Book Review
"Barcelona was a place of wonder, but it could also be cruel to any person who failed to stay alert."
The Secret of Vesalius
will be released in the UK on 16th November 2017. It is written by Jordi Llobregat and published by Riverrun.A Gothic thriller set in 'fin-de-siecle' Barcelona, The Secret of Vesalius appealed to me right away, especially as I read it while I was in Barcelona and so irritated my husband by constantly pointing out places mentioned in the book.
I enjoyed The Secret of Vesalius, it's what my Dad would call 'a good yarn'. It's a murder mystery adventure with a Gothic setting, but there's not much originality in it; most of the characters are stock and the plot twists were sometimes so obvious they had the subtlety of a sledgehammer. However, I found this book fun, and if you're looking for a thriller with a big dollop of history thrown in then this is for you.
BLURB
Frankenstein meets The Shadow of the Wind in a Gothic thriller set in the diabolical city of fin-de-siecle Barcelona.
Daniel Amat has left Spain and all that happened there behind him. Having just achieved a brilliant role in Ancient Languages at Oxford University and an even more advantageous engagement, the arrival of a letter - a demand - stamped Barcelona comes like a cold hand from behind.
He arrives back in that old, labyrinthine and near-mythic city a few days before the great 1888 World Fair, amid dread whispers of murders - the injuries reminiscent of an ancient curse, and bearing signs of the genius 16th century anatomist, Vesalius. Daniel is soon pulled into the depths of the crime, and eventually into the tunnels below Barcelona, where his own dark past and the future of science are joined in a terrible venture - to bring the secret of Vesalius to life.
Gothic and gripping, this historical thriller makes of Barcelona a diabolical character - emerging out of the dark into a new electrical age, aflame with spirit, superstition and science. Published in eighteen countries, Jordi Llobregat's bestselling first novel mixes a passionate setting and cryptic mystery into a genre-crossing phenomenon.
The Secret of Vesalius is an odd mix of Frankenstein and the lethal weapon films. Yes, it deals with strange murders, scientific experiments and a Gothic setting of the murkier side of the famous city, but it also has all the aspects of an eighties action film; deliciously deranged baddie, heroes with conflicting personalities who ultimately work together to save the day, bad one liners, predictable plot twists and even a car chase, well carriage chase. It definitely lacked subtlety in both plot and characters, which I was a little disappointed about. However, once I'd found that this wasn't going to be the low burning exploration of the psychology of a murder that I thought it was, I accepted it for what it was, a rip-roaring (I can't believe I just wrote those words) story that entertains, disturbs but won't scratch any deeper than the surface.
Ultimately it is a fun read but not a particularly original. However, the setting is what really stands out and adds a bit of depth to the somewhat stock story.
The warren streets of Barcelona and it's contrast of poverty and wealth made an excellent background, and I enjoyed reading a book set in a city that maybe doesn't get as much attention as its more literary sisters, such as London, Edinburgh, Paris and Rome (although the current situation in Barcelona at the moment is bringing a lot of attention to the city).
I did enjoy the Gothic horror feeling of the novel, though from very early on you can see which way the plot is going, the blurb pretty much gives it away. But this, coupled with the brilliant Catalonian setting, adds a little depth and interest to the story.
My Rating: 3 Stars
I received a copy of The Secret of Vesalius via NetGalley in return for an honest review, my thanks to the author and publisher.
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