Crime Fiction Alphabet 2011: F is for Fuentes, Eugenio

Esta entrada es bilingüe, para ver la versión española desplazarse por la pantalla hacia abajo

The Alphabet in Crime Fiction arrives safely this week to letter F under the watchful eyes of our host Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise. Just remember, it is not too late to join in and you don’t have to post each week if reading (or life) gets in the way.

F is for Fuentes, Eugenio. Spanish novelist Eugenio Fuentes was born in Montehermoso (Cáceres, Spain) in 1958. The author of a collection of short stories, Vías muertas (Dead Tracks, 1997), and of a literary essay, La mitad de Occidente (Half of the West, 2003), Fuentes finds himself among the Spanish crime fiction writers with more international projection thanks to his private investigator Ricado Cupido, the main character in his series: El interior del bosque, 1999 (IX Premio Alba/Prensa Canaria, Tusquets, Andanzas 663); La sangre de los ángeles, 2001 (Alba, 2001), Las manos del pianista, 2003 (Andanzas 504); Cuerpo a cuerpo, 2007 (Premio Brigada 21 in 2008 to the best crime fiction novel published in Spanish; Tusquets, Andanzas 624) and Contrarreloj, 2009 (Tusquets, Andanzas 688). Of which Arcadia has already published in English: El interior del bosque (Depths of the Forest, 2002), La sangre de los ángeles (Blood of the Angels, 2007), Las manos del pianista (The Pianist’s Hands, 2008) and Cuerpo a cuerpo (At Close Quarters, 2009).

For additional information you may visit my review of At Close Quarters, HERE.

At Close Quarters has also been reviewed by Maxine at Euro Crime. See also Who is Ricardo Cupido?

El Alfabeto del Crimen llega a salvo esta semana a la letra F bajo la mirada atenta de nuestra anfitriona Kerrie en Mysteries in Paradise. Recuerden, no es demasiado tarde para participar y no tienen que publicar cada semana si sus lecturas (o su vida) se lo impiden.

F es de Fuentes, Eugenio. El novelista español Eugenio Fuentes nació en Montehermoso (Cáceres, España) en 1958. Autor de una colección de historias cortas, Vías muertas (1997) y de un ensayo literario, La mitad de Occidente (2003), Fuentes se encuentra entre los novelistas españoles de novela de crimen y de misterio con mayor proyección internacional gracias a su detective privado Ricardo Cupido, el protagonista de su serie:  El interior del bosque, 1999 (IX Premio Alba/Prensa Canaria, Tusquets, Andanzas 663); La sangre de los ángeles, 2001 (Alba, 2001), Las manos del pianista, 2003 (Andanzas 504); Cuerpo a cuerpo, 2007 (Premio Brigada 21 en 2008 a la mejor novela negra publicada en España; Tusquets, Andanzas 624) y Contrarreloj, 2009 (Tusquets, Andanzas 688). De las que Arcadia ha publicado ya en inglés: El interior del bosque (Depths of the Forest, 2002), La sangre de los ángeles (Blood of the Angels, 2007), Las manos del pianista (The Pianist’s Hands, 2008) y Cuerpo a cuerpo (At Close Quarters, 2009).

At Close Quartets (original title Cuerpo a Cuerpo) – Eugenio Fuentes

>Fuentes, E. Cuerpo a cuerpo. (2007). Tusquets Editores. Barcelona. 360 p. ISBN: 978-84-8310-389-0.

Eugenio Fuentes has been quite a discovery for me and I do have to thank Karen for her post in Euro Crime.

At Close Quartets (Arcadia, 2009) is the fifth instalment in a series featuring private investigator Ricardo Cupido. So far the following titles have been published: El nacimiento de Cupido (1993), El interior del bosque (1999. The Depths of the Forest, 2002), La sangre de los ángeles (2001. Blood of the Angels, 2007), Las manos del pianista (2003. The Pianist’s hands, 2008), Cuerpo a cuerpo (2007. At Close Quartets, 2009). His last book Contrarreloj, 2009 is not available in English yet.

Ricardo Cupido is a sagacious detective and a lonesome fellow. He does focus more on characters rather than events to solve his cases. This is also the first title in which the action doesn’t take place in Breda, the fictitious name that Fuentes has chosen to refer to the actual city of Cáceres in Extremadura. In At Close Quarters we find Cupido in an unnamed city in the Mediterranean coast. It is interesting to note also that Fuentes provides very little information about Cupido in his books.

In the cover we can read the following summary:
“Every day, from his window, Samuel watches as a woman drops off her two children at the bus stop. He is so fascinated by her that, one afternoon when he cannot be at his window to observe her, he leaves his camera programmed to take pictures of her picking up the children. Later, when he looks through the pictures, he not only sees his platonic love, but also an unexpected event that has been photographed. That day, on that corner, a group of teenagers provokes one of the neighbour’s dogs, which manages to jump over the fence to attack and ends up killing one of them. Samuel decides to hide the pictures and, overcoming his shyness, ends up approaching the woman. Her name is Marina, she is recently separated, and the daughter of a high-ranking officer, Captain Olmedo, who is in charge of dismantling the city’s military headquarters. Olmedo, a strict man who likes to do his job right, ends up dead in his house, with a bullet from his own gun, through his chest. His daughter Marina does not believe the official version of the suicide and she hires Cupido, a peaceful detective who will discover hidden secrets as well as the tense relationships of those that surround them. He will investigate Olmedo’s military colleagues, his daughter’s ex-husband, and even the anaesthetist who cared for his wife during her plastic surgery. There are reasons that make all of them suspects.”

Fuentes is a fine writer with and elegant prose and a well documented argument, but he really excels with the great psychological portraits of his characters, which are simply superb. This is a highly recommended book of one of the top crime fiction writers that we have today in Spain.

Eugenio Fuentes was born in Montehermoso, Caceres, Spain in 1958. He is a multi-prize-winning writer who has also published Las batallas de Breda (1990), Tantas mentiras (1997), Venas de nieve (2005) and a short story collection, Vías muertas(1997). He has been translated into more than thirteen languages.

For more information about Eugenio Fuentes click:

Arcadia books (In English)

Tusquets editores (In Spanish)

El síndrome Chéjov (In Spanish)

Novela Negra y Cine Negro (In Spanish)

Noches de negra pasión

The printed edition of Babelia brings today an article by Rosa Mora: Noches de negra pasión (Nights of black passion), where she highlights eight Spanish writers.

Unfortunately only two books are available in English and only three authors have been translated.

La edición impresa de Babelia trae hoy un artículo de Rosa Mora: Noches de negra pasión, en donde destaca a ocho escritores españoles.

Desafortunadamente sólo dos libros están disponibles en inglés y sólo tres autores han sido traducidos.

– Alicia Giménez Bartlett, Un barco cargado de arroz
– Eugenio Fuentes, El interior del bosque (The Depths of the Forest)
– Mario Lacruz, El inocente
– Francisco González Ledesma, No hay que morir dos veces
– Juan Madrid, Un beso de amigo
– Andreu Martín, Prótesis
– Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Los mares del Sur (Southern Seas)
– Jorge Martínez Reverte, Gálvez en la frontera

>Eugenio Fuentes

>Really ashamed because it was in Eurocrime, thanks Karen, were I first took notice of Eugenio Fuentes. Therefore I will choose one of his books to participate in the 2010 Global Reading Challenge covering Europe.

More information about Eugenio Fuentes in Arcadia Books

Realmente avergonzado porque fue en Eurocrime, gracias Karen, en donde por primera vez tuve noticia de Eugenio Fuentes. Por tanto voy a elegir uno de sus libros para participar en el Desafío Global de Lectura 2010 por Europa.

Más información sobre Eugenio Fuentes en Tusquets Editores y en Novela negra y cine negro.

>Eugenio Fuentes

>Acabo de enterarme por el blog de Euro Crime, gracias Karen, de la exitencia de Eugenio Fuentes. ¡Qué vergüenza! Pero no me duelen prendas reconocer mi ignorancia.
La verdad es que ahora que caigo hace ya un tiempo me había llamado la atención en las librerías un libro: Contrareloj de Eugenio Fuentes editado por Tusquets. Ver Europolar.
Y mi lista de libros/autores pendientes va creciendo.
Visitar también el blog Novela Negra y Cine Negro de Francisco Ortiz.