Colloquium Reviews

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 Colloquium: A Neil Baggio Suspense by Charles D'Amico is an engaging thriller for fans of crime, sleuth, and suspense novels. While it is part of the series featuring Neil Baggio, it reads perfectly as a standalone novel. Erin Beddington works for a local newspaper while protesting Gaines Chemical, a powerful chemical company that has just secured a big contract which is a bit dirty. After bringing it to light, Erin gets a lot of press, and the contract is scrapped, costing Gaines Chemical millions. Then suddenly she goes missing. The case slowly grows cold as local authorities figure out that it isn’t the first time for Erin to disappear after causing a stir. When new evidence links her to another plant in Ohio, the Feds get onto the case and after hitting dead ends, they decide to contact Neil and his team. In a conversation with Frank Cappelano, his former boss turned murderer and now an FCI inmate, Neil discovers a disturbing link between Erin’s disappearance and the head of Gaines Chemical. But can he navigate the complexity of the case and unearth the truth? 

 Twisty and filled with compelling characters, Colloquium: A Neil Baggio Suspense is tightly written. The point of view is that of the protagonist, Neil, and it is engrossing. The author writes wonderful characters like Nicolette and Christian in Neil’s team, and Cappelano has an intriguing air around him, provocative in the way he talks, and insightful. Charles D'Amico explores the relationship between the protagonist and his former boss brilliantly and crafts interesting backstories into the dialogues. The novel is well-plotted and filled with surprises. Charles D'Amico is a master entertainer and his protagonist, Neil Baggio, is a character that readers will adore. 

 Having read the Neil Baggio series before, I am always amazed by the inventive new trials which author Charles D'Amico has his daring protagonist face, and once again the stakes are raised even higher in this new adventure. The mood surprised me here as I settled in for a cozy mystery read because the atmospheric touches and the conspiracy vibes give the whole novel a tenser, darker feel than previous books. As always, the plot was expertly conceived to connect the clues and give the audience a great follow-along mystery to unpick, without ever being spoon-fed the ideas. I really enjoyed the dialogue in this one, especially when Neil was getting intel from his unusual new informants and assistants, who were gritty, amusing, and very well developed indeed. In conclusion, I would highly recommend Colloquium and the Neil Baggio series in general to fans of eloquent and enveloping detective mystery fiction. 

 In the third offering of the Baggio series, D'Amico pulls out the stops to deliver suspense, intrigue, and a scintillating mystery involving a powerful chemical company and a missing activist. The plot is clever and new. As you read, you don't feel as if you're rehashing just another detective mystery. You become invested in the characters and the outcome. The characters in the prison system become intriguing as well, and you'll be trying to solve the case right along with Baggio. I really enjoy plots involving criminal profiling and the psychology of crime. Baggio comes off as a real investigator trying to get inside the mind of a killer, not just a cardboard cutout detective, so this hits all the bells for me.

Neil Baggio's meeting with Frank Cappelano reminded me of Will Graham's meeting with Dr. Hannibal Lecter. D'Amico's writing is lean and quick, the various points of view are interesting, and the dialogue drives a lot of the story. All the key elements are here for an entertaining read, and it piques curiosity concerning the other Baggio cases. Fans of Netflix's Mindhunter will enjoy Colloquium: A Neil Baggio Suspense by Charles D'Amico. 

 It was greatly satisfying to tax my mind with the enigmatic storyline and make predictions based on the events. Just when I thought I knew how the story would end, it would take another turn and leave me in complete shock. Yet, I found myself returning for more jaw-dropping surprises. Charles D'Amico communicates the emotions of his protagonists so well that I could relate to them even though I am not a detective or a criminal; I understood and connected with their basic life struggles. As I have not read the previous books in the series, I believe you would enjoy Colloquium as a stand-alone book like I did. In fact, I loved it so much that I must now check out the other Neil Baggio books. Prepare to discover many layers of secrets and several spontaneous and suspenseful plot twists.