Aside from galleys, this month I stuck to reading from my TBR pile. As a huge fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafon, I’ve been recc’d Arturo Perez-Reverte by about a hundred people. Every book related website I visit has the two authors side by side and when you go to make a purchase online, the two are always found together. I finally accepted it as a hint that wouldn’t go away and delved into three of his titles this month.
Queen of the South is probably the most well-known of his titles here in the US. It sparked a series on the USA channel which garnered a lot of praise. The book is a great introduction to him as a writer. It’s very accessible as a story without being too overbearing in characters or plotlines. I enjoyed it, even though it wasn’t what I expected as a “literary thriller” and I saw no relation to Zafon (other than it being a Spanish translation).
Seville Communion was my favorite of the three titles I read. The names and places were hard to grasp and I kept confusing the characters. I think that was entirely my failing as a reader, however. Since the names were not common to my first language, it made it difficult for me. It was a slow read, one to savor rather than just rush through. Still not sure it qualifies as a “thriller” but it did have the classic mystery elements going for it.
Club Dumas was not a favorite. I just could not get into this story or the characters. It may have been Reverte burnout (can that be a thing? Please let it be a thing!). I may try and re-read it again once I’ve filled my brain with lighter fare.
Elizabeth Blair Books 