the characters because they weren’t real to me. I didn’t even realise that Chris and Angela were a married couple at first because there was no connection between them. Then it seemed to say that they were separated, which made me wonder why they were on holiday together in a foreign country. And the fact that the author refers to Chris by his surname further distances the reader from connecting on an emotional level, I think. There wasn’t enough Gothic intrigue for my liking and the story became more of a James Bond spoof by the end.
July 27, 2022
Novela más que adecuada para estos tiempos estivales de playa y excesivo calor, sin más pretensiones que entretener. Asesinatos rituales y vampiros se entremezclan en esta historia ambientada en la siempre atractiva Venecia, con sus misteriosos canales y su bello patrimonio artístico.
Pese a estos atrayentes elementos, La isla de los muertos peca de previsibilidad tanto en el desarrollo de la trama como en su final. Tampoco se comprenden muy bien las acciones de los personajes, ciertas cuestiones quedan en el aire y algunos hechos resultan poco creíbles, pero dado que esta novela no busca ser la quintaesencia de la literatura, considero que cumple a la perfección con su objetivo.
Por último, destacaría las notas del autor con explicaciones sobre el vampirismo, la peste y demás elementos y personajes que hacen acto de aparición en la novela.
Pese a estos atrayentes elementos, La isla de los muertos peca de previsibilidad tanto en el desarrollo de la trama como en su final. Tampoco se comprenden muy bien las acciones de los personajes, ciertas cuestiones quedan en el aire y algunos hechos resultan poco creíbles, pero dado que esta novela no busca ser la quintaesencia de la literatura, considero que cumple a la perfección con su objetivo.
Por último, destacaría las notas del autor con explicaciones sobre el vampirismo, la peste y demás elementos y personajes que hacen acto de aparición en la novela.
March 9, 2018
A fairly generic crime thriller with a possibly supernatural twist, although it is pretty vehemently denied most of the way through, but still leaves room for a little plausible deniability. I have not read any Chris Bronson books before, but I don't feel like I'm really missing anything, except why he's sharing a holiday & room with his ex-wife, whose relationship seems to question why they are separated when they still seem to be very much together. However, there isn't much room for character development, but the action progresses too quickly to give it much mind.Very much a literary popcorn movie, enjoyable but forgettable.
February 19, 2022
This was my first book of James Becker's and it was absolutely brilliant.
I had no clue who Bronson and Angela were but it didn't matter, I had enough information from this book alone to figure out their relationship. The mystery was straight in, there was no long introduction or waiting for something to happen, it was straight to the point, it was gripping. It was nerve wracking, and it had me on the edge of my seat. The huge reveal at the end made all the intensity worth it. Fantastic read, definitely give it a try.
I had no clue who Bronson and Angela were but it didn't matter, I had enough information from this book alone to figure out their relationship. The mystery was straight in, there was no long introduction or waiting for something to happen, it was straight to the point, it was gripping. It was nerve wracking, and it had me on the edge of my seat. The huge reveal at the end made all the intensity worth it. Fantastic read, definitely give it a try.
January 16, 2020
Despite the idea of vampirism as being superstition James Becker treats us to an exciting thriller with plot turns as well as the idea of people going through a complicated initiation ceremony to become vampires.
Yes. Some of the words used are repetitive but in extreme fear shuddering is totally normal and that understanding is what makes James Becker such a good writer. So good I could not put it down.
Yes. Some of the words used are repetitive but in extreme fear shuddering is totally normal and that understanding is what makes James Becker such a good writer. So good I could not put it down.
April 12, 2020
Another fast paced well written thriller. OK The modern take on a classic old subject might seema bit daft but the way it's incorporated into a cult is done well.
When Chris and Angela become seperatad, it's easy to think you can work out the ending; while there are strong elements of that, there's a good couple of twists to come. Much is far fetched by that's half the fun. The draw of this series continues, and as the epilogue shows, it's well researched too.
When Chris and Angela become seperatad, it's easy to think you can work out the ending; while there are strong elements of that, there's a good couple of twists to come. Much is far fetched by that's half the fun. The draw of this series continues, and as the epilogue shows, it's well researched too.
April 22, 2021
I enjoyed the adventure in this book and the details of 'alleged' vampires.
Becker does explain some of the myth of vampires at the end of the book. As a fan of vampire fiction, I read this with great interest.
While on holiday in Venice, Chris and Angela get involved in an ongoing Italian police investigation. Several young women have gone missing and sometimes their bodies have been found in old graves. At one of the graves Angela takes a diary which leads to the ensuing adventures.
Becker does explain some of the myth of vampires at the end of the book. As a fan of vampire fiction, I read this with great interest.
While on holiday in Venice, Chris and Angela get involved in an ongoing Italian police investigation. Several young women have gone missing and sometimes their bodies have been found in old graves. At one of the graves Angela takes a diary which leads to the ensuing adventures.
April 7, 2022
Went into this not knowing it was part of a series. But did not affect much, you can totally go in cold. Imagine this as a Dan Brown-y kind of novel, except more vulgar. Was a bit shocked with how blatant it got. But aside from that most of the read was fairly drab. Followed a story rooted in history much like the Robert Langdon one's, however is not as good and isn't really enjoyable as a whole. The level of crudeness will also be a put off for most people.
June 1, 2017
very easy read, whilst I was looking for something I could easily digest, this came across just a little too easy? I agree with other reviews that it was a little too easy to guess the outcome but it kept me entertained none the less. would I read any others from this author? Yes. am I in a rush to buy them? no.
January 18, 2021
In my opinion certainly the worst of the Bronson books. Chris and Angela are in Venice on vacation when they come across grave robbers. This involves them in a hunt involving a vampire diary and then Angela is kidnapped and Chris has to find her. Not nearly as good as their is very little treasure hunting in this book as prior ones in the series.
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