City of Good Death

City of Good Death
Legends and lies

A killer is targeting hate figures in the Catalan city of Girona – a loan shark, a corrupt priest, four thugs who have blighted the streets of the old quarter – leaving clues about his next victim through mysterious effigies left hung on a statue. Each corpse is posed in a way whose meaning no one can fathom. Which is precisely the point the murderer is trying to make.

Elisenda Domènech, the solitary and haunted head of the city’s newly-formed Serious Crime Unit, is determined to do all she can to stop the attacks. She believes the attacker is drawing on the city’s legends to choose his targets, but her colleagues aren’t convinced and her investigation is blocked at every turn. 

Battling against the increasing sympathy towards the killer displayed by the press, the public and even some of the police, she finds herself forced to question her own values. But when the attacks start to include less deserving victims, the pressure is suddenly on Elisenda to stop him. The question is: how? 

Reviews
"Excellent! Really worth checking out, if you want something rich in another different, vibrant culture and a good bloody murder or two!"
Northern Crime Blog
"A clever and intricate plot, it’s also an astute study in human nature, where evil deeds are seen as retribution and values are twisted to justify immoral acts."
Judith Barrow
"I don’t know Catalonia… or I didn’t, but I feel I do now. I was going to say Spain, but this is definitely and defiantly Catalonia. Girona is brought to life from its modern cafes to its ancient (and not so ancient) legends, and the detective, Elisenda Domènech is a hugely sympathetic character, fighting deviously convoluted crime, corruption and her own corner in a newly devolved police set-up. An absorbing detective story is further seasoned by the depressing reality of mob mentality, as it delves into ethical questions that make the reader think. Can one murder victim be less deserving than another? Definitely a great read."
Amazon review
"I couldn't stop reading this intense and almost surreal chiller - feeling I was really there in that city teeming with legends and not-so buried hatred for those who have, over the years, brought unwelcome changes. Elisenda is believably all-too human, having suffered huge, personal loss which is deftly handled by the author, and only revealed near the end."
Sally Spedding
Thoroughly enjoyed this book which introduces the feisty, capable Elisenda. Great multi-faceted story with loads of historical detail and descriptions of conflicts between communities, moral dilemmas etc....all wrapped around a gripping story that keeps you turning the page to find out who-dunnit. It also made me want to explore the region?....Girona sounds like a beautiful, historic city and well worth a visit.
Amazon review
"City of Good Death is a compelling, mystery book that had me racing to reach the end to find out who the murderer was. Not only that, the location of Catalan plays a large role in the book and I absolutely loved learning more about the location and all of its myths and legends. This book was a very unique and gripping read. It is a book that many crime lovers will absolutely love as it holds a very interesting case between it’s pages. I would definitely recommend this book and I am also really looking forward to reading the next one!"
A Daydreamer's Thoughts Blog
"A fantastic intelligent story with many surprising twists and turns and a fabulous ending"
With Love for Books Blog
"I found the plot incredibly compelling... It was different in a brilliant way, and I absolutely adore our female detective Elisenda she is definitely up there with my top favourite detectives."
Emma's Bookery Blog
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