One misty autumn dawn in a quiet fishing port in northwest Spain, the body of a sailor washes up in the harbour. Detective Inspector Leo Caldas is called in from police headquarters in the nearby city of Vigo to sign off on what appears to be a suicide. But details soon come to light that turn this routine matter into a complex murder investigation. Finding out the truth is not easy when the villagers are so suspicious of outsiders. As Caldas delves into the maritime life of the village, he uncovers a disturbing decade-old case of a shipwreck and two mysterious disappearances. Death on a Galician Shore is a chilling story of violence, blackmail and revenge that has enthralled readers across Europe...
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'A satisfying read ... a traditional procedural laced with gothic menace, mouthwatering descriptions of Galician cuisine and some wonderfully tetchy sparring between Caldas and Estevez' -- --Guardian, John O'Connell
'A Spanish writer who does not set his books in Madrid or Barcelona is to be welcomed, and the rugged coastline of Galicia makes a suitably unsettling setting ... Caldas is an engaging copper' -- --Marcel Berlins, THE TIMES
'A Spanish writer who does not set his books in Madrid or Barcelona is to be welcomed, and the rugged coastline of Galicia makes a suitably unsettling setting ... Caldas is an engaging copper' -- --Marcel Berlins, THE TIMES
Book Description
* A cleverly plotted, page-turning murder mystery set on the beautiful, rugged coast of Galicia in northwest Spain
--This text refers to an alternate
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Simon Clarke
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When a fisherman is pulled from the sea on the Galician
coast,with his hands tied together,D.I.Leo Caldas,and his
deputy,Estevez are called in from nearby Vigo to investigate.
As it becomes clear that this is not a case of suicide,the
detectives are faced with the traditional Galician reserve
when they making their enquiries,leading to many false trails.
As the plot works itself out at a deliberately yet delightfully
slow pace,it is Galicia itself that almost becomes a main
character ,as we are treated to glimpses of its coastal beauty,
its cuisine,and its distinctive inhabitants.This together with
the inter-play between the two very different detectives ,and a
captivating plot, make for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
coast,with his hands tied together,D.I.Leo Caldas,and his
deputy,Estevez are called in from nearby Vigo to investigate.
As it becomes clear that this is not a case of suicide,the
detectives are faced with the traditional Galician reserve
when they making their enquiries,leading to many false trails.
As the plot works itself out at a deliberately yet delightfully
slow pace,it is Galicia itself that almost becomes a main
character ,as we are treated to glimpses of its coastal beauty,
its cuisine,and its distinctive inhabitants.This together with
the inter-play between the two very different detectives ,and a
captivating plot, make for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By KCLS
Format:Paperback
I've read through some other folk's reviews, and they seem to emphasise this book has a very slow pace. I don't agree with that at all. I would say that this book takes a surprisingly long time to read, but the actual story is well-paced. Books I classify as slow, I tend to either get too bored to continue with, or skip great chunks of description (Dickens, anyone?). This book I was never bored with, and at the end went hunting to see if there were more available, which has to be a good sign. It just seemed to take an extraordinarily long time for me to read it. Lent it to my sister who had exactly the same reaction - so I defend the pace.
Beyond that, this was entertaining, with interesting auxilliary characters and asides. It wasn't brutal, as I find some Scandinavian crime books to be, and while the thought-processes of the detective were not detailed, there were enough clues to have a fair idea of what might be happening without laying it on so thick that you know as soon as the character appeared in the book that they done it.
It probably reminded me more of Camilleri's Sicilian series rathen than those of further north.
Definitely worth a punt.
Beyond that, this was entertaining, with interesting auxilliary characters and asides. It wasn't brutal, as I find some Scandinavian crime books to be, and while the thought-processes of the detective were not detailed, there were enough clues to have a fair idea of what might be happening without laying it on so thick that you know as soon as the character appeared in the book that they done it.
It probably reminded me more of Camilleri's Sicilian series rathen than those of further north.
Definitely worth a punt.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I dont normally read crime, tho I love to watch it on screen, but I had just returned from a trip to Galicia when I spotted this book in the local library. As another reviewer mentioned the book is well paced but takes a long time to read. I read into the wee hours 3 nights in a row completely compelled by the pain staking unravelling of this murder. Absolutely loved the Galician backdrop, clearly this is a real landscape, the author provides amazing and consistent detail as the detectives go back and forth, and back and forth again over the same stretch of wild coast line. I was completely drawn in to the story into the place. Very impressed with the translation too. Definitely going to check out more Villar.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crime Read
I very much enjoyed this book - short sections/chapters to the point and cleverly linked. I liked the sense of place - Galicia, Spain - and main town of Vigo and the surrounding... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. J. M. Butler
2.0 out of 5 stars
Slow as the pace in Galicia
I do love to read new authors in the Eurocrime area, but this one was slow...150 pages in, and the plot and the pace is incredibly slow. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Crimelover 1904
5.0 out of 5 stars
Death on a Galician Shore
Fantastic! For anyone knowing this part of spain,this book describes Galicia beautifully. Add very believable characters and a spare style and plausible plot and it is a real... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Heppie
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Death Worth Hearing About
The murder of a fisherman in a Galician village turns into a more complicated and wide reaching affair for Inspector Caldas, (the premise has already been outlined in the blurb and... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Remnant
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Galicia
I liked this book. It made me want to visit Galicia. V atmospheric and a sympathetic tec with good plausible plot. Wish Villar had written more. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Bleakhouse
4.0 out of 5 stars
a slippery fish
the only thing caldas loves more than solving crime is his seafood. he gets through plenty of hearty galician cooking before the penny drops. Read more
Published 22 months ago by cargols
3.0 out of 5 stars
Crime in Spain
Always willing to try (for me) new authors. Local environment interesting. Rather slow moving so doubtful I would buy another crime novel by this author.
Published 23 months ago by B. A. Fewell
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hopefully a good beginning...
Another corner of Europe seeks to become the new Ystad. This time, it's the endlessly drizzly north west corner of Spain. The story is of a fisherman's body washed up on a beach. Read more
Published on 4 May 2011 by bloodsimple
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