Set in Spain after Franco comes to power, the story is captivating, the history intriguing and all in all, it's well written. I look forward to reading additional books in this series.
mystery set during the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War; the mystery part of the book is interesting, but the book's greatest strength is its characterization. Pawel captures the experience of ordinary Spanish citizens-- of both sides of the political divide -- during this difficult time very well.
I really enjoyed this mystery and its background, the end of the Civil War in Spain. The characters were well developed and the mystery wasn't easy to solve. I've already ordered books #3 and #4 in this series and am on the WL for #2.
The main character isn't squeaky clean and will kill at the drop of a hat, sometimes to his regret. Plus he has no problem beating prisoners during questioning. All this is a reflection of the time he lived in. Yet deep inside resides a real human being. Despite the turmoil in the lives of all the characters of this novel, even at the finish, the ending was satisfying.
The novel is an Edgar Award Winner and was selected by Publishers Weekly as the Best Mystery of 2003.
The main character isn't squeaky clean and will kill at the drop of a hat, sometimes to his regret. Plus he has no problem beating prisoners during questioning. All this is a reflection of the time he lived in. Yet deep inside resides a real human being. Despite the turmoil in the lives of all the characters of this novel, even at the finish, the ending was satisfying.
The novel is an Edgar Award Winner and was selected by Publishers Weekly as the Best Mystery of 2003.
