(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
When I visit a city for the first time, I like to go to a local English-language bookstore—if I’m lucky enough to find one— to discover novels featuring the town, incorporating its culture into the story. A Death in Valencia does just that as it combines the history and culture with an intriguing tale of crime, murder, politics, and corruption.
Is the death of a noted paella chef, the kidnapping of an abortion provider, the crumbling of an apartment building, and the demolition of fishermen’s houses in order to pave the way for redevelopment, somehow related? Oh yes, and this all happens days before the Pope is to visit the city.
Max Cámara, chief inspector of the Grupo de Homicidios of the Policia Nacional, is intent on solving each of these cases. Unfortunately, his own past and his current emotional state find ways of creeping in and clouding his judgment.
Author Jason Webster explains the role of each of the police forces in Spain in the beginning of the book, which is essential in order for us to learn the competition that takes place between them in the story. Could some members of one of them be part of GAL, an ultra-conservative terrorist group that is taking credit for the kidnapping?
Webster also alludes to corrupt judges and other government officials who are left over from the Franco era, as politicians fight over Spain’s new identity. On a lighter note, we also learn of the city’s culinary delights, like Valencia’s particular version of paella.
Even if you have never physically been to Valencia, you’ll enjoy the virtual trip as you read this exciting crime story with complex characters.
