Summer Snow (Soho Crime) [Paperback]

Rebecca Pawel (Author)

Book Description

Series: Soho Crime | Publication Date: February 1, 2007

“Pawel’s splendid historical series . . . takes an inspired turn in The Summer Snow.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
 
“In addition to strong characterizations and a witty sense of humor, [Pawel] explores the inherent tension of a detective trying to seek the truth in a country that regularly suppresses it.”—Christian Science Monitor
“This is another winner.”—Detroit Free Press
 
“A triumph of characterization, suspense and atmosphere. . . . This beguiling novel will richly reward lovers of both mysteries and mainstream literary fiction.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
In the city of Granada, Spain, bastion of the conservative Catholic aristocracy, fear of the red menace remains strong in 1945. One rich, elderly lady summons the police to her home almost once a week, sure Communists are plotting against her. She changes her will almost as often. When she is found dead, the long-suffering police can’t believe that she really may have been murdered. But as her latest will has vanished, the death must be investigated.
 
Influence is exerted to have Lieutenant Carlos Tejada Alonso y Léon transferred temporarily from Potes, in the northern mountains, to take charge because the old lady is his grandaunt. And one of the chief suspects is his father. The family expects Tejada to exonerate its members, but Tejada is a man who puts duty first.
 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Set in fascist Spain shortly after WWII, Edgar-winner Pawel's fourth mystery to feature Gardia lieutenant Carlos Tejada (after 2005's The Watcher in the Pine) is a triumph of characterization, suspense and atmosphere. The suspicious death of Tejada's wealthy great-aunt, Doña Rosalia, in the city of Granada embroils him and his immediate family—small son Toño and wife Elena—in a case involving the implications of a missing will and the often inexplicable actions of his relatives. While the mystery itself captivates from both a historical and topical perspective, the book's complex characters are even more impressive. A remarkable sequence in which Tejada investigates his cousin Felipe is riveting, but as much for insight into Felipe as for its significance to the plot. Tejada remains fascinating for his suspect morality: a decent man who's also an apologist for a brutal regime. This beguiling novel will richly reward lovers of both mysteries and mainstream literary fiction. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Edgar winner Pawel (The Watcher in the Pine, 2004) returns to the Spain of the civil-war era. Lieutenant Carlos Tejada Alonso y Leon, a member of the landed gentry who has chosen to join the Guardia Civil, has married Elena, a leftist teacher from a working-class family. When Carlos' great-aunt Rosalia dies, his father asks him to investigate. Dona Rosalia was elderly, extremely demanding, and paranoid, changing her will often. Carlos uses some vacation time for the investigation, bringing Elena and their five-year-old son, Tono, to Grenada. With a missing will, disgruntled servants, and children who have been disinherited, there is no shortage of motives. Carlos is in the awkward position of investigating his own family while shielding his wife and child from his hostile mother. Pawel mixes solid mystery plotting with powerful evocations of Spanish landscape and the postwar era. Fans of the series will be in line for this one. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Soho Crime (February 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569474435
• ISBN-13: 978-1569474433
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.9 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,178,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a native New Yorker, and a product of the city's much maligned public schools. After four years at Columbia University (plus another year for a Masters at Teachers College), I went back to the public schools this time as a high school teacher.

Just to get this out of the way; no, my family is not Spanish, or of Spanish descent. We're European Jews, which means we're from everywhere and nowhere. The study of foreign languages was always respected in my home, and I've studied Japanese and French as well as Spanish, although I haven't achieved the same fluency. Lately, I've started studying Dutch to research a new novel.

I learned Spanish mostly in school, a little bit in the neighborhood and in Puerto Rico, and a lot more in Spain. I first visited Spain as a high school student in 1994, and since college I've tried to get back there pretty frequently.

New York holds a special place in my heart, but I love all cities, and believe passionately in pedestrian zones, bicycle lanes, public transportation, and other things that most Americans seem dubious about.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Historical Novel & Riveting Mystery ! BRAVO Ms. Pawel!, April 11, 2006

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Summer Snow (Hardcover)

"Summer Snow" is Rebecca Pawel's fourth novel featuring Carlos Tejada Alonso y Leon, and each book is more intriguing than the previous. Set in post Civil War Spain, the author accurately paints a grim portrait of a country settling into the "normality" of an uneasy peace. Atrocities have devastated both sides of the conflict. The populace's "us" versus "them" attitude will continue for many years, and even in 1945, battle scars are still fresh, as are memories of dead loved ones, festering political wounds and fears of the Red Menace. Many areas of Spain are in ruins, and food shortages leave much of the population hungry - some are literally starving Although descriptions of the humiliation, defeat and isolation of those who did not support Franco's cause is made palpable throughout Ms. Pawel's intelligent narrative, with "Summer Snow" she gives the reader an idea of how the other half - the winning Falangists - live and think. Fascinating material, made more so by the author's intelligent, knowledgeable writing and original plot.

The Lieutenant, his wife, Elena, and their small son have been asked to visit Tejada's family in the beautiful southern city of Grenada, where they are wealthy landowners. Carlos' great aunt, Dona Rosalia Ordonez, died suddenly and Sr. Andres Tejada, our protagonist's father, believes she was murdered. The only copy of her will, in which she bequeaths considerable amounts of money and land holdings is missing. The eccentric old woman had always insisted that the Reds were out to murder her. She also feuded almost continuously with members of her immediate family and subsequently changed her will frequently to signify her anger and mood swings. Her final revision was made just a few days before her death.

Carlos is asked by his father to come home from Potes, in the northern mountains where he is stationed to investigate. Since Guardia policy is for officers to serve in regions far from their family homes, "so they will not be subjected to local pressures," the Tejada family must take vacation time for Carlos to solve what does turn out to be a nasty murder case...with many interesting suspects, including his own father, and as many varied motives. To spice up the story, Carlos and Elena both have problems with "the family."

The Tejada Alonso y L?on and Ordonez families are embarrassed by their youngest son's career choice - so plebeian - when he could have remained at home and led the life of a senorito...a spoiled, rich younger son. And then he married a Red! Needless to say, they are barely civil to Elena.

Carlos Tejada is one of the most well developed characters that I have met in recent popular fiction, as is his wife. They are both extremely bright, well educated, decent people, and polar opposites politically. He is the second son of a wealthy landowner, a conservative, and a staunch Nationalist. He backed Franco from the beginning. Now, as a lieutenant in the Guardia Civil, his political views have been moderated somewhat through maturity, experience, and the influence of his spouse - the former Elena Fernandez, Socialist daughter of a distinguished Classics professor at the University of Salamanca. Carlos studied law at this university before joining the Guardia during the war. The couple met in Madrid, where she worked as a schoolteacher, while Tejada was investigating a murder.

This rich historical novel is much more than a mystery, although the sleuth-work and suspense are riveting. The characters themselves are the story - and a most compelling one. I highly recommend "Summer Snow," and suggest reading "Death of A Nationalist" and the other books in the series first. The novels stand on their own, however, without any prequel. Outstanding!
JANA

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book of a mystery and relationships, April 6, 2007

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Summer Snow (Soho Crime) (Paperback)

Lieutenant Carlos Tejada comes to Granada with his wife and son after his wealthy grand aunt has died. She had been a querulous old lady always seeing conspiracies but Carlos finds she had been murdered. While trying to find his aunt's killer, his wife, Elena, must deal with her in-laws disapproval of her while trying to keep their young son amused.

I so enjoy this series as much for the relationship of Tajada and his wife as for the mystery itself. It is not a perfect marriage. They were raised differently, and have very different political views which cause friction. In other words, it's realistic. It's interesting seeing Tajada in an environment where he is not in command of the men, but of the investigation, and where has to interrogate family members, including his father. This is a very good, character-driven story still with a very good mystery. I highly recommend this series.

2.0 out of 5 stars Publ Adv Copy (pb) Sent as Hardback, July 15, 2011

By 

Kubie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Summer Snow (Hardcover)

The copy sent is a publisher's advance copy (paperback). The book was offered as a hardcover. Very bad.