One of the best moments of the year for the black genre is here. At the end of January and beginning of February, the editorial team focuses on crime novels with an eye on the big event BCNegra, which this year takes place from February 5th to 11th in Barcelona. For this reason, we have changed the focus a little compared to previous parts of this list of new things read and discussed, so that they come from novelists present at the party (with a few exceptions at the end). The complete program so you know which day your favorite author is taking part can be found here. In case it doesn't fit any: the number depends on how many we include in the reading guide by Jo Nesbo, the festival's brand new Carvalho Prize winner, and does not take into account the final essay (which counts as…). Gift). Read, go and enjoy.
Alicia Giménez Bartlett in the latest issue of Pamplona Negra, at the end of January. Villar Lopez (EFE)
The boss of everything
The fugitive woman Alicia Giménez Bartlett (Destino). Thirteenth part of the series that changed the Spanish noir scene forever with Ritos de muerte in 1996. The novel we hold in our hands is a delight that proves how in shape the author and her character are. A classic crime thriller (who and why they killed a handsome French chef in a food truck in Barcelona) that serves to pull the thread and show an impeccable plot and the mastery of language and rhythm typical of a master. And these dialogues full of intelligence and restraint, especially with Fermín Garzón: It is wonderful how, in novel after novel, we discover the layers of this man, who begins as a “showy and chubby”, semi-retired sub-inspector from Salamanca and ends up being an integral part of one of the most mythical couples in the history of European crime novels. Essential. Inspector Delicado is not doing well at all: she is darker, angrier, and that only made the character grow, until a finale that suggests so many things…
“Thriller” with more than just adrenaline
The mountain murderer Anders de la Motte (Destino, translation by Pontus Sánchez). Leo Asker is a Malmö police officer with one eye of every color and childhood traumas that cause her to become obsessed with survival. She was demoted to the so-called Missing Cases and Wandering Souls Unit, a cozy crime thriller in a story that is, above all, the classic serial killer: two young people have disappeared, the last time they were seen they were in ruins of the Cold War on a mountain. The outline of the novel (divided into different perspectives depending on the character to whom the chapter is dedicated, including the murderer) allows us to know more than just the protagonist and the psychopath's plans. The simple police plot, the conflicts within the force and the investigations are very well told (not for nothing, the author is a former police officer). I took a lot of glimpses into the past in specific chapters to provide information about the protagonist that could be resolved in a well-written paragraph or four well-described gestures, but in general it works well. The psychopath hidden between the various options has something of The Collector by John Fowles (hint also on the cover); The protagonist captures the story well in the more than 600 pages. The entire novel has very short chapters, paragraphs that often do not go beyond two lines, but this feeling accelerates towards the end, where, moreover, the sequence of protagonists also becomes more hectic and, it must be admitted, the reader, moving forward, is completely hooked. The twists are the fair and typical ones you could hope for in a story like this. If you're looking for a Nordic thriller for two entertaining afternoons, this is your book.
The Valley, Bernard Minier (Salamandra, translation by Dolors Gallart). After the excellent Sisters (a prequel that showed us Martin Servaz in his police beginnings in a complex plot resolved down to the millimeter), the French author returns with the sixth installment of the adventures of this commander, who appeared years ago with Under the Ice debuted and has done this He has contributed significantly to making its creator the king of thrillers in France. A phone call brings Servaz a figure from the past: the mother of his son, who disappeared eight years ago. From the call he only makes clear a rough location: in the abbey of Aiguesvives, a Pyrenees valley, a spectacular setting in which Minier finds an environment that he copes best with: fog, overwhelming mountains, night, cold, forests, isolation . Servaz goes there, who has a small problem: he is suspended from employment and has an open file that could end his career. He is stubborn and obsessive, but also has a very strange compassion and knows how to surround himself well. On this occasion, Irène Ziegler, captain of the gendarmerie and a character who deserves his own series, helps him again. It is a novel that combines the natural pace of a thriller with solid character development and an oppressive setting without falling into clichés. If it's not the best of the six, it's because it has strong competitors.
The Forgotten Son, Mikel Santiago (Ediciones B). Another fast-paced thriller full of adrenaline and testosterone. In this case we are dealing with Aitor Orizaola, a police officer in difficult times after the solution to his last case almost took him away. Divorced and on sick leave, he still limps when he moves his 6-foot, 200-pound body. They have accused his nephew, a boy he nurtured and protected in his early years but later abandoned, of robbery with murder. He is convinced of his innocence, but has to prove it, is off duty and is being investigated by the internal police for excessive use of force. A violence that he does not forego in this novel and that the Basque author has used like no other in this genre since his beginnings with “The Last Night on Tremore Beach”. To make matters worse, Jokin, a friend and colleague of Ertzaina, committed suicide, which also doesn't suit Aitor: a case that is inserted into the main plot and pursued with passion. The Basque author's penchant for procedural techniques is obvious and this part of the story ties the whole thing together very well. There is some humor and irony from the character towards himself, as well as certain colloquialisms, aspects that could be a hindrance, but they work. It is written after the famous Illumbe trilogy, in a world essentially related to it and belonging to the same creative universe, and aims to continue the public success it has had. That's what basket weave is for.
Ritual, Sandrine Destombes (Reservoir Books, translation by José Antonio Soriano). From the first pages and presentation (seven cut and tied feet appear to be floating in the Seine) to the end (a convincing explanation of each thread that develops on the pages), the reader follows an impeccable narrative investigation. It's strange because the author assures that she doesn't care about the procedure and it may not be like in real life, but it is plausible and complicated given the twists and turns that this novel has. In this case we follow Martin (a dedicated captain), Lucas (his deputy), Laszlo (the experienced and thoughtful counterpoint to the other two), Chloé (strong and surprising) and other police officers as they try to solve a very dark crime. We don't know much about her, but that's the Destombes style: say the right thing and move on, administer the information with an eyedropper, respect the reader. And lead the way with dialogues that provide rhythm. It is the best of the four published by Reservoir Books, a high level thriller with a macabre touch.
Carlos Zanón at the presentation of the BCNegra 2024 festival. Albert Canalejo
Passion for history
The Vicar's Ghost, Eric Fouassier (Principal Noir, translation by Claudia Casanova). Second part, also set in Paris 1830-31, of a series that opened with The Brigade of Hidden Mysteries (same publisher, 2023) and is a success in France. There are several keys to this: first, how well it fits into the fashionable mix of criminal and historical (which among the Gauls has produced good books by Hervé Le Corre or Olivier Barde-Cabuçon, for example); Secondly, because he uncompromisingly uses all the references at his disposal and does it very well (the protagonist Valentin Verne refers directly to Sherlock Holmes in many aspects; his assistant Isidore Lebrac is an imitation of Watson, but he doesn't do that). tell); and thirdly, because it is a wonderful read, with the right amount of history, a certain erudition that does not hinder the story, and a remarkable ability to navigate between two waters: a classic case to investigate (in reality, a fraud of a spiritualist). a poor man, hopeless since the death of his daughter) and a long-term theme that comes from the first novel, namely: the fight against our hero's archenemy, an evil man named Vicar, who is even darker than the Holmesian Moriarty. Verne, by the way, is learned and educated, has his life under control, dresses elegantly to the extreme, has a certain tendency to introspection, and is also a tormented creature, capable of taking action and drawing as many red lines as possible exceed. An ideal character for a long series of novels that can be devoured in an afternoon. Fun.
The first case of Unamuno, Luis García Jambrina (Alfaguara). In Spain too, the most flexible and innovative genre has found a new vein in its mix with the historical genre. But thanks to “The Stone Manuscript,” García Jambrina began the Investigator Fernando de Rojas series (now in its sixth installment) in 2008 and became one of the pioneers. With the experience of these novels and the same setting (Salamanca), the Zamorano author opens a new series with Miguel de Unamuno as a researcher. Beyond curiosity (there are also recent novels with Gonzalo de Berceo or Jane Austen as detectives), Unamuno's first case has several virtues: he knows how to transform the philosopher into an ordinary man, a credible detective; It presents us with a very interesting Salamanca that is not necessarily welcoming; and is able to use the real character to feed the fictional character. The plot: The head of a town in Salamanca, Boada, is brutally murdered. Three hired hands who had old disputes with the master are quickly accused and imprisoned. They even face the death penalty, an injustice that Unamuno rebels against and begins to investigate. He is accompanied by a lawyer, Manuel Rivera, with whom they form the typical Holmes or Quixotic couple. The story convolutes just enough, taking us through a Salamanca full of smelly streets, monasteries and Renaissance palaces. In the middle of this game of life that appears in every good crime novel and a character, a young anarchist, who helps them in their investigation, which is a joy. The whole thing works, entertains and illustrates and you can see the author's craftsmanship and love for the genre.
Jo Nesbo in an advertising picture.
Jo Nesbø, master of the Nordic thriller
The Norwegian Jo Nesbø, one of the most outstanding writers of his generation, a true bestseller in the noir genre, is the creator of our beloved Harry Hole, that excessive and sometimes cliched character but also great and in the hearts of millions of fans. to the genre. For this reason, BCNegra awarded him the Pepe Carvalho Award for his entire career. Nesbo now has a horror book fresh out of the oven (The House of Night, Reservoir Books), but we'll focus on the series that brought him worldwide fame (and a big chunk of that award).
For those who cannot or do not want to read them all, we select some of the 13 that currently form a series that began in 1997 with The Bat, a remarkable debut and essential for anyone who wants to understand the evil that overwhelms the good of old Hole. Then we jump to the fourth, Nemesis, one of the best: it starts with a perfectly narrated robbery and then moves to a plot where Hole is the main suspect in a murder. Very good. From there to “The Snowman,” of which there is also a film. It is the seventh film, but it would have been a perfect end to the series because it challenges the protagonist and his work as a police officer to the extreme and expresses his relationship with Rakel, the woman in his life. And yet he still had the strength for more: I think Cuchillo (the eleventh) is very good (Revenge and Rakel work at full speed in support of the plot), and after reading “Eclipse”, the best “What”, I wanted more can be said about a series that has already had so many parts.
One of the tests
The Devil's Advocate, Steve Cavanagh (Rocaeditorial, translation by Ana Momplet). This author has become a must-see with his classic legal thrillers and at the same time with a touch of originality. I liked 13 and Fifty Fifty even better (both in the same editorial), but in this one he goes one step further and takes his anti-hero from New York to the Deep South of the United States. For those who don't know him, the protagonist is Eddie Flynn, a retired con man turned defense attorney, a renegade counterpart to Atticus Finch, but with one common thread: he only defends the innocent. In this case, Andy Dubois, a young man without means, is accused of murdering young Skylar Edwards, with whom he worked in a street bar. He faces the death penalty because he had the misfortune of being prosecuted in a district ruled by District Attorney Randal Korn, the king of executions, a multi-profile villain (and one who smells bad). Flynn is clever and cunning and has an extremely curious team (effective partner, even more effective detective and consultant, a retired judge who has a strange influence on the lawyer and who has a charming dog), but here he finds himself facing the forces of dark events opposite have run across the United States since its inception. The plot is a successful back and forth of events, surprises and very well staged twists. The structure is devilish in its apparent simplicity. The author says that the southern setting came to mind while reading the crime novels set there by John Connolly and Lee Child. And it does it justice.
Two outside the edges
The Golden Girl, Pablo Maurette (Anagrama). Silvia Rey is a secretary at the public prosecutor's office who is “more ashamed than afraid” of committing a crime. She is 39 years old, she doesn't mind being alone and she is a strong character but without fuss. His vacation was thwarted by the murder of Aníbal Doliner, a peculiar biology teacher. The first suspect is a taxi boy, a young albino sex worker, but nothing is that simple. The proceedings proceed slowly and at a good pace, mixing interrogations with the protagonist's dialogues with her elderly father over breakfast, full of feeling and intelligent reflections. There are also numerous supporting characters, such as the widow who kills pigeons, who round off the story very well. The police part is covered full of twists and turns with this Sub-Inspector Carucci, a very special character with his loneliness, his sweets and his indefinite attractiveness. The picture is completed by a vision of Buenos Aires at the end of the 1990s, surrounded by violence and structural corruption, and references to the cases that stand in its way and that distance the researcher from the solution… All of this is illustrated by a sober prose that tells of violence without being afraid to be explicit but without abuse, one would say almost in an elegant way. And with an ending that is not at all pleasant, pure joy.
GPS, Julie Rico (AdN, translation by Elia Maqueda). This is the strangest book on the list and possibly one of the strangest we've reviewed here. Hold onto. Ariane is an unemployed news journalist. Her inconspicuous life is interrupted by an invitation to attend her best friend Sandrine's marriage proposal. An invitation and a common place. She arrives at the location, the party is a disaster and her friend disappears. It's unknown what happened, but Ariane continues to see the red dot on her Google Maps. Then an investigation begins into the girlfriend's whereabouts, Ariane's loneliness and the meaninglessness of it all. There is something about this short novel, told in the second person, that is unsettling; also something that captivates. The story is divided into the rhythm of life of the protagonist. The ending leaves a strange residue. Is it a fake thriller? Maybe, but that doesn't matter.
Seicho Matsumoto, in a picture from 1980. Sankei Archives (Sankei via Getty Images)
A Japanese classic bounced back on two tracks
BCNegra has had an excellent idea for a few issues. Discover an author and their entire work and talk about them with experts and readers. In this case it is the turn of the great Seicho Matsumoto, whose latest novel, published by Libros del Asteroid (what a job they do), we mentioned in Elemental. That will be on Wednesday. I remind you that you have the entire program here.
An exception and a test
Dennis Lehane isn't going to BCNegra, where he won the prestigious Pepe Carvalho Prize for his entire career in 2017, but his new novel is one of the best of recent times in the genre and deserves to be seen in this window. On the other hand, Eugenio Fuentes has for some time been building a very personal commitment to the genre that finds its home in Tusquets. He knows a lot about the topic and demonstrates this in the essay we are talking about below. The yes will be in BCNegra. Go if you can.
Coup de Grace, Dennis Lehane (Salamandra, translation by Aurora Echevarría). Lehane with the voice, the atmosphere and the Boston of Mystic River. Any follower of the author who reads this sentence will tremble with emotion, but that's how it is. The author of “Southern Island” returns to his hometown, to his memories, with a character who has all the makings of making the reader dislike her, uncomfortable, but impossible to fall in love with: Mary Pat Fennessy , Southie's mother, Irish neighbor, white and epicenter of the racial crisis of 1974. A strong, violent, narrow-minded woman, raised in an environment full of hate, owner of a life that has been through the worst (divorce, abandonment, etc.). Death of a son due to overdose, extreme poverty). What Mary Pat can't imagine is that the ultimate drama is yet to come and will affect the only thing she has left: her daughter Jules. The wonderful thing is how Lehane ties this special, intimate drama to the history of the city, to this dramatic moment, all in a place dominated by the mafia and with crime as the daily diet of this violent, alcoholic and society-less society. Future. Coup de Grace is also a crime novel, so there are interrogations and investigations (the triggering event is the death of a young black man, but also against the mafia), an extraordinary police officer (Bobby, a former heroin addict, unforgettable character) and someone else who is scum . All of them, including the pain-broken black mother and other minor characters of minimal and dazzling appearance, are traced with the pen of a master. And above all, this woman, Mary Pat, triumphs and survives in the reader's mind. Amen.
The bottom of the heart, Eugenio Fuentes (Tusquets). Written in a tone that is “both critical and demanding of the black genre,” this essay represents a small sample of well-managed knowledge. The creator of the detective novel Ricardo Cupido (since 1999 his novels have been a quiet commitment to securing a place in the genre with careful writing and good plots) is committed to a vision that is not dogmatic: “No, there is no supremacy of genres. “ “ –, open and demystifying – “What literature does not give, no genre gives” –. That, in the most theoretical aspect. But then he playfully reviews many books and authors in a passage that moves agilely from Arthur Conan Doyle to Arturo Pérez Reverte in just a few lines. This non-academic review fits in with a deliciously long article on cycling and crime fiction, or another that questions the subject of the genre as the best tool for delving into the mud of social ills. As with Pierre Lemaitre's Passionate Dictionary of Crime Fiction, you can flip through the pages, jump between chapters, or search the full list of names for references to authors that interest you. A joy.
All the culture that goes with it awaits you here.
Subscribe to
Babelia
The literary news analyzed by the best critics in our weekly newsletter
GET IT
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits
_