A Quiet Vendetta

Beautifully written, this is a novel to get lost in and one that is a long ride into the darkness, and if you recall reading Mario Puzo’s The Godfather as a teenager (as I did), then this is a powerful book that will make you relive that memory – masterful, but beware of the brutality, because it comes out of the most literate prose I have read in many years.

A Quiet Vendetta
Author: R.J. Ellory
Reviewed by Fran Lewis

Enter the world of a Medical Examiner as he takes you through the process of discovering a corpse, placing it on the table, seeing where it was found and the work needed to identify the person in order to show respect for who he/she was. The car is unique, the smell is overwhelming and the case will prove to be unusual as one man finally comes forward after seeing a lone car sitting for three days, peers inside the window and what he finds would probably make anyone lose their lunch and a lot more.

Police on the scene, one detective called out of a deep sleep, the evidence limited the mutilation of the body horrific and the work begins to find out why anyone would surgically show more remove this man’s heart and then place it back in his chest cavity. According the ME it signifies revenge. New Orleans is the place and the author describes the areas, the people, the scenes so graphically that you witness the events first hand and feel a part of the story. The medical examiner’s terminology, the police investigation and the body are so vividly described that the squeamish might close their eyes when reading this book but the more hardy and interested as this reviewer is will not stop reading the book or the events until the answers to the questions you might ask if you went along with the police are answered and the killer is caught. But, there is much more that has not unfolded as I review A Quiet Vendetta by bestselling author R.J. Ellory.

John Verlaine is the detective assigned to the case. But, this would prove anything but an ordinary investigation as he seeks the help of one man to try and understand the circumstances surrounding the murder, the way he was killed and the graphics on the victim’s back of the constellation Gemini. But, the man whose help he seeks instructs him to walk away and dismiss the case from his mind and the next thing he knows the FBI take it over. The man killed we learn is an ex-marine guarding the daughter of the Governor of Louisiana who is supposed to be spending time with her mother, but never shows up. Catherine Ducane has been kidnapped. Now, the mystery begins.

The FBI has taken over the case and they cannot seem to find any leads or direct links to the man killed, the kidnapping. One phone call to the agent in charge would change it all as the voice on the phone insures the agent that Catherine is okay but that to get her back he wants something in exchange. Just what that is has not been revealed.

Ray Hartmann holds the future of Catherine in his hands as the kidnapper calls the FBI and demands his return to New Orleans for a one on one face to face explanation of why this happened and where the girl might be. Ray is in law enforcement and has a highly volatile personality that cost him his family’s confidence in him and his present state of having to live alone. Dealing with the mafia, lone sharking, fraud and other crimes related to them he readily joined the House Judiciary Subcommittee to assist the District Attorney and others with cases involving organized crime. Used as the catalyst to bring this kidnapper in, he agrees to speak with him to help bring Catherine home. One word spoken in a phone call to the police: ALWAYS just might be the key to another person’s involvement. John Verlaine knew what that meant as he related it to Hartmann in a private conversation. The one man who told him to walk away and never look back. Feraud. How he might be connected has not been revealed, as the kidnapper is about to appear and one: Ernesto Perez will take control.

Detective John Verlaine of the New Orleans Police department sets the wheels in motion when investigating the murder of Catherine’s bodyguard. . Enter one man who wants to tell his story at all costs even to himself. The history he recounts and Ray Hartmann will bring chills to the reader’s spine and fear in your heart for the kidnap victim. The deal made is for one Ernesto Perez to tell his story one which allows the reader to get an insight into a man who wants the attention which surround others in the past focused on him in the present. Living with a father that was violent and entering in a world that would turn him into not only a psychopathic killer but a hit man too.

As the reader gets to hear the inner voice and outer one of Ernesto Perez you being to understand the rationale behind his ramblings and his want for attention. Comparing himself to Castro, many memories of the man and how he created his dictatorship and his reign over the people in his country, you learn that this man is doing this not to really help them learn where Catherine is but to unburden himself, tell of his past wrong deeds and let the world know that at one time he was no better than his father. Killing his mother he retaliates in his own brutal way. Starting with just one murder of a salesman and going on after that with no remorse, feelings or knowledge of his victims just the rush of the kill. As Perez continues to tell his life story the FBI and police become more frustrated as does Ray and the hope of finding Catherine fades. Where her father fits you will find out and you will also learn the link he has to those involved. Why he chose Hartmann you won’t believe and the end result will definitely haunt you at night and bring chills down your spine. Author R.J. Ellory takes the reader on a psychological journey inside the mind of a killer who thinks murder is the only way to survive and live. Hartmann is a drunk and buries himself in his job to the exclusion of his wife and daughter. He even has that violent tendency that mirrors that of Ernesto to an extent. Could this be the hidden link? The frustration listening to this man talk about himself and justify who he is and what he has turned into even though someone’s life is hanging in the balance adds to the suspense and the outstanding craftsmanship of this bestselling author.

As you hear Ernesto’s story and learn more about his background you begin to see the dark shadows in his life as he tries to create parallels between him and Ray. Deaths that he brags about and shows no remorse and the violence that he justifies it almost as if this is a cleansing of his soul and he hopes to be absolved at the end. When the police cannot deal with this anymore they enlist Ray to make a deal with him and the end result is more than horrific as Ray and John visit Feraud and the backlash you won’t believe.

The end result of what really happened to Catherine you will have to learn for youself. Where Ernesto winds up and what the truth behind the kidnapping was you won’t believe. Once again Author RJ Ellory has penned a story filled with history, twists, turns and an ending so dramatic and so filled with surprises that you won’t want the story to ever end and hope that you might meet Ray Hartmann again. One dramatic ending that will send chills down your spine one outstanding author. A Quiet Vendetta: Much more than silent I would have to say. show less

I love Ellroy's writing style. The story is told from an interesting point of view. There is a lot of darkness so don't read it if you are feeling down.

The author
Roger Jon Ellory was born in Birmingham, England, June 20th 1965. At age 7 his mother died and with his father out of the picture already he was send of to boarding school. He returned to Birmingham age 16 and at 17 he spend some time in jail for poaching.
After a short career as a musician he devoted himself to studying obscure philosophies and reading.
He had a lot of trouble getting his first stories published as UK publishers did not want to publish books set in America and American publisher did not want to publish books set in America written by an Englishman. Eventually Orion picked up the book "Candlemoth" and published it. This book secured a nomination on the shortlist for the Crime Writers’ Association Steel show more Dagger for Best Thriller 2003. For more information on R.J. Ellory visit http://www.rjellory.com

The review
I am doing a A-Z challenge this year on book titles. I had many books qualifying for the Q but either I could not get my hands on a copy or they where just not my thing and I was not able to continue reading them. After a thorough search I found this book and I was attracted to it immediately. I was in need of a nice crime novel, police, murders, excitement. And all those elements where in this story and there was more story and more and more... and eventually a bit to much story.
The book takes of with a very descriptive chapter on New Orleans. You almost miss out that they actually found a dead body and the police is gathering around the crime scene. There are some characters introduced of whom you think will be the lead investigators on the murder case but it keeps being handed over and over and over until some other important FBI people are introduced and they finally stick with it. The former well introduced police men are not coming back until the end of the book when they are mentioned to show the author has not forgotten about them. This made that I was not sure which character I had to invest in and connect to until 150 pages into the book. I like to hang myself up on a character and move along trough the story. I missed that in the beginning making it difficult for me to get hooked. Eventually the two main characters get a bit to intense and you feel like skipping on their thoughts /story cause there are again to many details.
And that is the main problem with the whole storyline. The author looses himself and the story at regular intervals, making clear he did his research on things but slowing down a good story. There is a line about certain trees that are characteristic for New Orleans which is repeated three or four times, there is an extended description of which roads are in a certain area in New Orleans of which most are not even relevant to the story but you can look it up on google maps and see exactly where the “body has been found”.
That is a shame cause without that the story would have been a 4 star book for me. There was a lot of crime and seen from the eyes of a certain criminal making it very interesting. Though at some point the plot can be guessed it takes a while before all things drop in place. For me the book now is not more than three stars and I even doubted for two but it was not that bad. Am not sure I would recommend it to someone though. show less

When Catherine Ducane disappears in the heart of New Orleans, the local cops react rapidly - she is the daughter of the Governor of Louisiana after all. But the case gets very strange, very quickly. Her bodyguard turns up horribly mutilated in the trunk of a beautiful vintage car and when her kidnapper calls he doesn't want money: he wants time alone with Ray Hartmann, who works for a Washington-based organised crime task force. All Ray wants to do is get this over with quickly, and go home to try and repair his broken marriage. Instead he must listen to the mysterious kidnapper, an elderly Cuban named Ernesto Perez, who wants to tell him his life story. It's only when he realises that Ernesto has been a brutal hitman for the Mob since show more the 1950s that things start to come together. But by the time the pieces fall into place, it's already too late... show less

Catherine Ducane wordt in New Orleans ontvoert. Zij is de dochter van de gouverneur van de staat Louisiana. In de kofferbak van een zeldzame auto wordt het stoffelijk overschot van haar lijfwacht aangetroffen. De man is op gruwelijke wijze om het leven gebracht. De ontvoerder neemt contact op met de politie. Hij eist geen losgeld voor de vrijlating van Catherine maar een gesprek met Ray Hartmann, een politiefunctionaris.

De ontvoerder is een Cubaan op leeftijd met de naam Ernesto Perez. In een serie gesprekken met Ray Hartmann, die bepaald niet op deze klus zit te wachten, blijkt al snel dat Perez een gewetenloze moordenaar is die voor de maffia vele “problemen heeft opgelost”.

R.J. Ellory brak internationaal door met de literaire show more misdaadroman Een stil geloof in engelen. Hij werd geroemd om het schitterend proza, het bloemrijke gebruik van de taal en de knappe en overtuigende constructie van een ontroerend verhaal. Ook in Een volmaakte vendetta laat Ellory zien dat hij een uitstekend schrijver is die in mooie poetische zinnen fantastische sfeertekeningen kan maken en personen tot leven kan wekken. Als Ellory schrijt over het handwerk van Perez, namelijk het uit de weg ruimen van verraders en concurrende maffiabazen, is de beschrijving zeer gedetailleerd en vaak gruwelijk maar ook hier laat Ellory zien dat hij als een virtuoos de taal gebruikt.

Naast het levensverhaal van Ernesto Perez schetst hij een mooi beeld over de maffia in de Verenigde Staten, de directe betrokkenheid van de lokale en landelijk politiek in deze misdaadorganisatie. In het begin lijkt het erop dat het boek saai is en in lange monologen van Perez zal verzanden maar dat is maar schijn. Na de eerste 100 bladzijden wordt het verhaal heel erg boeiend, je wordt er als lezer in ondergdompeld en het plot aan het einde is fantastisch en totaal onverwacht.

Roger Jon Ellory laat met Een stille vendetta opnieuw zien dat hij behoort tot de beste schrijvers in het genre. Dit is een misdaadroman die je niet mag missen. show less

Wanneer Catherine Ducane verdwijnt in hartje New Orleans duikt de lokale politie meteen boven op de zaak - het gaat namelijk om de dochter van de gouverneur van Louisiana. Maar algauw neemt de zaak een bizarre wending. Nadat het gruwelijk toegetakelde lijk van Catherines lijfwacht wordt aangetroffen in de kofferbak van een oldsmobile, neemt de ontvoerder contact op met de politie. Hij vraagt niet om losgeld, maar eist een gesprek met Ray Hartmann, een onbeduidende functionaris van een in Washington gevestigd team dat onderzoek doet naar georganiseerde misdaad.

Hartmann reist af naar het diepe zuiden, terwijl hij zich afvraagt waarom de mysterieuze ontvoerder, een oude Cubaan met de naam Ernesto Perez, juist hem heeft uitgekozen om zijn show more levensverhaal aan te vertellen. Pas wanneer hij zich realiseert dat Perez één van de meest gevreesde huurmoordenaars is die sinds de jaren vijftig voor de maffia hebben gewerkt, begint hem iets te dagen. Maar tegen de tijd dat de stukjes van de puzzel op hun plaats beginnen te vallen, is het al te laat. show less