I have been a fan of the Aurelio Zen novels of the late Michael Dibdin for some time but, somehow, had never read the second book in the series, Vendetta.

Reading it now reminded me just how good a writer Dibdin was and how engaging are his stories.

In this book, Insp Zen has been promoted to the prestigious Criminalpol, based in Rome. He is asked to investigate the death of an eccentric billionaire, who was shot dead in what had seemed like an impregnable Sardinian fortress villa.

To complicate matters, the alleged perpetrator has strong economic links to a leading Government minister and the ‘powers that be’ make it clear to Zen that me must muddy the waters and find a new suspect on which to pin the blame.

Zen is an nonest beacon among a host of corruption but he’s also pragmatic and hopes to find a way to meet the demands of the Ministery men as well as keep a clear consicience.

There are two other major strands - the growing threat Zen faces from an old adversary determined on revenge and his burgeoning relationship with the beautiful, but married, Tania Bacis.

There is a great sense of style and of place in this book, elements which were captured brilliantly in the recent TV adaptation of the novels featuring Rufus Sewell as Zen.

There are also some excellent set pieces, such as Zen losing his tracker in the remains of Rome’s Palatine and his desperate bid to escapte the man who wants to kill him in the hot and dusty landscape of Sardinia.

Splendid characterisation, intricate but well-executed storylines and some really good writing all add up to a book which I would now rank as the best in the Zen series.

Better late than never then, for me, and I shall be seeking out the few remaining novels featuring the inspector that I have yet to read.

Vendetta by Michael Dibdin (Faber and Faber, £7.99).