The Abomination: The Carnivia Trilogy #1    by Jonathan Holt Order:  USA  Can Harper, 2013 (2013) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth In the midst of a celebration of the feast day of La Befana in Venice, Italy, a body is pulled from the canal! A sense of rage is felt when it is discovered that the female corpse is clothed in the garb of a priest! An Abomination. The Pope has not sanctioned women to be priests. Many women have felt the calling and practice that calling in private settings, risking arrest or worse. There is no doubt that the woman was murdered – two bullet slugs in the back of the head would rule out suicide. Excited to be working her first murder case, Captain Kat Tapo of the Carabinieri finds herself investigating a derelict asylum on a deserted island. Another player, Holly Boland, an officer in the United States Army, is posted on the American base and is delighted to be back in Italy. She was an army brat and fell in love with Italy when her dad was posted there. She becomes involved with the investigation. Suspicion and suspense abound in this thriller. If you have been to Venice, I am sure you will love returning there. If you have never been, like me, I'm sure you will appreciate this introduction to the sinking city. Read this novel carefully so you don't miss any of the clues or innuendoes. Modern day technology plays a large part as does the man who developed an encrypted web site. This technology was way over my head but I was able to keep the story straight in my mind. It definitely played a large role and made me feel smart. The characters are flesh and blood and very believable. The plot is a wingdinger that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't miss The Abomination by Jonathan Holt. If you're looking for a thriller, this is the one for you. Hard to believe this is a first novel. Holt nailed it and I do hope we'll hear more from Venice. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews