Ratking

Ratking is an Aurelio Zen mystery by Michael Dibden. Italian Police Commissioner, Zen, is dispatched from his desk job in Rome to Perugia to solve the kidnapping of wealthy industrialist, Ruggerio Miletti. Zen has a lot of personal issues to sort out: his checkered working history, the disappearance of his father many years ago, the mother who has moved in with him and has maternal expectations that conflict with those of his American girlfriend who is running out of patience. The offspring of the kidnapped Miletti are a nasty bunch, spoiled and dysfunctional. One gets the sense that they do not want the kidnapping to be resolved. His colleagues in Perugia resent him and are uncooperative at best. He has real troubles and his character is sufficiently flawed to create interest

Some of the writing is very good. Descriptions of life in Italy give us a real sense of the place and the people who live there. I love the passage where the cleaning lady compares herself to Jesus handing on the cross:"He hangs up there doing sweet fuck all and they expect us to feel sorry for Him! I just wish we could change places, that's all! Half an hour of my life and He'd wish He were back on His nice cosy cross, believe you me." That really cracked me up.

I discovered that a ratking is not a king rat but an entity created when too many rats live together in a small space, and their tails become intertwined. They create a new, living organism where all must work together for the survival of all. Yuck.

I like to read mysteries from time to time and I'll be sure to read more of the Zen series.