January 13, 2024

Barcelona’s famous detective

This is one of many popular books about the fictional private detective Pepe Carvalho, that were published between the 1970s and 1990s.

Carvalho is an interesting and complex character, a former communist who has lived through the Franco years. Description of the political and cultural situation of late 20th century Spain is typical in the books. He’s famous as a lover of good food, and each novel has a detailed description of one of his creations.

In this book, Carvalho is hired to investigate the disappearance of a businessman, who had announced his intention to head to the South Pacific, and then a year later has been found dead at a construction site in Barcelona.

There were more difficult sections at times, and some casual dialogue/slang.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read as a detective story. The cultural and food references, and the backdrop of Barcelona, including a look at its darker side, made it quite rewarding.

Gradings:15
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harder thanCaca de vacaL19
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harder thanEl HobbitL28
Micki graded
on January 29, 2024
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on January 29, 2024
harder thanEl sobrino del magoL24