Preston, Douglas & Child, Lincoln: The Book of the Dead (16.04.08)

I have read this rather out of sequence as it is the third of three featuring the villain and the seventh with the hero. The
story is very involved and a mix of gothic sensibility, a prison break, the preparation of a museum exhibition and the
distortion the villain creates. Belief has to be suspended in spades for some parts with many of the technical details
needing to be accepted as they stand, mystical happenings apart. Whether a young lady who had spent much of her
life in seclusion would be able to track someone, firstly in the USA, then from there to Florence and finally to the island
of Stromboli using only written clues is more than a little unlikely. At one point the villain takes a series of train rides
around Europe to disguise his intended destination with some 70 hours of rail time (excluding any connecting time) being
accomplised in 'two days of hectic travelling' which included a stop for medical treatment! In other words, several pinches
of salt are needed. That apart, the tale moves along quickly with the various strands fitting more or less adequately.