The body of one of Venice's brightest young actors is found, crucified, his eyes gouged out and a line of verse carved into his chest. His is just the first death as a shadowy group stalk the rulers of Venice and their supporters. The murderer, known only as The Chimera, is the leader of this dangerous fanatical group - the Stiges or Firebirds - determined to kill one of the depraved, the gluttonous, the traitors to their cause - one for each of the nine Circles of Dante's Inferno.

The Doge of Venice turns to Pietro Viravolta, a dashing young adventurer, best friend of Casanova, seducer of women in his own right, and lover of the beautiful wife of the powerful Senator Ottavio. Pietro - The Black Orchard - awaits execution in jail for adultery, but he is called from that jail to investigate the deaths by the Doge, on the proviso that he does not escape the city and does not contact Anna - the love of his life, the Senator's wife.

The Black Orchid's investigations lead him to Luciana, the beautiful courtesan; Spadetti, the master glass-maker of Murano and his son, the maker of the glorious crystal gown; Caffelli, the tormented priest of San Giorgo Maggiore and further and further into the echelons of power and to Senator Ottavio - the husband of the woman he loves. As he goes murder follows and the Firebirds draw closer and closer to The Doge, completing their nine circles in the brutal fashion.

THE DANTE TRAP is a very intricate historical work, written originally by a Frenchman, and translated to English, the text is dense and peppered liberally with non-translated quotations and references. It's a very elaborate and quite decorative style of writing that immerses the reader in the other world of 1756 Venice - the descriptions of the location, the costumes, the styling of the dialogue has a very authentic feel to it. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a reader of historical mystery fiction of this style, and I suspect that personal preference means that I missed a lot of the intricacies of this book as I found the use of those non-translated references and the complications of the names and the relationships quite confusing on occasion.

THE DANTE TRAP certainly read a book that is extremely competently done, with an elaborate and quite intricate and multi-layered plot; with mystery and political intrigue; a lively and slightly irreverent central character in Pietro; with a more than healthy dose of romance and difficult love; with some pointed references to the life of women - courtesans or nuns if they don't want to make the marriage that is deemed by others to be acceptable; and with a glorious picture drawn of Carnival in Venice, I suspect that THE DANTE TRAP will greatly appeal to fans of this style of historical mystery fiction.
crime european review-books2 s Mila159 3

acho que se eu tivesse lido "Divina Comédia" de Dante a experiência com a leitura teria sido outra e, sem dúvidas, mais completa. toda a história, acontecimentos são projetados de acordo com a história de dante, até a própria divisão do livro. porém, de qualquer forma, foi extremamente interessante.
é interessante acompanhar toda a história e tradição francesa, mesmo que em 1752.
ah, 1752: por vários e VÁRIOS momentos eu completamente esqueci que a história se passava nesse período, os diálogos, as descrições não me faziam associar a isso (talvez quando puxavam uma espada, falavam de algumas vestimentas ou quando andavam de carruagem, ai sim eu lembrava), mas isso me fez uma falta.
associei por várias vezes o livro aos do Dan Brown, talvez em uma versão levemente melhorada, porém um pouco mais cansativa.
a construção dos personagens no começo foi interessante, a gente conhecia um pouco mais dos principais e você sente até uma certa ligação. ou conhecendo algumas curiosidades do governo da França (em 1752) que nem tinha noção antes.
o livro - para mim!!!!!! - se tornou bastante cansativo no fim, com um plot twist que era já um pouco esperado.2 s Ana201 5

Povijesno - pustolovni triler, prožet stvarnim doga?ajima, a inspiriran Danteovom Božanstvenom komedijom. Mra?ni ubica koji svoje žrtve ubija po uzoru na Danteove krugove pakla, a venecijanski heroj - istražitelj Crna Orhideja vodi borbu sa mra?nim silama zla psihopatskog uma i korumpiranih politi?ara. Prava poslastica za ljubitelje avantura u kišnim danima.

"Vexilla regis prodeunt inferni. - Približavaju se zastave paklenog kralja!"

"Tamo gdje vlada strah, vlada i mo?. Zbog toga je nastao paradoks po kom je zlo najviši instrument vlasti zvani?nih religija; zbog toga se svjetska carstva name?u silom; zbog toga se problem zla može smatrati politi?kim i zbog toga nam, iznova, ukazuje na satanin trijumf na ovome svijetu."1 M M164 7

There seems to be quite a fascination with Dante these days. There was Matthew Pearl's Dante Club, and now there's Arnaud Delalande's The Dante Trap. Both novels use Dante's Inferno as inspiration for wild murders based on the various tortures faced by the damned in the great Florentine's work. It's painful when real historical characters are suddenly transformed into detectives (I've seen Newton and Dante in this role), so I'm grieved to say that in the former book a bunch of American poets (led by Longfellow) track down the killer. In the latter, set a century or so earlier in Venice, Viravolta, the dashing spy and friend of Casanova, is tasked to uncover a murderous plot against the state. Actors die in Dantean fashion, secret societies abound, and altogether, this silly book becomes sillier and more far-fetched with every page. Add to that a translation that makes large parts of it read a history text, and I'm surprised I managed to finish it.1 Sarah717

So the basic concept/plot of this book is interesing (hense why I picked it up and bought it in the first place) however, the fact that it is poorly written made it very difficult to enjoy. Not only were there several spelling and grammatical errors, I got so exhausted reading the style it was written in i.e. paragraphs that are longer than a full page. It just rambled and I truthfully spaced out through a bunch of the fine details. I barely knew who some people were or could keep straight who was who. Additionally, there were a number of Italian words or phrases used in the book but only about 60% of the time were they actually translated. Yea, I don't speak Italian, so that kinda sucked. I said, I just kinda didn't pay attention to a lot and just stuck to it and told myself that I would finish it eventually. Now I have, it's going on my shelf, never to be looked at again. 1 Andrew AlexiaAuthor 1 book

La historia que se plantea en Venecia de 1756 es muy interesante, mantiene una ambientación de como eran las costumbres y modas en ese entonces para poder contar una historia única y llena de misterios.

Aunque vamos siguiendo las pistas por toda Venecia junto a Pietro, nuestro protagonista, no tenemos el privilegio del lector para saber todos los secretos de los Pájaros dd Fuego, es un misterio que debemos esperar para ver como se resuelve. Al final, cuando se descubren todos los misterios, el golpe es muy bueno, un giro que te obliga a retroceder un poco del libro y pensar en todo lo que acabas de vivir.misterio1 Emily557 52

? ??????? ???? ???? ????????????.
? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ????????????.
?? ???????? ???????? ???????????.
???? ?? ?????? ???? ?????????? ??? ?????? ???.
??????, ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??????????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ??? ??????? ??? ????????!bookcrossing-greece1 Ana807 682

OK, I read this a really long time ago, and all I remember is that after it I told myself I should definitely read The Divine Comedy, by Alighieri.

If it made such a strong impression on me, I have to read it again, for sure. I'll come back on this one. :)1 María Toledo270 7

A ver, está bien, pero, le quito dos estrellas porque algunas partes de heterobasiquismo me han dado grima. Delalande ha quereido recrear al típico héroe perfecto, como el zorro de ese estilo, y chica, estamos ya en el siglo XXI, los personajes planos quedaron muy atrás. Igualmente, tiene cosas que madre mía. También hace gracia que se considere a Viravolta tan sumamente listo cuando podría haber evitado dos o tres claros asesinatos y no se dio ni cuenta de lo que pasaba por sus narices.
La ambientación es lo que más me ha gustado, pero quizá si no se conoce Venecia no se entiende muy bien (un planito manque sea). Y los episodios de historia pura y dura a mí personalmente me sobraban porque ya me los conocía, igualmente alguien que no sepa tampoco los va a agradecer porque son liosos.
No sé, a veces era un libro sumamente adulto, con escenas fuertes de muertes y exceso de "mira me voy de putas" (en serio, a quién le importa) y otras era sumamente infantil tipo serie de animación como Bandolero (mis respetos a Bandolero, la mejor serie de la historia).
No tiene mucho sentido, es un libro para tíos heterobásicos, cero dudas y como tal, pues es muy básico en algunos puntos, lo que no quita que tenga potencial, pero es desperdiciado, ainnnns, podría haber estado mucho mejor. Ant Bailey166 1 follower

Given that I don’t do period drama's I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Set in Venice in 1756 it follows the adventures of Pietro Viravolta aka The Black Orchid. Following a spate of grizzly satanic style murders he's given the choice 1) rot in prison 2) help to solve the crimes ...... I bet you cant guess which he chooses ? The description on Amazon describes it as one-sitting .... I wouldn't agree with that as I found it hard going at times ..... I don't think the translation helped as it was a textbook in parts but overall its a good whodunnit murder mystery with a historical slant. Yeah its good :-) Varnika Gupta62 2

The storyline is amazing. The plot has so many twists and turns and it’s quite unpredictable at the end.

A story based in Venice in the 1700s would definitely have a flair for the dramatic in not just the plot but also the writing style, however it was overdone. Not ostensibly so yet overdone. The author loses context and the narration rambles at times. I did skip over several parts because the same things seemed to be said over and over again.

However, once you get used to the narration and writing style, you can very easily paint a vivid picture in your mind’s eye. I could easily imagine this book and so many things it described. João Jorge128 23

Just a tad too long and written in a style that is far too "stylish" for my taste, its nevertheless a fun, breathtaking adventure in glorious Venice that comes alive on the page with perhaps even too much detail at times, slowing the pace a bit too much. The politics, intrigues and bloodshed are all very entertaining and although the overall plot ends up being somewhat predictable and the characters forgettable, with only the villain making a mark, its still an enjoyable read, not taking itself too seriously and delivering on an "old fashioned" tale of murder and mayhem in an exotic city and time in history and exhilarating setpieces that are a joy to picture in your mind. action adventure medieval Anne24

Two stars for a creative story, zero stars for creative writing. This reads a script for « Wily and Wanda » in some weird Shakespearien babble. Repeating the same information over and over but not taking any time or trouble to paint a picture of Venice, the carnival, the characters. It could have been a wonderful tale but the writer did not manage to bring it to life. Alejandra Lamilla10

Esta fue mi primera novela negra y aunque tenía en principio mis distancias terminé completamente enganchada. Creo que es una novela perfecta para aquellas personas que necesiten escaparse un poco de la realidad y huir, románticamente, a un pasado veneciano del siglo XIX sin matarse la cabeza, tal cual como lo harías viendo una película de época. Karine 162

Le diable n’est autre qu’emilio Vindicati membre du conseil des Dix auprès du doge qui s’est allié au prince autrichien mis au ban de l’a royauté afin de conquérir Venise. L’orchidée noire (aventurier et séducteur) évitera les 3 derniers crimes (dont le doge, le prince et lui-même).This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Johen Lvinson44 14

A historical thriller centered on the investigation of a series of murders carried out by a secret sect in Venice in the 18th century. The vicious murders inspired by Dante's "Divine Comedy" threaten the stability of the republic and require unusual steps to solve the mystery. history-4 o-k Noemi Modnicka67

Interesuj?ce, ale przegadane. Carilius92 2

Demasiadas descripciones innecesarias, con listas interminables, quizás para demostrar erudición. Jorge Porcel Bustamante7 1 follower

Me encantó el personaje de la Orquídea Negra Adam Wise3

DNF at 164 pages Linsey Hunter104

Pretty disappointing. DNF.historical-fiction Carolyn KostAuthor 3 books122

The year is 1316, and the perennial political
instability in the city of Florence threatens to
escalate to anarchy. "Terror, superstition, anguish,
and impotence" reign as distinguished citizens are
murdered in grotesque fashion, their corpses
accompanied by parchment verses from Inferno. Poet
Dante Alighieri himself is a prime suspect, having
been exiled years earlier from the city for his
politics. The King's vicar, Count Guido da Battifolle
secretly spirits Dante back to Florence and offers him
a deal: for identifying the assassins, Dante's
reputation will be cleared and he will be able to
return to his beloved ancestral home honorably.
Replete with facts from Dante's life and the [pre-]
Machiavellian machinations of the medieval nobility,
this novel may fascinate history buffs. While the
reality of the political and social background of 14th
century Florence is so complex that even a glancing
overview would seem convoluted, the details that
author Arribas (Madrid, 1963) provides are so copious
and cumbersome that they interfere with clarity. The
protracted narration, frequent interior monologues,
and interminable dialogues beg for tighter editing,
especially in view of the rather linear and
predictable plot. Recommended for bookstores and
libraries with dedicated historical fiction readers.z-libros-en-español Mazel833 131

objectif pal...

Présentation de l'éditeur :
1756. La Venise des Lumières. Un meurtre atroce - une crucifixion - est commis en plein cœur d'un théâtre de la Sérénissime. Pour mener l'enquête, le Doge fait libérer Pietro Viravolta, aventurier et séducteur, qui croupit dans une geôle aux côtés de Casanova... Ses recherches le conduisent tour à tour chez Luciana, la maîtresse d'un sénateur ; Spadetti, le maître verrier de Murano ; ou encore Caffelli, le prêtre tourmenté de San Giorgio Maggiore... Lorsque ce dernier est assassiné, Pietro découvre l'existence d'une secte. En se plongeant dans La Divine Comédie de Dante, il comprend que ces mises à mort reproduisent les châtiments des Neuf Cercles de l'Inferno... qui doivent se solder par l'apparition de Lucifer en personne ! Truffé de rebondissements, Le Piège de Dante mêle le suspense du thriller à la jubilation du roman d'aventures. Esther28 7

A political murder-mystery that is set in 18th centry Venice. The writer (or translator?) has this habit of using Italian words (in italics) with no translation. Not knowing these words didn't detract from the story, but I found it annoying. Also annoying was the style of writing, with complex sentences and archaic language - words such as "purloined" being used - why not just say "steal"? The story itself was mediocre at best, and the surprise "twist" at the end wasn't all that surprising - more random. There were too many characters in the book, so I found I didn't really care about any of them. A big MEH from me. Kristen2,324 67

I had high hopes for this, since I both Dante and Venice. Unfortunately the book is verbose, with long, painfully drawn-out philisophical diatribes on things "the nature of evil" and unnecessarily detailed descriptions of the political situation in Venice at the time. Neither of these things adds anything useful to the hunt for the murderer.

I was really bored by this book. Characters that should have been fascinating and quirky were just there. It's really a slog to get through this book and the story just isn't worth the effort. John Lee698 9

I enjoyed this one. It seemed a cross between the Da Vinci Code and James McGee's Ratcatcher. I Venice and it was interesting to read the snippets of its history that were woven into the pages. Enough of them to make it interesting but not too many to interfere with the telling of the story.n Rachael McDiarmid434 39

I really enjoyed this historical thriller. Bit Dan Brownish (think Angels and Demons) but in Venice in the 1700s and better written! I was actually reading it while in Venice and got absolutely carried away by it's pace, the chase, and the extravagance, delight and history of that extraordinary city. I couldn't put it down! Below114 10

While I thought there were decent scenes from time to time in this book, I wasn't engaged with the book as a whole. I also thought there were too many points where the author wanted to demonstrate their research by putting in historical detail not relevant to the plot which bogged down the narrative.

2/5.5-no-longer-own hist-fic-old-books mystery-crime Robert BagnallAuthor 49 books7

Abandoned around page 30 as the plot donkeys drowned one-by-one, weighed down by the turgid prose and their requirement to tell-don't-show; as the torpid text began to be read in my head in the voice of Matt Berry; and as I couldn't get the memory of Prince Edmund's first attempt at a monicker ("The Black Vegetable!") out of my mind... Jean-Luc76 4

Autor del comentario:
=================================