P. J. Brooke

I really enjoyed Blood Wedding by PJ Brooke (a husband and wife writing team). It is set in Granada and a town just outside - the main character is a Granada police detective. While some of the other characters were horrible (deliberately so, I think), I liked the main character a lot. It also really conveyed the feel of Granada, as well as Spanish history (most of which is relatively new for me). I read it while in Granada, which may have added to my rating a bit. Also, check out the authors' website, as they have photos from around Granada of some of the places in the book! Quite interesting.… (mehr)

Sub-Inspector Max Romero's second outing has many of the good qualities carried in 'Blood Wedding'. The evocation of place - both landscape and culture - is superb. Max himself remains a genuine, believable three-dimensional human being (as he says himself - why do cops in books have no family? - he's surrounded by them). And the plot is possibly tighter than in the first book. It's certainly darker and the depiction of corruption around property development in southern Spain is both convincing and depressing for someone planning a holiday there this year. What makes it feel more honest than some detective fiction is that it never strays into the hysterical. There are secret societies and the rich and unscrupulous care about making money regardless of potential consequences for people or communities, but the authors never pretend there's one gigantic conspiracy theory behind it all. The opening perhaps lacks tension and some of the later developments feel slightly piled up on top of each other, but it was overall enjoyable. Roll on Max 3.… (mehr)