Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar

A body of a fisherman has washed ashore on the Galician Shore, and the general belief is that the fisherman had committed suicide. Inspector Leo Caldas and his subordinate Rafael Estevez investigate the death. Leo Caldas is not satisfied that the death is a suicide and believes that there is more to this death as he realises that the fisherman was recently spooked by messages and events that reminded him of a shipwreck that happened nearly ten years before. If it is not suicide, how was he murdered and why? Does the mystery of this death lie in the shipwreck? What happened in the shipwreck? Out of the four crew members, the captain died in the shipwreck, while somehow his crew managed to survive. What happened that night? If something suspicious did happen, why is somebody involved in the shipwreck, killing after all this years?

Leo's father maintains an interesting book, a list of all the umm.... Idiots he meets, called the Book of Idiots. Leo still participates in the Radio Program as he was in the previous book Water-Blue Eyes, and he is both irritated with the presenter and the public.

If you thought only those who have recently moved to Galicia are exasperated by the inability of the Galicians to answer questions directly. We also find that it is a problem even to those who have settled here for a long while.

Our heroes are obsessed with the cases, they don't have families and can even work on weekends. What about their subordinates? Do they have a family, girlfriend etc? And are they obsessed with the cases too? And how do they feel about their bosses for taking them on wild goose hunts on weekends? Rafa, as Leo calls him, is quite vocal about his spoiled plans for the weekend. Interestingly, I quite like the tumbling bull in the shop, Rafa , ready for a fight, easily ruffled and easily angry.

Domingo Villar paints a beautiful picture of a fishing village in the Galician Shore and takes on a voyage on a stormy night in a Ship to the roots of the crime. I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed Villar's Water-Blue Eyes and look forward to read other books that would appear in this series. 

Translated from Spanish by Sonia Soto.

V is for Domingo Villar

This is my post for Crime Fiction Alphabet V

I read Domingo Villar's Water-Blue Eyes based in Vigo in the Galician coast of Spain and enjoyed it. I loved the humour.

Luis Reigosa, jazz Saxophonist is found murdered in his bed with hands tied and mouth gagged. The method for murder is very cruel and novel. Inspector Leo Caldas and his assistant Rafael Estevez investigate the murder. Inspector Caldas regularly participates on Patrol on Air in Radio and is quite a celebrity. Who murdered Luis and why? And whoever murdered Luis, why did they use this horrible method for murder?

Friday Memes

This week I am posting from Water-Blue Eyes by Domingo Villar

Friday Book Beginnings is a weekly Meme hosted at A Few More Pages..

The line of lights on the coast, the glimmer of the city, the white spray where the waves broke....It made no difference that it was dark and the rain was lashing against the windows.

Friday 56 hosted @ Freda's Voice is a weekly Meme where we share an interesting snippet from page 56 of any book.

Caldas noticed the man trembled slightly as he spoke. He had read many years ago, in Camilo José Cela's The Hive, that a slight tremor of the lower lip was a giveaway of fear. He had often witnessed the accuracy of the Noble Prize-winning Galician writer's observation.

Water-Blue Eyes by Domingo Villar

Do you know anybody with Water-Blue Eyes? I don't. From what I understand from Domingo Villar's award winning crime novel, Water-Blue Eyes are not only rare but very attractive. Why would anyone cause such excruciating pain to somebody with those attractive water-blue eyes?

Luis Reigosa, jazz Saxophonist is found murdered in his bed with hands tied and mouth gagged. The method for murder is very cruel and novel. Inspector Leo Caldas and his subordinate Rafael Estevez investigate the murder. Inspector Caldas regularly participates on Patrol on Air in Radio and is quite a celebrity. Doors do open and it is easier to meet people when you are a celebrity, isn't it?

Estevez is gaint of a man and is on his punishment post in Vigo on the Galician coast in Spain, where the action takes place. Why wouldn't anybody answer Estevez's questions with a direct yes or no? Estevez is quick to anger and everybody helps him with his temper in Vigo. The Waiter episode is really funny.

I wasn't completely bowled over by the mystery but there is a nice twist in the end. As killing methods go this one is something I have never heard or read before. I am definitely reading more of Inspector Caldas's cases on the Galician coast.

I borrowed this book from my local library. This book is translated from Spanish into English by Martin Schifino.

P.S. Don't crime aficionado's read philosophy?