Official Review: The Vienna Connection by Dick Rosano

InStoree · Post by **InStoree** » 24 Sep 2019, 02:39

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Vienna Connection" by Dick Rosano.]

2 out of 4 stars

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In his book, The Vienna Connection, Dick Rosano presents us with a story filled with mystery and covert operations. The protagonist, Armando Listrani, is an ex-U.S. military officer who decided to leave the Army and adopt a new identity as a food and wine critic under the name of Darren Priest. He realized that he would never be able to escape his past when the President of the United States called upon him to go on a special mission to Vienna which involved investigating an individual who was trying to blackmail the President. He gave him executive orders to recover the compromising file which could potentially jeopardize his political position. Darren, henceforth, becomes entangled in an intricate web that puts him on the radar of the Austrian police, the American Ambassador, and the U.S. Senator. What were the contents of this file that made it so important for the President himself to get it recovered? Surrounded by influential people with perfidious nature, will Darren be able to achieve his objective and recover those discreditable records without exposing his identity?

I found the author’s writing style to be remarkably engaging. The use of dialogues has played an important role in making the story fast-paced, meanwhile creating some vivid scenarios which brought the characters to life. This results in the reader’s experience becoming dynamic as well as relatable. I could easily visualize their interactions which gave me the chance to form my own opinion regarding their personalities. Rosano did catch my attention by infusing the whole piece with a certain degree of mystery which further stirred up my curiosity.

The storyline takes us through a variety of Austrian and Italian dishes and different types of wines which I found to be rather interesting. Rosano’s experience as a food, wine, and travel columnist is evident by the finer details. The precise description of the dishes and his portrayal explaining about the architectural designs of the restaurants brought refinement to the book.

Darren Priest is portrayed as an experienced officer with an uncanny ability to continuously observe and evaluate people around him. This trait makes him appear like an ideal military person who is always trying to read the other characters’ intentions. At certain points, this becomes a bit monotonous and uneventful. Perhaps, another combination of human attributes would have made this character more interesting while also resulting in an invaluable addition to the existing storyline. Similar observations can be made as for the other characters as well, like Chinh who although clearly states that he doesn’t either likes or trusts Americans, yet he can be seen helping Priest with his investigation. This contradicts with his personality trait of being biased against Americans.

I liked the first part of the book where the author got me into the puzzle, and I read through some intense passages. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I felt that the second part did contain certain predictable events which therefore took a terrible toll on the element of surprise. In addition to that, a lack of some vital pieces of information left me with enough questions to draw upon an incomplete conclusion.

I would recommend this book to those who love a good mystery and who would like to have a glimpse of the Austrian and Italian culture. Readers who enjoy stories that involve several twists and turns may not end up appreciating this work. Several expletives are used, and in a few chapters, the book contains references to rape and other intimate scenes. I found enough grammar errors which were worth dropping a star from my rating. I would have given this book at least three stars, but the disconnected elements of the story forced me to further drop another star. Therefore, I would give The Vienna Connection 2 out of 4 stars. However, Dick Rosano’s vivid description of the scenes made me curious to check out some of his previous works. I come to view that he possesses quite an extensive knowledge regarding various fields like military, politics, architecture, wine, and even geology; and despite the confusing feeling I got after finishing this book, his work shows his outstanding ability to depict graphic scenes which unfold the story right before of your eyes.

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The Vienna Connection
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Miller56 · Post by **Miller56** » 26 Sep 2019, 13:27

Thanks for the review. I think this would be a great book to read, even if there are some disconnected elements. I enjoy mysteries with a taste of different cultures. This is a book to put on my reading list.

Rachel Lea · Post by **Rachel Lea** » 26 Sep 2019, 16:30

I love that the author has done his research for the book, but it's unfortunate that the plot structure has some issues. Thanks for your review!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 26 Sep 2019, 19:14

It's too bad that the second part of the book becomes somewhat predictable. It sounds like a complicated web of intrigue. From army to food critic to special mission for the president? That's quite the journey. Thanks.

Kathleen Wolfe · Post by **Kathleen Wolfe** » 26 Sep 2019, 22:54

The story-line is interesting. I like that the author does his research but I feel that the errors in the book would distract my reading. Thanks for a great review!

Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 27 Sep 2019, 04:36

I consider any book that gives me a glimpse into another culture a rewarding read. It's safe to say I will be reading this book because of the pieces of Austrian and Italian culture discussed. The other elements are an additional bonus. Thanks for the information.

rumik · Post by **rumik** » 27 Sep 2019, 09:23

The details about the setting do sound intriguing. I'm not sure I'd be able to get over the grammar errors or plot issues, though. Thanks for the helpful review!

Meg98 · Post by **Meg98** » 27 Sep 2019, 09:58

Even though the book has some disconnection in parts, I think I would still like to read it. I'm very intrigued by the premise, as well as the beautiful cover! Thanks for this great review. Cheers:)

ValerijaJ · Post by **ValerijaJ** » 27 Sep 2019, 15:20

Interesting review. But I don't think I would jump to this book right away if I had the chance to.

InStoree · Post by **InStoree** » 02 Oct 2019, 05:40

@Miller56 @Rachel Lea @kandscreeley @Kathleen Wolfe @Michelle Fred @rumik @Meg98 @ValerijaJ
Thank you all for your comments!

I think the score of this book is more related to technical factors. If you are willing to overlook these details and consider them as minors, I am positive that you will enjoy this intriguing, tense, and educational story. If the standard mechanism plays an important role in your reading process, I totally understand. However, seeing the bigger picture where the details fade away, this book is worth reading.

Ronel_Steyn · Post by **Ronel_Steyn** » 03 Oct 2019, 02:32

You give a very engaging review. Thank you for your opinion. Even with the errors and faults in this book, I would still want to read it.

Mbrooks2518 · Post by **Mbrooks2518** » 03 Oct 2019, 10:54

The plot is right up my alley, and your description of the first half of the book caught my interest. So despite the predictable second half of the book, I'm gonna give this book a try. Thanks for the great review!

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda · 03 Oct 2019, 21:09

I love a good mystery, although I'm a bit hesitant to get into it if it's easily predictable. I'm just a total sucker for unexpected twists and turns. I would've thought the ability to "read" people would make the character very interesting, and I wonder how the author failed to make it so.
As always an excellent, critical review. Thanks!

InStoree · Post by **InStoree** » 05 Oct 2019, 02:41

Ronel_Steyn wrote: ↑03 Oct 2019, 02:32 You give a very engaging review. Thank you for your opinion. Even with the errors and faults in this book, I would still want to read it.

I'm glad you decided to ignore the errors, as I believe it's worthwhile reading. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words, Ronel!

Mbrooks2518 wrote: ↑03 Oct 2019, 10:54 The plot is right up my alley, and your description of the first half of the book caught my interest. So despite the predictable second half of the book, I'm gonna give this book a try. Thanks for the great review!

Thanks, Mbrooks! Happy reading!

Lunastella wrote: ↑03 Oct 2019, 21:09 I love a good mystery, although I'm a bit hesitant to get into it if it's easily predictable. I'm just a total sucker for unexpected twists and turns. I would've thought the ability to "read" people would make the character very interesting, and I wonder how the author failed to make it so.
As always an excellent, critical review. Thanks!

Thank you for your support, Lunastella! I know what you mean about prediction. I'm in love with surprises too, but I can't omit the fact that the book brought a bit of mystery and wine culture.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 07 Oct 2019, 07:26

I also love a good mystery but want something a little less predictable. It does sound as though the author did his research well, though, and I enjoy reading books about other cultures. So, I'm up in the air about this one right now. Thanks for your great review!