Michael Dibdin
Encyclopedia
Michael Dibdin was a British
crime writer.
, the son of a physicist, and was brought up from the age of seven in Lisburn
, Northern Ireland
where he attended Friends' School. He graduated with a degree in English
from Sussex University, and then went to study for a Master's degree
at the University of Alberta
in Edmonton, Canada. After publishing his first novel, a Sherlock Holmes
pastiche
, he lived for four years in Italy
, teaching at the university in Perugia
. Latterly he lived in Seattle, Washington
.
Dibdin was married three times, most recently to the novelist K. K. Beck
. He died in Seattle, Washington
, following a short illness.
mysteries, set in Italy
. The first of these, Ratking
, won the 'Gold Dagger
' award of 1988. This series of detective novels provide a penetrating insight into the less visible aspects of Italian society over the last twenty years. The earlier books have a lightness of touch that gradually becomes much darker. The character of Zen himself is anti-hero
ic, which adds much to the books' irony and black humour. A final Zen book, End Games, appeared posthumously in July 2007.
He also wrote other detective works set in America and in England.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
crime writer.
Life
Dibdin was born in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, the son of a physicist, and was brought up from the age of seven in Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
where he attended Friends' School. He graduated with a degree in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
from Sussex University, and then went to study for a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in Edmonton, Canada. After publishing his first novel, a Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
, he lived for four years in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, teaching at the university in Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
. Latterly he lived in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Dibdin was married three times, most recently to the novelist K. K. Beck
K. K. Beck
Kathrine Kristine Beck Marris , known mainly by her pen name of K. K. Beck, is an American novelist. She has written over a dozen books, some of which were part of the Iris Cooper novel series and the Jane da Silva novel series....
. He died in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, following a short illness.
Works
Dibdin is best known for his Aurelio ZenAurelio Zen
Aurelio Zen is a fictional Italian detective created by the British crime writer Michael Dibdin.-Series:The first of the stories Ratking, won the 'Gold Dagger' award of 1988. This series of detective novels provide a penetrating insight into the less visible aspects of Italian society over the last...
mysteries, set in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The first of these, Ratking
Ratking (novel)
Ratking is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the first book in the popular Aurelio Zen series, introducing readers to the commissario's morally shady world. On publication it won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for fiction.-Plot:...
, won the 'Gold Dagger
Gold Dagger
The Gold Dagger Award was an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association for the best crime novel of the year.For its first five years, the organization's top honor was known as the Crossed Red Herring Award....
' award of 1988. This series of detective novels provide a penetrating insight into the less visible aspects of Italian society over the last twenty years. The earlier books have a lightness of touch that gradually becomes much darker. The character of Zen himself is anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
ic, which adds much to the books' irony and black humour. A final Zen book, End Games, appeared posthumously in July 2007.
He also wrote other detective works set in America and in England.
Aurelio Zen series
- RatkingRatking (novel)Ratking is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the first book in the popular Aurelio Zen series, introducing readers to the commissario's morally shady world. On publication it won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for fiction.-Plot:...
(1988) - VendettaVendetta (novel)Vendetta is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the second book in the popular Aurelio Zen series.Zen has earned a return to the fold of actual police work, but now Officials in a high government ministry are desperate to finger someone--anyone--for the murder of an eccentric billionaire, whose...
(1990) - CabalCabal (Michael Dibdin novel)Cabal is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and the third entry in the Aurelio Zen series.When, one dark night in November, Prince Ludovico Ruspanti fell a hundred and fifty feet to his death in the chapel at St. Peter's, Rome, there were a number of questions to be answered. The answer the Vatican...
(1992) - Dead LagoonDead LagoonDead Lagoon is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the fourth entry in the popular Aurelio Zen series.Moonlighting, Zen engineers a posting to his home town of Venice on a pretext in order to investigate the disappearance of an American millionaire on behalf of his American ex girlfriend...
(1994) - Cosi Fan TuttiCosi Fan TuttiCosi Fan Tutti is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the fifth entry in the popular Aurelio Zen series.Under a cloud again, Zen thinks he has found himself a backwater sinecure in Naples, where he can coast towards retirement...
(1996) - A Long FinishA Long FinishA Long Finish is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the sixth entry in the popular Aurelio Zen series.- Synopsis :After his adventures under sun-drenched Neapolitan skies in Cosi Fan Tutti, Aurelio Zen finds himself reluctantly back in Rome, sneezing in the damp wine cellar of a retired but still...
(1998) - Blood RainBlood Rain (novel)Blood Rain is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the seventh entry in the popular Aurelio Zen series.-Plot:Aurelio Zen has got the posting he always dreaded--he has been sent to Sicily, home of the Mafia, albeit in a nondescript liaison job...
(1999) - And Then You DieAnd Then You DieAnd Then You Die is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the eighth entry in the popular Aurelio Zen series.-Plot:Aurelio Zen is back, but nobody's supposed to know it...After months in hospital recovering from a bomb attack on his car, Zen is lying low under a false name at a beach resort on the...
(2002) - MedusaMedusa (novel)Medusa is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the ninth entry in the popular Aurelio Zen series.-Plot:When a group of Austrian cavers exploring in the Italian Alps comes across human remains at the bottom of a deep shaft, everyone assumes the death was accidental. But then the body is removed from...
(2003) - Back to BolognaBack to BolognaBack to Bologna is a novel by Michael Dibdin, and is the tenth entry in the popular Aurelio Zen series.-Plot:Zen is on sick leave after a stomach operation and is feeling a shadow of himself. His relationship with his partner, Gemma, is also not going well...
(2005) - End GamesEnd GamesEnd Games is a novel by Michael Dibdin. It is the 11th entry in the Aurelio Zen series, and also, given Dibdin's death in 2007, the last.-Plot:...
(2007)
Other books
- The Last Sherlock Holmes StoryThe Last Sherlock Holmes StoryThe Last Sherlock Holmes Story is a non-canonical Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Michael Dibdin.The novel is an account of Holmes' attempt to solve the Jack the Ripper murders. Holmes suspects the Ripper to be his nemesis, James Moriarty...
(1978) - A Rich Full Death (1986)
- The Tryst (1989)
- Dirty Tricks (1991)
- The Dying of the Light (1993)
- Dark Spectre (1995)
- ThanksgivingThanksgiving (novel)Thanksgiving is a book published by Michael Dibdin in 2000.In it Tony, the British husband of recently deceased Lucy, visits her previous husband, Darryl Bob Allen, who lives in seclusion, running a filling station in Nevada....
(2000)