29/04/2010 – A Crime is Afoot

New Release in Spain: Muerte y un poco de amor by Alexandra Marinina

I’ve just read on Cruces de Cables and Detectives Literarios that Muerte y un poco de amor (Death and a Bit of Love) by Alexandra Marinina will be released in May 2010. I don’t know if any of her books are available in English. As far as I know her previous books in Spanish are difficult to obtain. Therefore I’m glad that we will have this new book in our bookshops soon.

For more information visit:

Alexandra Marinina in Wikipedia (English) and Mis Detectives Favoritos (Spanish)

Ediciones Pamies (Spanish, you can read the first chapter)

Muerte y un poco de amor by Alexandra Marinina (Spanish)

2010 Global Reading Challenge – Progress Update

I’m aiming for the expert’s level. This requires me to read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America (incl Central America), South America plus two novels set in Antarctica. From fourteen different countries or states.

I’ve restricted myself to crime fiction books only from completely new to me authors. In addition to that after completing a first round from each continent, except Antarctica, I have choose to read female writers only.

So far I have read 12 novels:

Africa:
1) Michael Stanley – A Carrion Death (Botswana) January 11.
2) Margie Orford – Like Clockwork (South Africa) April, 29.

Asia:
3) Mehmet Murat Somer – The Gigolo Murder (Turkey) February 15.
4) Natsuo Kirino – Out (Japan) Currently April 21.

Australasia:
5) Peter Temple – Dead Point (Australia) January 29.
6) Vanda Symon – Overkill (New Zealand) April 3.

Europe:
7) Alicia Gimenez Bartlett – Death Rites (Spain) January 3.
8) Karin Fossum – Don’t Look Back (Norway) March 8.

North America:
9) Leonardo Padura – Havana Gold (Cuba) February 9.
10) Laura Lippman – What the Dead Know (USA) March 18.

South America:
11) Santiago Roncagliolo – Red April (Peru) January 18.
12) Claudia Piñeiro – Thursday Night Widows (Argentina) March 23.

Plus two novels set in Antarctica
13) Bob Reiss – Purgatory Road TBR .
14) Sarah Andrews – In Cold Pursuit TBR.

Like Clockwork by Margie Orford

First Published in 2006 by Oshun Books. Published in the United Kingdom in 2009 by Atlantic. 314 pages. Hardback ISBN: 978 1 84887 086 4.

Like Clockwork is Margie Orford’s first novel featuring award winning journalist Dr. Clare Hart. She is currently working in a new project about the trafficking of women through Africa. She also works part-time as a profiler for the police.

After an introduction the story opens when the first body of a girl is found and we know for sure that we will be facing a serial killer. Her throat has been precisely and meticulously severed and her body arranged in public. It just happens that Dr. Hart lives nearby and she is asked for help. Clare calls Inspector Riedwaan Faizal and asks him to come over to see the body, something doesn’t seem straight forward. But she doesn’t wait for his arrival. Clare and Riedwaan have an on and off relationship. The case also throws up memories of her twin sister’s rape.

Superintendent Phiri cast some doubts before handing the case to Inspector Riedwaan, due to his record of insubordination, alcohol and violence, but he is given a second chance. Phiri is more reluctant to let Clare on Riedwaan’s team since she is considered a loner and somebody difficult to work with, but he will give her a last chance too.

Then two additional bodies are found and a race against time starts when a fourth girl is gone missing. Is Dr. Clare Hart project somehow connected with these crimes?

Although quite readable I found, occasionally, that there are certain aspects of the plot which are very difficult to believe. Overall there is a certain lack of verisimilitude in the story that gets close to the absurd at certain stages. In general the book remains very much in the surface of the problem and lacks a more in depth analysis.