I’ve been sent a few books recently to review and although some of them I’d rather not say what I thought about them, I did really like one in particular.
It’s called “Spanish Lies” written by Mark Harrison.
You may have seen Mark on TV recently. He was featured in the ITV “Homes from Hell” program spearheading a campaign against a land grab situation in his village in Spain. Mark’s efforts, along with those of all his fellow villagers, succeeded in kicking out the political party in power at the time and as a result put a stop to the whole land grab fiasco there.
Mark left a political career in the UK for a more relaxed lifestyle in a small village on the Costa Blanca and to concentrate on his writing and love of Spanish history. I don’t think getting caught up in a planning and land grab scandal really featured in his original plan!
Spanish Lies is his third book and is based on his experiences and knowledge of “how things are done” out here.
It starts off with the murder of the local mayor which Michael Fernandez is sent in to investigate. Given also the task of solving the “simpler” case of a missing teenager, Michael gets caught up in the murky world of greedy developers and politicians and becomes totally shocked by the extent of lies, deceit, perversion and depravity he encounters along the way.
I loved the book. It’s an easy and enjoyable read and it’s more than just the whole “murder mystery” type plot. The book gives you an insight into some local customs, how the Spanish think and work and the lives of some expats thrown in to spicen up the plot.
It kept me hooked from start to finish and not just wondering how the mysterious plot was going to unravel, but also to see how Michael’s love life would pan out after his various and sometimes complicated run-ins with the opposite sex.
It’s definitely got something for everyone and if you have a passion for Spain, intrigue, mystery with a bit of romance thrown in, then you should grab yourself a copy of this excellent book.
A great book from Mark Harrison and I look forward to his next one!
You can order a copy of Spanish Lies on Amazon.