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Inspector Leo Caldas and his assistant, Rafael Estevez, are called to the small coastal village of Paxon, where the body of local fisherman Castelo has been washed up on the beach. He was seen taking his boat out alone early in the morning, and suicide is suspected, but there are a few odd facts which convince Caldas that murder is a more likely explanation. Enquiries show that Castelo had been receiving messages alluding to the foundering of a fishing boat in a storm some years ago, drowning the captain. Castelo and the other two survivors of that accident kept their distance afterwards, and the remaining pair are reluctant to talk. Caldas becomes convinced that this event holds the key to the recent death and sets out to uncover the past. DEATH ON A GALICIAN SHORE is redolent with characteristics of this corner of Spain: the architecture, the food, the viniculture, even the manner of speech. Caldas is old-fashioned enough to appreciate the time-honoured aspects of village life, and Vigo, where he is based, is small enough to have Caldas walking to his favourite eatery where traditional dishes are served. Caldas himself is an engaging character. As well as the endearing preferences mentioned, he is quiet and thoughtful, dogged in his pursuit of the truth and acutely aware of his own failings. His assistant, Rafael Estevez, provides a good foil for his boss, being an outsider exasperated by Galician suspicion, over-ready to use the heavy arm of the law, and keen to have his weekends to himself. The central figure of Caldas is further developed by several sub-plots in the book. Caldas is featured on a local radio programme to which citizens are invited to phone in with problems, a role that he is not comfortable with but for which he is best known, and his battles with the programme host are amusing. Caldas lives alone, albeit with the shadowy figure of his former partner Alba not too far in the background. He remains close to his father, a widower who runs a small winery, and through him an uncle incapacitated by cancer. These relationships are full of affection but conveyed without sentimentality, and again with a great sense of humour. The interludes digressing from the main theme do not interrupt the flow of the book, but are integrated in a skilful way. DEATH ON A GALICIAN SHORE is organized in short chapters which entice the reader to continue, and the pace is nicely judged. After an initial period of uncertainty, Caldas' investigation bears fruit in the form of a stream of revelations which increase up to the resolution of the case in the final pages. Altogether a competent tale of a police investigation, with an interesting protagonist and a strong regional flavour that add very substantially to the book's attractions. If Domingo Villar can produce more tales of this quality Leo Caldas is likely to be seen again. § Chris Roberts is a retired manager of shopping centres in Hong Kong, and now lives in Bristol, primarily reading.
Reviewed by Chris Roberts, September 2012
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