Claudia Piñeiro

Claudia Pineiro is well-known in Argentina as a crime novelist, and several years ago I read and enjoyed one of her crime novels, Thursday Night Widows. This book, however, is not by any stretch a crime novel or a mystery, but rather a very literary exploration of character.

As the novel opens a woman named Mary Lohan is returning to Argentina after 20 years living in the United States. We learn that she left Argentina suddenly, after a traumatic or tragic event, and that she left family behind. Slowly the novel unfolds, as we learn what brings Mary back to Argentina, what caused her to leave, and what happened to her family. Mostimportantly, the novel explores whether the scars of the past ever be healed.

This was a quiet and moving book. It was to an extent mysterious, but not a mystery. I enjoyed it, though it was certainly different than what I was expecting.

3 1/2 stars… (plus d'informations)

This novel comes as a reminder of how much translated crime fiction has fallen off my radar in recent years, and also what a different flavour this author in particular brings.

The Crime writer of the national newspaper covering this murder in a gated community is a fairly new appointment, inexperienced, and is referred to as Crime Boy. His editor decides to provide a different slant to the case by installing a novelist, a former lover, in the gated community, to write a series of articles about the life that the murder victim was leading. These articles will be published simultaneously with whatever Crime Boy can provide. The victim's wife had been murdered in the same house three years earlier, but apart from the way she was murdered, was there any connection?

In addition the newspaper is still employing its former crime writer, on what he regards as fairly useless tasks, and he decides, against his better judgement, that Crime Boy needs tutelage. Between them, with Betty Boo, the three of them make a formidable team.

A most enjoyable read.… (plus d'informations)

Boek begint met een kort stukje tekst over een spoorwegovergang die maar dicht blijft; er komt maar geen trein. Auto's beginnen tussen de spoorbomen te slalommen en dan snel over te steken. Gedurende het verhaal krijg je steeds meer info over wat er daar gebeurd is. Twintig jaar later komt Mary Lohan (of Marilé Lauría of María Elena Pujol) terug naar de plaats waar ze destijds haar gezin in de steek liet. Ze ziet er heel anders uit en niemand herkent haar; of toch wel?
Ik vond het verhaal wat langdradig. De gebeurtenis bij de spoorwegovergang is wel intrigerend; je komt elke keer een stukje meer te weten. Maar op het laatst gaat het ook wel irriteren.… (plus d'informations)