Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Dante Benevetti is the darling of the music world...and why not? He's handsome, talented--and arrogant as only a man convinced of his own brilliance can be. As far as he's concerned, the rest of the world exists for his benefit.

So, when he hears Dante is dead, a victim of murder, Elliott isn't really surprised. Nor is he surprised when Dante comes for a post-mortem visit, demanding Elliott find out who killed him. Was it the well-known lyricist who was the only one in the house at the time? The talented young musician whose work Dante plagiarized? Or some unknown the great pianist had mortally offended?

First edition piblished by Zumaya Boundless in July 2012.

Book Review

'Dante's Circle' by Dorien Grey continues the adventures of Elliot Smith and his spiritual advisor, John, as Elliot works to help solve another murder.

John providing information to Elliot through Elliot's gift of clairaudience, puts an interesting spin in the mystery. I was immediately drawn into the drama, not only John's descriptions of Dante's actions after death, but also Dante's spiritual journey and, not surprisingly, his choice of music as a way to communicate with Elliot and Steve. The introduction of the supernatural added another dimension which allowed communication from the other side, providing Elliot with extra clues not readily seen on his side. I was quite impressed with Mr. Grey's perception and knowledge of the supernatural elements of the story. I found Dante's transition fascinating as he progressed from pure anger, total egotism as he was in life, to a calmer, more reserved place. Communicating with Elliot through his music was an excellent way to express his opinions.

Elliot and Steve are a different couple, so organized and scheduled, almost rigid actually. At first, it was difficult for me to become attached to them; as the story progressed, I began to understand their relationship more and came to accept that this was the way they functioned best. It isn't a warm and cuddly romance, but Elliot and Steve obviously care about each other and are very considerate of each other's needs.

I wasn't surprised that Dante was murdered, only that it took so long. I was ready to do the deed myself! He was extremely talented, but totally obnoxious. The mystery of who done it was intriguing especially since many of the clues came from a realm of which most humans aren't even aware. I guessed the identity of the killer almost from the first although there were a lot of misleading clues. The suspects put forth seemed too obvious to me. I surmised that whoever killed Dante did so for a very personal reason. The suspects seemed to have good reasons, but none of them would have benefited from his death.

This is the fourth book in the 'Elliot Smith and John' mystery series and the first I've read. It can be read alone, but is a bit confusing because I felt like I was running to catch up in a sense because I had to learn about the characters and situations, where if I'd read the other three, it would have been like visiting old friends. Because of my experience, I'd recommend starting with book one 'His Name is John' and read through the series in sequential order. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a well-written, fast-paced mystery with lots of suspense and intrigue. Thank you, Mr. Grey, for the thrilling adventure.

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 204 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	17-October-2017
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Dantes-Circle-Elliott-Smith-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0755QCNGS