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Hector Salgado is a police inspector based in his adopted city of Barcelona. He has been on an enforced holiday after succumbing to a fit of rage whilst investigating a case of the death of a young girl. He returns to the city and, although prohibited from continuing that investigation, is assigned a new case concerning a boy who fell to his death from a window. Needless to say he gets involved in both cases. They both involve some unsavoury practices and in the course of his investigations, Hector gradually begins to face up to his own personal challenges. The strength of the book lies in the construction of the plots. Different story-lines are skilfully intertwined as events progress. Seeds of suspicion are sown but often lead to very different outcomes from those expected amidst some clever misdirection. Interesting devices such as past letters and blogs are used to bring past events into the proceedings and keep the writing fresh. The main character of Hector is developed through description of what he sees and thinks, rather than through visual descriptions of him as a person. Indeed he is developed into a character with depth and many facets, including the feelings he has for family members or the anger with which he responds to injustice. There is good pace throughout the book with each chapter closing with something intriguing left in the air. The subsequent chapter inevitably picks up another different aspect of the story. Occasionally the thread is lost, almost as though the author's brain is working faster than the actual writing process. When this results in a non-sequitur, it is always picked up and clarified shortly afterwards – a device to maintain the active involvement of the reader. Throughout the story, the heat of Barcelona is often mentioned, but somehow this doesn't quite work – it just doesn't feel hot. Overall THE SUMMER OF DEAD TOYS is very readable with a complex, cleverly recounted plot and interesting characters. Plenty to look forward to if there is a sequel. § Sylvia Maughan is a retired university lecturer, based in Bristol.
Reviewed by Sylvia Maughan, December 2012
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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