Source: Review copy from Corylus Books – thank you !
Translated by Peter Bush
I loved the first of Catatan author Teresa Solana’s Barcelona Nights series of novels from Corylus Books, Black Storms, unusually for a crime novel, combined the investigation of the crime with the rich family drama of the lead detective, Norma Forester. Now Norma is back along with her forensic pathologist husband Octavi, her student daughter Violeta, now living in a squat; plus hippy mother Mimi, grandmother Senta and the incorrigible Aunt Margarida, (a cloistered nun who escapes for a bit of fun), also put in appearances.
It begins with Dr Octavi Claramunt, 46, head of the Forensic Pathology Service. He’s in a foul mood …
He and his wife Norma, had planned a trip to London to see an exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical drawings, but Dr Valentina Segovia’s unexpected absence – she was seven months pregnant – had forced them to cancel their trip.
Many of the other forensic pathologists found excuses not to cover her either. Norma is understanding – she’ll have a night out with best friend Rita, then can go the weekend after. It’s only Octavi and lab assistant Rocio there when a phone call comes. Meanwhile Norma is getting up when she gets Octavi’s phone call telling her about the plane crash at the airport., but she’s not in her own bed, but in David’s, her occasional British lover – and then Violeta calls.
We then shift perspectives to Violeta, who woke up in the butterfly house squat (nicknamed for its decorative butterflies in the garden) to find her boyfriend Gerard gone. Gerard is a physics student, and moved into the squat to get away from his father who is pestering him to come into the family business instead of enrolling on a PhD at Edinburgh. She finds Gerard in the garden, looking at a dead body. She calls Norma first.
So we’re all set up. Norma has a murder to investigate, although with Violeta so closely involved she has to tread carefully and won’t be allowed to lead for most of it. Octavi will work all hours on the hundreds of victims of the plane crash, but will also find himself attracted to one of the pathologists from other cities who come to help. Gerard and his father will come under investigation when a link to the murdered woman is discovered. And Aunt Margarida, a seasoned hacker, will be able to winkle out information to help when progress is limited.
Norma and Octavi will face difficult decisions over their infidelities, having been forced to lie to each other. However, they do love each other very much, that is still clear, so we cross our fingers and hope all will resolve for the better. Norma is an unconventional mother, seemingly unconcerned about Violeta sleeping with her boyfriend and living in a squat – but the geeky Gerard is quite different to the more politically radical types that got her into trouble in the first novel, and Norma is supportive, hoping Gerard can be cleared.
Gerard, she reflected seemed nice enough, but throughout her career Norma had often had the opportunity to check out Cicero’s statement that the face is the mirror of the soul and found enough exceptions not to put any trust in it. Besides, what was a diligent student of physics doing sharing a roof with a group of squatters?
I liked the classical reference there, and I loved that Norma and Octavi are a cultured couple who would fly to London for an exhibition; Norma has an English grandfather, so the London connection isn’t such a leap. At Mossos though (as the Catalan police are known) HQ, Deputy Inspector Norma has other battles to fight – notably with the Chief Super over her involvement in the murder investigation when her daughter is an associate of a suspect, and also her ultra feminist Inspector colleague – no love lost there.
Once again, Solana delivers a crime investigation with family dynamics at its heart. I enjoyed it so much and hope this series does extend to a trilogy – or beyond.
Review copy – thank you. Corylus Books flapped paperback, 206 pages. BUY at Amazon UK or Waterstones via my affiliate links.
