"Dibdin has an abundance of gifts: bracing wit, the ability to wring unexpected poignance out of dark comedy, and a gift for striking imagery." -
The Wall Street Journal "
And Then You Die will leave readers with a sly smile and a new appreciation for Dibdin's versatility. . . . If you haven't made Aurelio's acquaintance, this is a great chance to dip your toe in the water." -
Rocky Mountain News "[
And Then You Die] has an abundance of food, wit and action, with enough mistaken victims falling dead around Zen to put him up there with Peter Sellers in his Pink Panther days." -
Chicago Tribune "Dibdin is a charming and amusing prose stylist with a subtle but deeply humorous delivery. . . . A charming novel." -
San Jose Mercury News "This is Dibdin's eighth Zen novel, and none has been better." -
The Boston Globe "Dibdin [writes] with his usual arch style of ironic storytelling, offering a graceful tour of Italy's beachfront pecking order, class tics and age-old pleasures and prejudices." -
Washington Post Book World
"Michael Dibdin's texture and detail transport the reader to an Italian beach resort, a prison island, [and] a pub-crawl in Iceland. Aurelio Zen's finely tuned third eye and inner ear infuse this crime story with mysticism." -
Charlotte Observer "Dibdin has created an interesting alternative to the fast-paced, smart-assed, hard-boiled detective genre. His version is full of hidden half-truths, twisted, smiling, power-hungry authorities, and enough smoke and mirrors to keep you guessing-a modern take on the medieval mystery." -
The Irish Times "Dibdin is . . . [a] philosopher, methodically and subtly creating a picture of human nature at its most complex yet simplest. . . . The book holds the reader until the end." -
Ashbury Park Press
"A classic mystery that easily captures the true essence of the crime genre." -
The Anniston Star "Dibdin's trademark humor and dark wit is in good form. . . . An ingenious, over-the-top twist . . . sets the scene." -
Portsmouth Herald "The tightly woven style and dark characters echo those of Georges Simenon." -
Toledo Blade
"Dibdin's Zen novels effortlessly paint a sharper portrait of Italy than any guidebook, cookbook or academic history. . . .
And Then You Die is more meditative than the other Zen thrillers, beautifully crafted and evocative, with the perfect balance of plot and rueful digression." -
The Guardian (London)