Reviews

El Interrogatorio by Juanjo Estrella, Thomas H. Cook

mayhdez's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

davidpaige's review against another edition

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3.0

Strange, I have this book listed in my notebook as having read it, but I have no recollection of the story. Usually just seeing the name triggers a memory, but not in this case...

matthewn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

tristanrobinblakeman's review against another edition

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4.0

Genuinely engrossing tale focusing on several policemen and a suspect in a child's murder. Although there is an element of mystery regarding "whodunnit," I didn't really consider this a mystery/thriller. Rather, "The Interrogation" was a well-written and thoughtful dramatic novel. The characters were rather tragic - Shakespearean sorrow and failure writ small for the common man.

Flashbacks and time jumping in a novel can be very effective - or it can be confusing and irritating if the author doesn't use the conceit with skill. Here, the current murder of a child mirrors the murder of a child years before and the book handily traverses the flashbacks-and-forwards with ease.

Although this book is about heinous crimes and their aftermath, the author doesn't wallow in the gruesome details and one never cringes from the page out of horror. He is far more concerned with the examination of the people who become embroiled in the cases: the detectives, the families of the victims, the suspects.

I recommend this book to anybody who reads thrillers, but is willing to go one step further than the standard formulaic serial killer suspense novel.
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