Death of a Matador

LoveReading Says

Bullfighting, passion and political unrest are woven together in this intriguing mystery set against the backdrop of a country torn apart by war. Almost 40 years have passed since former police inspector and militiaman, Paco Ruiz, set out on a desperate (and dangerous) mission to track down the murderer of former school friend, Faustino - one of Spain’s most celebrated matadors. Ruiz hopes that revisiting the events of the investigation years later will go some way to healing the wounds left by the death of his friend, but also the physical and mental scars left by the war itself. With blood-soaked action in and out of the bullring and an undercurrent of dark secrets and shady characters rippling throughout, Death of a Matador isn’t for the faint-hearted. This is a man’s world where prostitution and drinking are part and parcel of life, and the brutality of the bullfighting is matched by the violent attacks taking place on the city’s street corners. But despite the tension, touches of humour and beautifully evoked images of the country carefully balance things out… priceless side-characters like Fat Felipe add much needed relief too! As with previous Ruiz mysteries, Woods has vividly captured a moment in Spain’s troubled past. His writing is packed with spirit and accurate historical detail, graphic accounts revealing the devastating impact of the civil war and Ruiz’s own painful backstory adding to the story’s emotional landscape. Brace yourself for a poignant, thrilling, detective mystery.

Lindsay Quayle

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