Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar

First Sentence:  Inspector Leo Caldas got out of a taxi and, stepping over the large puddles on the pavement, entered the hospital.

DI Leo Caldas is called out to a small fishing village to sign off on the supposed suicide of Justo Castelo, a local sailor.  But something doesn’t add up; a suicide doesn’t have bound wrists.  The more Caldas and Rafael Estevez, his second, investigate, the more complex the case becomes as a decade-old shipwreck and two disappearances add to the mystery. 

There is nothing better than reading a book set in a location unfamiliar to the reader.  It’s nice when we’re taken to a small community of hard-working people yet can see commonalities with people everywhere.

Caldas, and his second Estevez, are fascinating protagonists.  Caldas is observant, logical, and gets terribly carsick. He is local to the area and hosts a radio program where people air their complaints, almost none of which he can resolve—“After the seventh call, he tallied the score:  City police seven, Leo nil.” It’s nice having his father and grandfather as part of the story. Even the absent wife contributes to who Caldas is.  Estevez is not local, much rougher around the edges, and just doesn’t understand Caldas or the people of the area. He’s continually having to be kept in check by Caldas.

Estevez can be a little hard to take, but Caldas manages him well. Between Caldas always being asked if he is the one on the radio, and Estevez always being told he's not from around there, there's just enough mild humor to take the edge off.

The description of the food, simple food, may leave one hungry—“Soup from the fridge, made with slab bacon, beef broth, turnip tops, broad beans, and potatoes.”  The excellent descriptions of the book's settings create a strong sense of place as Caldas gets to know the people in this fishing village.

The plot is well constructed with well-drawn characters.  The more Caldas digs, the more he finds that secrets from the past have determined the present.

DEATH ON A GALICIAN SHORE is a very well-done detective story. There’s no use of technology here, just basic police work.  One thing keeps building on the other with plenty of red herrings and a very good twist toward the end. This is an author worth reading.


DEATH ON A GALICIAN SHORE (PolProc-DI Leo Caldas-No. Spain-Contemp
by Domingo Villar - 2^nd in series
Abacus Reprint Edition, May 2012, 384 pp.
RATING:  VG/A-