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Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Elco Parks by Sandro Laudadio is one of the most unusual stories I have read in a while, and it resonates with its themes and atmosphere. The setting is Vancouver in 2008, where a new religion has taken hold in the belief that glacial striations are the key to spiritual enlightenment and physical well-being. Carlo Buonsante is a former Toronto lawyer who has been to Rome and is now in Vancouver looking for a fresh start. He is enlisted by the leaders of the new church to handle a financial scandal related to real estate. As he works with the Striationists’ legal team, he quickly realizes that nothing is normal anymore. He is thrust into a web of deception and lies. His meetings with strange characters, like the powerful bureaucrat Umberto Tozzi, and encounters with extremists are tense. His work forces him to question his past, reckon with the greed of the present, and wonder if people can be saved from their own illusions.
Sandro Laudadio’s book got me thinking about the inner workings of a cult, and what is happening in the US, where people stubbornly accept unfounded religious conspiracies while feeding the greed of a few who control the power. I enjoyed the vivid depictions of the settings, and the author makes you feel as though you are in the streets of Rome with Carlo, or actually seeing the rain-soaked streets of Vancouver. The descriptions, from the secret boardrooms to art galleries, are detailed and terrific. Elco Parks is a perfect read for those who enjoy sophisticated characters and the phenomenon of cults and how they affect people. The themes of religious fanaticism, deception, and greed are well developed in this enthralling tale.
