The Abomination: Book One of the Carnivia Trilogy

At the start of British author Holt’s diverting debut, Katerina Tapo, an officer in the Carabinieri, races to a crime scene in the heart of Venice. High tide has washed a body with two bullet wounds in the head onto the steps of a landmark church. It’s Kat’s first murder case—a case complicated by the discovery that the victim is female and dressed in the garb of a Catholic priest. Meanwhile, at a nearby American military base, 2nd Lt. Holly Boland’s search for missing documents sets her on the scent of a mystery that compels the two women to team up. Clues to their questions are hidden at Carnivia.com, a beguiling cyber-Venice created by a rich hacker for an unknown purpose. Holt captures the allure of Venice and its creative cyber-counterpart, and creates two forceful if bland protagonists in Kat and Holly. The author gets carried away by throwing mystery on top of mystery, but, well, that’s part of the fun. Agent: Caradoc King, A.P. Watt (U.K.). (June)