On that basis alone, THE CLUB DUMAS is worthy of high praise. The plot is unpredictable, for the reason that you've never read a story like it. It's a breath of fresh air, while still adhering to the basic tenets of the mystery genre. It has a well-worn hero, a mysterious woman, an evil henchman, and murders upon murders. It also has (let me get my other list) terrific dialogue about the nature of literature, motives that I've never even considered, and the love of a good conversation.

THE CLUB DUMAS begins simply enough, with a detective tracking down a source. But right from the start, something is just slightly tweaked. Lucas Corso is a book detective, trying to authenticate a handwritten transcript of THE THREE MUSKETEERS. It may sound boring, but quite soon, Corso is being stalked, in a tangled web that includes a murderous widow, twin book forgers, devil worship, regret over lost love, and insanity.

It reminded me, slightly, of FALLING ANGEL, by William Hjortsberg. It, too, followed a world-weary detective on a quest into the heart of evil. But ANGEL, as good as it is, doesn't have CLUB's flair for the unobvious. Author Arturo Perez-Reverte knows how to construct a plot, but he also has a keen insight into a rarely-viewed segment of our population; the book collector, in all his or her's eccentricities.

THE CLUB DUMAS is a mystery that will keep you guessing, but it's more than that. It is an essay on the quality of imagination. It is a mystery for book-lovers, not just mystery-lovers. It is a remarkably smart book.

P.S. - If you've happened to see the movie adaptation of THE CLUB DUMAS, entitled THE NINTH GATE, don't be dissuaded from reading the novel. THE NINTH GATE drops entire plot lines, and does not detract from the enjoyment of the novel in the slightest. It also isn't very good. In the words of my brother-in-law, "This could have been the best movie I've ever seen, until about the half-way point. Then, what happened?" The movie is boring, the novel is amazing.

The Club Dumas follows the adventures of Lucas Corso, a cross between a mercenary and an antique book dealer. He has been given the task of authenticating a rare book - one that can be used to summon Lucifer himself.

But, as Corso begins to uncover the secrets of the book and its printer, he is involved in another mystery. He is followed by characters that bear such a striking resemblance to Dumas's most famous serial, the Three Musketeers, that he begins to delve deeper into the fiction that has become his existence.

The Club Dumas is a fascinating read. It is an adventure story in its own right. Woven into the text, however, is commentary on intertextualism, the meaning of literature, and man's relationship with the occult. Perez-Reverte does an especially good job of setting the scenes which are presented in the book - the reader feels the antiquity and beauty of the European villages which are the setting. Overall, a fascinating read and highly recommended.