Book 4, in the Dublin Murder Squad series
Each time I read review I learn something new I never paid enough attention to notice that Ms. French uses a nifty trick of extracting a secondary character from her previous book to put him as the narrator and test him by events she had in store for her current endeavor. I admit not to be a faithful fan and having taken a long break before picking up “Broken Harbor”. This hiatus was exactly what I needed to enjoy and be deeply engaged by the story.
Detective Michael Kennedy (Scorcher from the previous novel) and his newbie partner Richie Curran are handed a horrific case out in one of Dublin’s dying estates built during the housing boom: the Spain family has been slaughtered. It is up to our loveable detectives to delve right in and piece everything together …. Or so we think…
The plot is exciting and a well-crafted detective story. The first part of the book is the set up. We follow the police procedures and slowly the buildup comes along and we have some interesting observations about murder and how people behave. The interrogation phase unfolds at a leisurely pace and plays a good part in this mystery. Then we move into a full page-turner mode and everything gets more puzzling with each new twist. Scorcher’s voice is outstanding and the prose is vividly brilliant. This novel is not only a complex mystery it is also an interesting and chilling metaphor for mental illness and depression. The protagonist’s past (a sub-plot) is quite effective. I also would say that Ms. French vision of Ireland in post economic collapse is fascinating.
Enough said
What happened to the missing fortune of Nicholas 11, the last tsar of Russia? No one has yet solved this mystery till Natalie Brandon, a schizophrenic since childhood, believes the account exits and knows it can be found….but Natalie is not the only one wanting to get hold of it. The Russian Prime Minister Maxim Starinov also has his eyes on the treasure and has all the resources and power to obtain whatever he wants.
By far from being an historical fiction this action-packed story is more a thriller tempered with ghostly visions than anything else. In my view, this is highly fictionalized and has little to do the Romanov true drama. I was disappointed to notice this but again I should have read the synopsis better. The historical figures could have easily be replaced by whomever and still be a good novel.
Having said this, the story has some merits: We find a tale that unfolds smoothly and a narrative that is clear and concise. Each step is easy to follow, we do go back in time and forward to the present in alternate chapters as the rumour of the treasure passes down from generation to generation. Natalie’s nightmarish visions are well done although it gave a sci-fi feeling to the experience. Everything was a bit farfetched. The characterization was good but not out of the ordinary: the good guys were the run of the mill, the bad guys as expected had a typical tenacious style to them, forget about the historical figures they were in names only. Read this novel for the suspense but definitely not for its historical values.
Book 10, in the Bernard Gunther series
After 10 books Bernard is still my favourite character. It might be that the first person narrative is by far my preferred style. Bernie in his soft voice talks to you all through his adventure, a mission that takes him from Berlin to Zurich, then to Zagreb and to the brutal killing field of Croatia.
The story begins in 1956 with Bernie reminiscing events of 1942 and 1943 and with his dreams he brings us at the height of the war where he showcases his daily struggles to live in Germany during that time. Bernie a former wise-cracking homicide detective who hates the Nazis is forced to run errands for the notorious Joseph Goebbels and in this latest is tasked to convince a young actress, Dalia Dresner, a Switzerland resident to return to Germany to star in a propaganda film. But things get personal between the two and Bernie falls head over heels in love with the diva.
This is a stylish novel with an easy narrative and clever dialogue. I love Bernie he is a romantic figure that doesn’t always behave heroically and his cruel sense of humour is what make this character compelling. “The Lady from Zagreb” seamlessly blends lots of imagination with harsh historical events. It is quite a mix of excitement, intrigue and murders. This novel contains priceless moments and the author has once again treaded a fine line by incorporating in his mystery genre novel the ludicrous aspects of the Nazi regime. Although this story moves at a slow pace and there are no real who-done-it moments and even less action scenes it is nevertheless a tremendously enjoyable and thought provoking read.
Bernie will return in 2016 in “With the Other Side of Silence”
