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A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
Field of Death by Graham Brack
4.0
‘It ought not be thought that Slonský was a curmudgeon who disliked human interaction.’
No, Josef Slonský is a man on a mission. He must pass a medical in order to take up his promotion as Captain in the Prague police force, and a strict diet and exercise regime is making him just a little more grumpy than usual. But then an explosion in a field captures his attention.
It’s reported that four men with metal detectors managed to discover and then to detonate a World War II bomb. But Novák the pathologist has some doubts about this explanation, and Slonský starts investigating. Was it an accident, or is it murder?
‘Has either of you heard of the Ghost Battery?’
This is the fourth brilliant entry into the Josef Slonský series, and I think it is the best yet. It has a delightfully eccentric plot (no spoilers here) and includes his two offsiders Jan Navrátil and Kristýna Peiperová. Peiperová is about to undertake a one-year assignment for the Director of Criminal Police, and Slonský is plotting to make sure that she returns to his division afterwards. And Navrátil ends up with his own critical assignment as Slonský works to solve the case. There’s plenty of action towards the end, and more than a few twists.
As I’ve come to expect, Slonský finds some unusual albeit pragmatic solutions to problems and it’s an entertaining read. While this novel could be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading the novels in order because the character development (and related backstory) is as important as the case being solved.
And now I will wait patiently for another instalment. Highly recommended.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
No, Josef Slonský is a man on a mission. He must pass a medical in order to take up his promotion as Captain in the Prague police force, and a strict diet and exercise regime is making him just a little more grumpy than usual. But then an explosion in a field captures his attention.
It’s reported that four men with metal detectors managed to discover and then to detonate a World War II bomb. But Novák the pathologist has some doubts about this explanation, and Slonský starts investigating. Was it an accident, or is it murder?
‘Has either of you heard of the Ghost Battery?’
This is the fourth brilliant entry into the Josef Slonský series, and I think it is the best yet. It has a delightfully eccentric plot (no spoilers here) and includes his two offsiders Jan Navrátil and Kristýna Peiperová. Peiperová is about to undertake a one-year assignment for the Director of Criminal Police, and Slonský is plotting to make sure that she returns to his division afterwards. And Navrátil ends up with his own critical assignment as Slonský works to solve the case. There’s plenty of action towards the end, and more than a few twists.
As I’ve come to expect, Slonský finds some unusual albeit pragmatic solutions to problems and it’s an entertaining read. While this novel could be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading the novels in order because the character development (and related backstory) is as important as the case being solved.
And now I will wait patiently for another instalment. Highly recommended.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith