This Is Italy
The third book is the 3rd literary thriller by Frank van Pamelen, who created a Robert Langdon of the Low Countries with his character Olivier Huizinga. Previously, Van Pamelen mainly wrote children's books.
The third book starts with Ferragosto, the Italian holiday around the Assumption of Mary. In Siena, everyone prepares for the 2nd palio of that summer, which traditionally takes place on the 16th of August.
Huizinga thinks he will go on holiday with his girlfriend for a few days, but of course there is no story for a literary thriller in it. When he is accosted by a bum, who secretly puts a message in his pocket, it sets in motion a series of events.
Central to this book is the SATOR square, one of the oldest riddles of classical antiquity. As a historical writer, Huizinga is disappointed that he has never been able to solve this problem before.
That means the end of a quiet holiday in summer Tuscany, because already in the first chapter one dies and many more will follow – as it should be in a little literary thriller.
As the book progresses, it becomes clear that the professor has been put on the trail by an organization that wants something from him, while another organization is trying to work against him. But who is ultimately pulling the strings?
It's all about The third book from the title of the thriller, it soon becomes apparent. This refers to the so-called Hermocrates, the presumed title of Plato's last trilogy, which is unlikely to ever have existed. Or is it?
A scavenger hunt full of riddles and mild suspense follows, which also includes the famous De' Medici family. You get the idea: fans of Dan Brown can lick their fingers.
The smooth narrative style, the short chapters of sometimes only one page and the varying perspectives make this a book full of speed, in which the writer cannot help but incorporate many linguistic discoveries into his story.
Van Pamelen seamlessly interweaves historical events with the fiction from his book and captures the atmosphere of cities such as Florence and Siena well. The plot sometimes seems a bit of secondary importance, but it is beautiful.
As befits such a puzzling book, it remains unclear until the last chapter what is really going on.
Lovers of murder and mystery against an Italian background should pack it in their suitcase for their next trip to Italy.
The third book
by: Frank van Pamelen
283 pp.
€ 20,99
Ambo|Anthos, August 2021
ISBN 9789026356391
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