A case of losing the plot

Joseph Sultana: Misteru Ark-Anum Kunflitt, BDL Book Distributors Ltd, 2011, 288pp. €10

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Misteru Ark-Anum Kunflitt is the second book in a series dealing with the investigations concerning a mysterious figure wearing a Venetian mask.

The strength of the book lies in the police and journalist investigation scenes where the suspense is increased as the story unfolds- Charles Sammut

The main title of these books derives from the word Arcanum, which in Latin means ‘secret;.

The story sets off at an intriguing pace with this sought after character making contact with a journalist, Bella, and giving her hints of the whereabouts of the next exploit so she could be there to capture it for all to see.

The main police investigator is Helios, your typical ‘bad-ass’ cop who wants to always appear as having the upper hand. As a classic ambitious upstart, he would like to outshine all those around him with his quick wit.

He is the character who readers love to hate, and cheer when something negative happens to prove him wrong. What this masked ‘serial killer’ is really after is not yet made clear in this second instalment of a series which the author intends to prolong into six volumes.

The story seems to be written in the genre of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, with riddles which the police and journalist have to work out to make sense of where this character might strike again. It is a race against time to solve these anagrams, messages embedded in video images and other conundrums so that they can prevent the next disaster.

There are also echoes of the famous TV series 24, with the book’s constant reference to the passing of time which is indicated at the heading of each new chapter.

This book is described by its author as a detective novel which promises to intrigue the reader enough to fervently flip the pages until the very end. Unfortunately the author does not completely keep his word.

I must admit I did not read the first book so it might be that I have missed out on some nuances from the previous plot. The first book might have clarified the reason the author chose to touch upon a variety of characters.

It is in cases like this that a good editor is more than necessary, as the story loses focus with a long-winded plot that introduces a variety of characters, some of which are not heard of again in this book.

As it is, the book meanders through a series of issues and it is not always clear whether they are related to the main plot or not.

At times the amount of information given about characters is detrimental to the pace of the story, distracting readers in their quest to get to know the identity of the infamous masked criminal.

The strength of the book lies in the police and journalist investigation scenes where the suspense is increased as the story unfolds.

I have a feeling that if the author had focused more on this storyline and wrote one book instead of a series, the writing would have been sharper and more focused.

My hunch is confirmed when I read the blurb, which gives the impression of what an intriguing story this book could have had.

As a reader I found myself getting involved in the story but then losing interest as yet another character was introduced and the story changed track and slowed down by reflecting on different social issues connected to the characters’ personal lives.

There is a clear attempt by the writer to connect with reality in his references to contemporary music, computer games and technological developments.

Regrettably, the dialogue is not always realistic as the author attempts to use language which might be acceptable when written, but is not always colloquially authentic.

I find this to be a problem with some Maltese authors, who forget that language is a living thing that changes according to the times and the context.

In order for readers to believe in characters, authors have to use the appropriate register. Language in such a genre needs to flow and not draw attention to itself as it is the vehicle which is taking the story forward, preferably at a quick pace.

This is not a book to read when you are tired and in need of killing an hour or two, as understanding the criminal’s riddles needs more than a dose of concentration.

Most probably this is one of those stories which would work better as a film rather than read.

At the same time, I am sure that followers of detective novels who prefer to read in Maltese would find this book more than a welcome distraction.