I read this book about 13-Dec-2006. I've read this book before. The book is copyright 1999. This note was last modified Monday, 05-May-2014 22:10:41 PDT.
The last of the existing Hannibal Lector books, in preparation for the new one.
In this one, I still think that a primitive fish has been passed above; possibly around the point where the author starts talking directly to the reader. On the other hand, more of it holds up on rereading than I would have thought.
The parts in Italy are very well done; the trip was clearly deductible. Hannibal clearly likes it there so much—even if a series of convenient deaths continue to follow him around.
Mason is a good crazed revenge-fiend character, and he even has some imagination. Enough to even worry briefly that, when he gets his revenge, life may become boring.
The business with Starling being brain-washed, and the question of whether Lecter's sister will come with them instead of Starling or with Starling is definitely past the shark.