- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: YouWriteOn.com (3 May 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1908147261
- ISBN-13: 978-1908147264
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.2 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,304,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
After Goya
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Spain. Art. Intrigue. Murder.
Praise for After Goya:
"An intelligent literary thriller ... better than the so-called blockbusters I used to read when Head Buyer at Waterstone's," Scott Pack, Publisher with The Friday Project, a HarperCollins imprint.
Can two miniature paintings bring down a government?
When a young woman is bequeathed two paintings - presumed destroyed during the siege of Madrid in 1936 - a simple errand becomes a deadly chase.
The new blood of Europe encounters the old Blood of Spain, revealing secret allegiances and ambitions of power, as an international cast of characters journey to the dark soul of Spain's ignoble past.
Greed, envy, vanity, pride and lust fuel a murderous hunt for ... vengeance? supremacy? or truth?
After Goya will change your idea of Spain.
Praise for After Goya:
"An intelligent literary thriller ... better than the so-called blockbusters I used to read when Head Buyer at Waterstone's," Scott Pack, Publisher with The Friday Project, a HarperCollins imprint.
Can two miniature paintings bring down a government?
When a young woman is bequeathed two paintings - presumed destroyed during the siege of Madrid in 1936 - a simple errand becomes a deadly chase.
The new blood of Europe encounters the old Blood of Spain, revealing secret allegiances and ambitions of power, as an international cast of characters journey to the dark soul of Spain's ignoble past.
Greed, envy, vanity, pride and lust fuel a murderous hunt for ... vengeance? supremacy? or truth?
After Goya will change your idea of Spain.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intrigue in Spain,
This review is from: After Goya (Kindle Edition)
After Goya by Haarlson PhillippsThe judgment of a book is always fraught with a reader's own interests, literary taste and biases, of course, and because I like intrigue, Haarlson Phillipps' first novel, After Goya, delivers a good read. It is more than a simple intrigue, however, and with its intelligence and depth of story, will appeal to readers across the thriller genre. Phillipps has created a story from the simple premise that not all is what it seems and leads the reader through a complex plot against the equal and on-going complexity of the Spanish historical and political scene. A young German woman inherits two painting from her grandfather which are sequestered in Spain and in her rather naïve and innocent attempts to claim them unleashes events involving a local and international cast of characters, solidly built for the most part, along a story path of unexpected plot twists. At the centre of it all is Jordi Cotelo, a policeman of the old school - a Spanish Colombo, if you like, disheveled and plodding and always patting his pockets for his forgotten cell phone. His partner, Jesus Antonio Alvarez, reflects a more modern modus operandi and their relationship provides both tension and insight into the main conflict within the story. The novel begins with a back-story and both Cotelo and the other main character, the English art expert, James Howard-Graham, also have stories of their own which the author manipulates into believable motives for their actions. And then there is the historical story within the context of the plot and the art interest surrounding the paintings by Goya, all of which add a satisfying density to the story as a whole. After Goya, which falls into what one critic calls the "literary thriller" genre is original in its theme, coherent in its writing, with good descriptions of place and character and delivers appealingly cinematic actions scenes. In this first novel, Haarlson Phillipps has done very well. The book is not without its weaknesses, of course. Perhaps too much time is spent on minor characters and the breaks within the chapters can be confusing. And I'm not crazy about the title, which can have a dual meaning, but all in all, After Goya is good reading and I recommend the book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast and Pacey,
By Ken Scott "Scotty" (Spain) - See all my reviews
This review is from: After Goya (Paperback)
Downloaded this book from Kindle for a five hour trip to Barcelona. Carrying out a little research for my own book on the Spanish Civil War and this one seemed to fit the bill. Finished the book in my hotel room on the same day, a 'one dayer,' in my eyes worthy of five stars. Captured the moment perfectly and loved the historical content and the way the author skillfully took the reader back to Spain's darkest days and left just a little hint that they could easily be ressurected. Great plot, well researched book and written with an obvious passion for my adopted homeland. Hoping to read more of the same very soon.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable Spanish Crime Caper,
By
This review is from: After Goya (Paperback)
When I read the blurb on this book I was really looking forward to what looked like a different type of mystery novel. In many ways it didn't disappoint. The story evolves around a German girl who inherits two paintings from her grandfather with one catch - she has to travel to Spain to collect them; or as it turns out, to track them down. The trip turns out to be hugely more onerous than she could have possibly anticipated. All of the lead players are developed well (I particularly liked the lead cop who was apt to losing his phone and the rather pompous art loving Englishman) and the passages of dialogue are excellent. I loved, too, the Spanishness of it: for me the book brought to life many of he customs and unique nature of this beautiful country.If the book has flaws it is in the fact that I found the narrative difficult to follow at times - mainly because of the sheer volume of historical references and the many organisations (past and present) mentioned in the book. Overall though I found it to be an enjoyable and informative read and I'd happily recommend it.
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