Blood Wedding
A Max
Romero Mystery
P. J.
Brooke
Soho Constable (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-529-6 (1569475296)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-529-4 (9781569475294)
Publication Date: December 2008
List Price: $25.00
Synopsis (from the publisher): In his first major case, half Scots, half Spanish Sub-Inspector Max Romero must learn the price of truth: truth about the death of Leila, a beautiful Muslim girl, in the mountains south of Granada; truth about a terrorist outrage in Granada; and, worst of all, the truth about the disappearance of his beloved grandmother’s brother during the Spanish Civil War, a truth which throws fresh light on the betrayal and death of Federico Garcia Lorca, Spain’s most famous modern poet and play-wright.
Review:
Sub-Inspector Max Romero of the Granada police force investigates the
potentially politically motivated murder of a young Muslim woman in Blood Wedding, the first mystery in
this series by P. J. Brooke.
Leila, a graduate student from Edinburgh, had been in Granada
interviewing 83-year-old Paula Romero, Max’s grandmother, who had
lived during the Spanish civil war and had many stories to tell that
were not in history books. Leila was only 23 and led a somewhat wilder
life than her father would have liked. She dated Hussan, a man who was
thought to be a member of a Muslim terrorist group, but also kept
company with a few married men. At the time, there was much turmoil in
Spain as the country had recently joined forces with England and the
United States to support the war in Iraq. The opposition was
considerable and vocal. There was also competition and resentment among
the various religious groups in and around Granada, between Muslims and
Palestinians, the Palestinians and the Christians, the Christians and
the Muslims. The police are on constant vigil to uncover terrorist
cells and shut them down.
When Leila’s body is found, Hussan becomes the first, obvious,
and only suspect by the police. She had been seen having a passionate
argument near the time and the site of her death. Plus, he was a Muslim
whose name was on a list as a possible terrorist. Max, however, wants
more proof. In custody, Hussan is tortured and ultimately commits
suicide, closing the murder case in the eyes of the authorities.
Against orders, however, Max continues his quest, seeking out the
married men Leila had been seen with. He is shocked and appalled to
find one of the men is his cousin and best friend from childhood, Juan.
Leila had insisted that he leave his wife and family for her. He had
refused. She threatened to tell all. Did Juan kill Leila? Max can't be
sure. He continues his pursuit for the truth, risking not only his job,
but his life.
There is a considerable amount of backstory involving the Spanish civil
war and the reign of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. While
certainly of interest, especially when considered in comparison to the
current unrest in Spain, it makes the main plot and its various threads
seem overly complicated. Still, at its core, Blood Wedding is not only an
intriguing murder mystery but also a beautifully written book with a
powerful message, the story of a man who, against all odds, believes in
the truth and the basic good of humanity, and a family whose love
surmounts all evils.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Blood Wedding and to Soho Press for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
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Mysteries in this series …
Blood Wedding
Soho Constable (Hardcover), December 2008
ISBN-10: 1-56947-529-6 (1569475296)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-529-4 (9781569475294)
Omnimystery keywords for Blood Wedding ...
Location(s) referenced: Granada, Spain.
