Customer Reviews

Tattoo: A Pepe Carvalho Mystery (Pepe Carvalho Mysteries)

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An entry in a popular series about Pepe Carvalho, an unusual character who is a private investigator and a gourmet based in Barcelona, this novel was published many years ago in Europe and more recently translated with grace a couple of years ago. The publisher is to be congratulated in reprinting and releasing "Tattoo" and another, "The Man of My Life" (review to follow shortly), in February, among others in this series. Pepe is a charming rascal, with an intriguing background, having had an apparently successful career before he walked away from the CIA to undertake his more or less relaxed profession in his native Spain.

Pepe is retained for a hefty sum by the husband of a local hairdresser to identify a body pulled out of the sea with a face so badly destroyed that the only identification is a tattoo on the back reading "Born to Raise Hell in Hell." Barcelona police attribute the death to local prostitutes and drug dealers and sweep up these elements off the street. Pepe's investigation leads him to Amsterdam, where the victim worked briefly and apparently was involved with a drug gang. But the mystery is not so simple.

The descriptions of Amsterdam, Pepe's appetite for good food, and observations about Barcelona are all interesting, as is Pepe's sex life and relations with Charo, his long-time love [who happens to be a full-time prostitute with a high-class clientele], among others.

Sadly, Montalban died in October of 2003, but we are fortunate that he left such worthy works behind.

Recommended

Former Barcelona cop, Pepe Carvalho earns a living as a private investigator. However sleuthing is not on the short list of what he loves. Instead his first, second, third and nth love is women especially gourmet dining with beautiful females. He also enjoys on a summer night to use his fireplace burning a book a night especially if a woman joins him.

Two people swimming off a public beach find a badly devoured corpse as the fish dined on the victim's face. On his back is a tattoo "Born to Raise Hell in Hell". After having a tryst interrupted, Senor Ramon Freixas, husband of Senora Queter the hairdresser salon owner, hires Carvalho to find out who the deceased is though he refuses to explain his interest in the corpse. The sleuth starts with neighborhood tattoo shops that lead Carvalho to Amsterdam where he is persona non grata by law enforcement officials and drug gangs.

This is an entertaining Spanish private investigative Noir starring a wonderful cynic who classifies people as: those in jail; those who should be in jail, beautiful women who cherish his mind and body; and gourmet chefs. Fans will enjoy the whodunit that takes a deep look at the underbelly of European society while marveling at an age when chauvinists were acceptable and a person could fly through airport security carrying weapons.

Harriet Klausner

"Tattoo" is one of earliest installments in the Pepe Carvalho mysteries by Manuel Vazquez Montalban. Carvalho is a private detective in Barcelona, Spain. In Carvalho, Montalban has created a rather unique character in the mystery genre, as Pepe is a former resolute communist, a former CIA agent, a former political prisoner, a gourmet (particularly as relates to the food in Catalonia where Barcelona is located), and a sort of anti-intellectual who uses the theoretical and political books from his library to start fires in his fireplace. He also has a girlfriend, Charo, who is a prostitute.

In "Tattoo" Carvalho is hired by the owner of a beauty salon to identify a dead man who has been found on a local beach with his face eaten off by the fishes. He has a very unusual tattoo, which is the only real means of identification. This plot involves Carvalho in the seamy side of life in Barcelona and in Amsterdam.

Montalban does a great job with this plot. I was involved in the story at all times. The level of complexity is excellent. The resolution is perfect. The characters are varied and portrayed seemingly with authenticity (what do I know about live in Barcelona, after all?). This is a very good mystery with some great descriptions of gourmet food thrown in. Just a real thumbs up for this book.

An unsavory tattoo can lead to an unsavory underworld. "Tattoo" is a Pepe Carvalho mystery, following the lead character as he's charged with identifying a dead man whose faced was destroyed. Going on only an unusual tattoo, Pepe finds that in order to find the truth and close the case, he'll have to go deep into Amsterdam's criminal underworld. "Tattoo" is an exciting and very highly recommended read.