PRIEST AND THE GONDOLIER

I just finished reading, “Theft from Delos” and “The Priest and the Gondolier.” I enjoyed both novels immensely. The author brings his characters to life in such a way that they are not only realistic but also memorable. His description of Venice and the Greek Islands made me feel as if I was there. The setting and background to his novel are meticulously researched and his plots contain many twists and unpredicted turns. I look forward to reading more from Mervyn Nel.

Recently I had a 10-hour layover at the Zürich airport. The wintery weather ruined my plans of a visit to the city. Thankfully, I had just bought Mervyn Nel's latest novel in South Africa. This page-turner (like his first novel "Theft from Delos") not only kept me occupied...it engrossed me up to the last surprise-filled chapter!

Although the story-line is quite different from his first novel (despite both revolving around daring heists), it shares the author's signature style of strongly appealing to both the intellect as well as the senses. It is evident that he does meticulous research on all of the settings in his books, so that were you to actually visit Venice (or Delos and the surrounding islands) you would most likely experience a strange sense of déjà vu!

The sensory nature of his books makes them feel/look/smell/sound more like vivid movies. I am convinced that both his books are begging to be turned into fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat motion pictures.

The characters in "The Priest and the Gondolier" leap from the pages of the novel. You definitely feel you want to avoid the "bad guys" in a dark alley! More importantly, the protagonists all have their own unique qualities and charms (my favourite is Chief Superintendent Gina Rossi) and deserve even more elaboration...I think the "The Priest and the Gondolier" most certainly deserves a sequel that will allow Gina Rossi and Harry Wilson (an Interpol art expert) to unravel and resolve a number of very promising sub-plots!