AUTHOR: Victor del Árbol
PUBLISHER: Ediciones Destino
GENRE: Crime, Mystery Novel
READER’S NAME: Annette Vázquez
DATE: August 18th, 2023
Nadie en esta tierra, the latest Spanish crime mystery novel by Victor del Árbol, will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering. The narrator jumps right into the description of the background, the scenery, and the characters—but the reader must pay close attention or risk confusion over who is whom, who perpetrated what, and the series of events that unravel. The novel involves some heinous crimes that occur coincidentally when the main character, Inspector Julian Leal, visits his quiet, quaint hometown of Galicia. However, the reader cannot determine who is narrating—is it the killer? Is it the inspector? Is it one of the other main characters? The fact that he keeps you guessing is a bit crafty.
The synopsis provided in the book is vague about the content. Truthfully, the storyline extends beyond lives crossing paths and becoming a nightmare. Del Árbol gets down and dirty with the themes—from murder to drugs, organized crime, corruption, sex—and more. The random acts represented are somehow connected to the characters and officials in different towns in Spain. This narrative allows the reader to identify with the characters and predict how they will act—yet there are times you are left thinking—wait, what? The only issue with the book is that the narrator sometimes goes off on a tangent that weakens the point he is trying to make. Or, perhaps that was deliberate.
Reviews on Amazon show the readers liked it, and most gave it four out of five stars. Nonetheless, considering the novel's complexity with transitions, the translation into English will pose a challenge to the most adept translator. Every writer should have the opportunity to have their creations read and appreciated so the audience can judge the quality of the content themselves.
As to whether the theme is plausible or not—of course, it is. Del Árbol hits home with the reality that crime exists everywhere. Corruption is shown on our television screens daily—as are themes of drugs, sex, and murders. The fact that the events occur in a small town like Galicia in the book doesn’t make them any less credible. The same holds true for the character flaws the author exposes like ambition, vengeance, and violence, among others. Again, del Árbol plots practically every crime imaginable amid the typical whodunit scenario. If that suits your taste, the novel is plausible and entertaining.
In conclusion, I recommend the novel should be translated into English so it can be shared with a larger audience of crime mystery lovers.
