Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Small Death in Lisbon, Robert Wilson, 6 Nov 2004
Robert Wilson? Is he currently the the most underrated male crime writer? Very possibly. He gets huge amounts of critical acclaim, and those who read his books seem to love them also, but where the popularity? Where are the sales to match the quality, a la Ian Rankin or Michael Connelly? Wilson probably deserves them more, actually. I've read three of his books now, and each one has been absolutely superb. A Small Death in Lisbon, with its brilliant dual narrative - one focusing on the exploits of the Germans in Portugal during the second world war, the other on the investigation of Inspector Ze Coehlo into the death of a Lisbon teenager - is an excellent piece of work in almost every way. A Gold Dagger winner, its structure is clever, and the two stories intertwine brilliantly. The book arches high, supported on the pillars of history, and becomes far, far more than a crime novel. Wilson writes excellently, with an intelligence and slight cynicism that really make the novel, and Ze Coehlo, while he may be damaged in the vein of many other contemporary detectives, is an excellent creation, and an incredibly compelling protagonist. I've not a lot else to say about this book, save from that it's excellent. If you want proof that crime fiction is just as good as any other form, then Robert Wilson is one of several writers who will provide it in spades.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, but ultimately frustrating, mystery., 31 Oct 2003
Two different settings and time frames--Germany and Portugal in the waning days of the Third Reich, and contemporary Portugal, with some of the same characters--allow the author to overlap both a complex historical thriller with a traditional murder mystery in unique and fascinating ways. Klaus Felsen, forced to work for the Nazi SS near the end of World War II, is sent to Portugal to buy as much wolfram (tungsten) as he can get, to be used in the manufacture of armor-piercing weapons. He is also responsible for privately smuggling out a great deal of German gold and some stolen art when it appears that Germany will lose the war, a job made more palatable when he realizes that he and his partners can profit greatly in the years after the war if they are careful to avoid discovery. All these details come into play when a young Portuguese girl, seemingly unconnected with any of this, is found murdered fifty years later in contemporary Lisbon. Inspector Ze Coelho is assigned to solve the mystery of her death, a death which eventually reverberates throughout Lisbon society, the émigré population, the police department, the federal Justice department, political parties past and present, and even the foundations of the present government. If all this seems like a lot to take on, it is. Although the book is beautifully written with fully developed, imperfect, and quirky characters one grows to like and understand, fine and vivid description, and a fast-paced plot with something happening all the time, ultimately it is difficult to make all the connections required by the fifty year chronology of the plot. Although I worked hard at this, and (mistakenly) thought I had succeeded as I worked my way to the conclusion, the last twenty pages had me scratching my head trying to figure out the final details and the secret motivations of the main characters, all of which are necessary for a successful resolution of this very complex plot. Mary Whipple
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely Well Done, 6 Mar 2003
The Golden Dagger Award first introduced me to the work of Michael Dibdin and his, "Aurelio Zen" series. For the second time this award has brought about another new Author who writes a phenomenal tale. "A Small Death In Lisbon", by Robert Wilson is not his first work, but unfortunately is the only writing of his available in the US at present. This book should change that status.
This work does not just shift between 2 points in time; rather it brings forward one storyline from decades ago to mesh perfectly with the second storyline, which is contemporary. The initial flare is that there is no hint as to how these two stories and their characters will ever mesh much less come together in a beautifully crafted and simple penultimate end. The final series of pages reveal an incredibly complex ending that is as true and clever as it is intricate.
Both storylines contain extreme examples of human behavior that might be too graphic for some. I would compare it to the series centering on Hannibal Lechter, the circumstances are at times extreme and very unpleasant, but they are not gratuitous. The book unfolds from Nazi Germany and wartime Lisbon, all the way to Lisbon, as it exists in a contemporary time. The political upheavals and the groups that cause and enforce them are at times brutal, but it is as it took place when Historical Events are included.
This is a very good tale whether mysteries are normally your choice or not. The book is very well written, extremely complex while never contrived or cliché, and the Author does not show his last card until almost the last few paragraphs.
Unconditionally Recommended!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Watch the author talk about this book in Windows Media
Player format: 
by Robert Wilson
by Robert Wilson
by Robert Wilson
by Robert Wilson
by Robert Wilson
