A Shortcut to Paradise
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Review
'Teresa Solana's second novel, makes you laugh so much the tears soon start to roll. Solana shoots from the hip: against the guardians of culture; against endogamy in universities; against journalists and the press; against conceited critics and writers. Nobody is spared. The writer is pitiless when handing out brickbats, but also generous with reminiscences and memory. The bloodhound Lluis Arquer, who helps the detective twins, is in homage to the detective by the same name created by Jaume Fuster. The reconstruction of the crime scene takes us back to Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot.A" El Pais
Product Description
Marina Dolc, media figure and bestselling author, is murdered in the Ritz in Barcelona on the night she wins an important literary prize. The killer has cold-bloodedly battered her to death with the trophy she just won. That same night, the Catalan police arrest their chief suspect, Amadeu Cabestany, the runner-up to the prize. The detective twins Borja and Eduard are hired to prove his innocence. The unlikely duo is plunged into the murky waters of Barcelona's literary scene and will need all their wit and improvistanional skills to solve this crime.
'Teresa Solana's second novel, makes you laugh so much the tears soon start to roll. Solana shoots from the hip: against the guardians of culture; against endogamy in universities; against journalists and the press; against conceited critics and writers. Nobody is spared. The writer is pitiless when handing out brickbats, but also generous with reminiscences and memory. The bloodhound Lluis Arquer, who helps the detective twins, is in homage to the detective by the same name created by Jaume Fuster. The reconstruction of the crime scene takes us back to Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot.' El Pais
'Teresa Solana's second novel, makes you laugh so much the tears soon start to roll. Solana shoots from the hip: against the guardians of culture; against endogamy in universities; against journalists and the press; against conceited critics and writers. Nobody is spared. The writer is pitiless when handing out brickbats, but also generous with reminiscences and memory. The bloodhound Lluis Arquer, who helps the detective twins, is in homage to the detective by the same name created by Jaume Fuster. The reconstruction of the crime scene takes us back to Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot.' El Pais
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Teresa Solana's second novel, featuring the engaging investigating
twins Borja and Eduard, is a marvellously original and funny romp.
Marina Dolc,a best-selling Catalan romantic novelist is bludgeoned
to death in her hotel room,with the literary trophy she has just
won.Amadeu Cabestany,an envious fellow-writer,who thinks he should
have won the trophy,is arrested and suspected of the murder.The
twins are hired by the suspect's literary agent to prove Cabestany's
innocence.They amusingly bumble their way to the conclusion with a
mixture of luck,serendipity and intuition.
Yet,with Solana,it is not so much the plot that captivates,rather
the relentless,clever and witty satire.No one is immune from her
lampoons ,nothing escapes her gentle telling satire.
A wonderful read.
twins Borja and Eduard, is a marvellously original and funny romp.
Marina Dolc,a best-selling Catalan romantic novelist is bludgeoned
to death in her hotel room,with the literary trophy she has just
won.Amadeu Cabestany,an envious fellow-writer,who thinks he should
have won the trophy,is arrested and suspected of the murder.The
twins are hired by the suspect's literary agent to prove Cabestany's
innocence.They amusingly bumble their way to the conclusion with a
mixture of luck,serendipity and intuition.
Yet,with Solana,it is not so much the plot that captivates,rather
the relentless,clever and witty satire.No one is immune from her
lampoons ,nothing escapes her gentle telling satire.
A wonderful read.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Wacky literary mystery
12 Mar 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the second mystery featuring Eduard and Borja, totally dissimilar twins investigating crimes and misbehavior in Barcelona.
Eduard is a plump, placid family man in love with his wife. His stylish brother Borja has assumed an aristocratic name, hangs out with rich people and has two girlfriends. Because Eduard is so lacking in elegance, Borja insists they keep their twinship a secret.
Their office is like a movie set, and their firm nonexistent for tax purposes. Lacking a detective license, they handle delicate inquiries for wealthy clients as "consultants."
Now they've been hired by a novelist's agent to clear him of a murder charge. He's been accused of killing another novelist in a drunken rage right after she won an award. You'll never guess how the twins solve the mystery!
Author Teresa Solana writes in Catalan, a language spoken in parts of Spain among other places. I'm grateful to Solana for making me aware of this language, which has been suppressed and is now enjoying a revival. Solana's characters are writing novels and poetry in Catalan.
And they're an astonishingly disagreeable bunch of backbiters! Only the murder victim, a writer of crass bestsellers, is a nice person.
For some reason, I'm always a bit put off when writers satirize the literary world. Too incestuous? But since nobody shares this prejudice of mine, I'm putting it aside in reviewing A Shortcut to Paradise.
Solana deserves high marks just for inventing her nonstop funny Barcelona twins. And there are other deeply amusing characters in this book too. Solana's comic genius is rare and wonderful.
Her first mystery, A Not So Perfect Crime, is quite perfect in my opinion. I strongly suggest reading it as a prelude to this book. Meanwhile, I hope the next mystery in the series is coming soon.
Eduard is a plump, placid family man in love with his wife. His stylish brother Borja has assumed an aristocratic name, hangs out with rich people and has two girlfriends. Because Eduard is so lacking in elegance, Borja insists they keep their twinship a secret.
Their office is like a movie set, and their firm nonexistent for tax purposes. Lacking a detective license, they handle delicate inquiries for wealthy clients as "consultants."
Now they've been hired by a novelist's agent to clear him of a murder charge. He's been accused of killing another novelist in a drunken rage right after she won an award. You'll never guess how the twins solve the mystery!
Author Teresa Solana writes in Catalan, a language spoken in parts of Spain among other places. I'm grateful to Solana for making me aware of this language, which has been suppressed and is now enjoying a revival. Solana's characters are writing novels and poetry in Catalan.
And they're an astonishingly disagreeable bunch of backbiters! Only the murder victim, a writer of crass bestsellers, is a nice person.
For some reason, I'm always a bit put off when writers satirize the literary world. Too incestuous? But since nobody shares this prejudice of mine, I'm putting it aside in reviewing A Shortcut to Paradise.
Solana deserves high marks just for inventing her nonstop funny Barcelona twins. And there are other deeply amusing characters in this book too. Solana's comic genius is rare and wonderful.
Her first mystery, A Not So Perfect Crime, is quite perfect in my opinion. I strongly suggest reading it as a prelude to this book. Meanwhile, I hope the next mystery in the series is coming soon.
for lovers of catalonia and literature
22 Jun 2011
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed this book for the satire of the literary world and the evocation of Catalonia. The way it savages the pretentiousness of academia and publishing is deeply amusing. If you know anything about the conflict/rivalry/discord between Spain and Catalonia you will appreciate the subtly mocking tone the author uses to acknowledge it. And the mild-mannered writer and high school teacher who ends up in prison and not only is mistaken for a cannibal but also kills his one friend there,a psychopathic murderer, with his poetry - priceless!
fun satire
6 April 2011
Format:Paperback
In Barcelona, fifty something bestselling author Marina Dolc wins the Sixth Edition of the Golden Apples Fiction Award. After gracefully receiving the misshapen fruit with a bite taken out on a Thasos base prize, Marina returns to the Ritz Hotel where she always stays. A late visitor arrives who she welcomes in her room though Marina is tired. The visitor picks up the statue and hammers her in the head with it. Her assassin leaves her dead with her prize next to her; a climax that comes from one of her novels.
The Catalan police realize the victim welcomed her killer into her room. They arrest author Amadeu Cabestany, who knew the deceased and came in second for the prize. Although they insist they are not detectives, but only consultants, the brothers Eduard Martinez and Borja Masdeu are hired to prove the prime suspect is innocent. Using the same tactics they applied to solving A Not So Perfect Crime and to their usual adultery case, the siblings bluff their way from one clue to another as they improvise the script while interviewing the pretentious ostentatious literati world.
The second bumbling Martinez-Masdeu satire lampoons the cast of characters who make up the literary world though ostensibly Barcelona, but could be London, Melbourne, Singapore, New York or Toronto as well. The amusing story line is fast-paced as the siblings trip over clues while exposing the greats and the wannabes as egomaniacs without substance. Although some of the translation loses the Spanish essence of the cast, fans will enjoy this nod to Peter Falk's Colombo while endearingly mocking the hand that feeds Teresa Solana.
Harriet Klausner
The Catalan police realize the victim welcomed her killer into her room. They arrest author Amadeu Cabestany, who knew the deceased and came in second for the prize. Although they insist they are not detectives, but only consultants, the brothers Eduard Martinez and Borja Masdeu are hired to prove the prime suspect is innocent. Using the same tactics they applied to solving A Not So Perfect Crime and to their usual adultery case, the siblings bluff their way from one clue to another as they improvise the script while interviewing the pretentious ostentatious literati world.
The second bumbling Martinez-Masdeu satire lampoons the cast of characters who make up the literary world though ostensibly Barcelona, but could be London, Melbourne, Singapore, New York or Toronto as well. The amusing story line is fast-paced as the siblings trip over clues while exposing the greats and the wannabes as egomaniacs without substance. Although some of the translation loses the Spanish essence of the cast, fans will enjoy this nod to Peter Falk's Colombo while endearingly mocking the hand that feeds Teresa Solana.
Harriet Klausner
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