Book Review-Southern Seas a Pepe Carvalho mystery

This is my first foray into the world of Pepe Carvalho, the private detective created by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. Apparently, I picked his best work because after I read Southern Seas I read that this book had won all sorts of prizes and praise. I must say that it kind of puzzled me while at the same time it didn't puzzle me because it became a very interesting read as I dug into the book. The plot itself is convoluted as all detective stories should be, although this one was convoluted in that it really did not make much sense logically. The ending was not really wasn't that big of a mystery. What really made this a really good read is that the author writes with a very sharp satirical wit, he is a cynic of the first order, which made for really fun reading. His characters were well drawn and well presented. They were interesting and made you want to delve into the story even more as he has collected a bevy of sidekicks who are colorful and unique. 

 The plot involved the murder of an industrial executive who had gone missing for a long time, but whose body had been recently discovered. The widow wanted to find out where husband had been during his absence, she had assumed that he had run away to the southern seas as he had always wanted to do. She was curious about where he was, who he was with, even though that intimate part of their relationship had dissipated and they both had moved on to other relationships. We were introduced to Pepe Carvalho in the very first scene when we entered his office and were introduced to his valet/cook/manservant Biscuter. Biscuter serves as Sancho Panza to Carvalho’s Don Quixote. After the long and somewhat elaborate introduction to Pepe, the story moves along in inimitable style. Carvalho is introduced to the dead man’s coterie and hangers on. He slowly proceeds to investigate these people: his widow, his oversexed daughter, his lawyer, and his business partners. 

This is where the story gets interesting because these characters are described and presented in a very unique style. They were all described and introduced to us in a very sarcastic and cynical way, which is welcoming because it demonstrates Pepe’s world weariness. Inevitably we move along with the investigation, once the investigation gets underway, it moves along quickly. I was surprised at how quickly I devoured these pages even though I had a really hard time understanding what he was thinking about the case and what he was doing to resolve the mystery. It just seemed like he was moving along with his life and occasionally dipping into his casework. The case was resolved with some action and pretty good description of the why’s and how’s of the committing of the crime. In that process of going through the plot, the author did some amazing writing in describing the actions of his characters. More importantly, he delved into a a panoply of topics: Catalan cuisine, Spanish politics during and after fascism, Pepe’s view of people and the world, the ironic relationship Pepe has with the people around him, and that is the real treat with this book: it is a conversation with the author, a very erudite and free form conversation. 

 I had not realized that I had come to the end of the book, and like all great books, I felt let down that the adventure was over, always a good sign. I will be following up with the other Pepe Carvalho books because he's piqued my interest. I hope the other books delivers as well as Southern Seas did.

Book Review-I Will Have Vengeance By Maurizio De Giovanni

One of my favorite things to do to relax is to read a good mystery. I'm particular about how I read my mysteries. I look for books that are usually not too gruesome and not two violent. I usually pick up mysteries from other countries and in another time because I’m looking for the back story which would allow me to experience the thrill of delving into a different culture or getting to know a different country. I already follow murder mystery series that are set in Scotland, England, Italy, Spain, France ETC. I do a lot of homework in selecting a series and I try to find a mystery series that has a long list of books that I can follow. I read them in chronological order, as the author wrote them. I came upon this book by Mauricio Giovanni in Carmichael books in Louisville Ky. It is part of the World Noir Series from Europa Editions. They became famous for publishing the Elena Ferrante series. Came up on two or three of the Commissario Ricciardi series in Carmichaels, and I became intrigued by the premise of the series as well as the very different set of circumstances. I picked up two or three of the first books and I jumped right in. This first one sets the tone I think for the rest of the series. We are introduced to Commissario Ricciardi, his sidekick Brigadier Maionne, and his doting Tata Rosa. As with all good literature, the author takes a long time to introduce us to the main characters. Characters that will be continuously accompany us on their adventures throughout series. De Giovanni does a very good job of introducing us to them and he does so at a very leisurely pace. He is not really in a hurry to get this important but somewhat tedious task done quickly. He lets us get a feel for the characters. Of course there is a very distinguishing characteristic of the main protagonist, a distinguishing characteristic that makes him of interest and makes us dig deeper into the character and the murder mystery. This particular characteristic for this series is especially unnerving. The ability that Commissario Ricciardi has is phantasmagorical which makes takes this story into unchartered realms, especially for me. I'm not going to give it away here, because it's a big part of the pleasure of reading the book. De Giovanni does an excellent job of setting up the mystery. He sets the scenes he built things up nicely and he leads the reader along on an unusual ride. It is hard going at first, the initial reading of the early part of the book is awkward and somewhat uncomfortable for the reader. I think that was intentional because it forces us to face our own discomfort with respect to what the plot line is about, but as the story goes on it becomes more interesting, it eventually sucks us in as the story moves towards the middle. The slow and excruciating setup is part of the charm of the book, it makes the reader pay attention to everything that the author presents and makes us consider all of the possibilities. The story centers around the death of a famous tenor in the opera house in Naples during the Italian fascist period, Il Duce is mentioned casually throughout the book. It was a particularly gruesome death and the suspects are many. The usual premise of a murder mystery. The difference is how Commissario Ricciardi solves the mystery. He is meticulous and rational in how he attacks the problems, but he also employs his “gift” to help him. All along his journey to solving the crime, he is beset by his superior’s inability as well as his own emotional upheavals hidden under his placid demeanor. The story is a study in contrast of reason and irrationality. The ending was satisfactory, but the enjoyment of the book lies in the chase that De Giovanni takes us on. I already started second book.