Starred review from May 24, 2010
In Genelin's superb third novel featuring Slovakian police commander Jana Matinova (after 2009's Dark Dreams), a late-night call plunges Matinova into an unusual murder case. A professional hit man has gunned down university student Denis Macek, who sneaked into the dining room of a swanky Bratislava hotel to get free food. Matinova has barely begun to investigate before she learns that her lover, prosecutor Peter Saris, who'd been conducting a sensitive corruption inquiry, has been killed by a bomb set in his office phone. To prevent her from seeking revenge, her supervisor transfers Matinova to Europol headquarters in The Hague, where her predecessor as her country's representative has vanished. Macek's uncle, a retired magician, tracks the commander down, and the pair scheme to bring those responsible for their losses to justice. Genelin brilliantly blends action and detection, never allowing the plot twists to overshadow his characters' humanity.
Starred review from July 1, 2010
A university student is shot as he eats breakfast at the best hotel in Bratislava. Then prosecuting attorney Peter Saris, Commander Jana Matinova's fiancé, is murdered. Matinova is sent to The Hague to work with Europol to remove her from the temptation of interfering with the two cases and to investigate the disappearance of the police officer she is replacing. VERDICTGenelin pieces his plot together by beginning with relatively few clues and allows Matinova to use her great investigative ability to see what is behind a crime. In this exceptionally wrought story full of cloak-and-dagger suspense, the author slowly reveals the motivation for murder and the life-threatening situation Matinova finds herself in, and this makes the third series title (after "Siren, Dark Dreams" perhaps the best yet. Fans of Sally Spencer and Lynda La Plante (see her "Silent Scream" reviewed below) will love this one. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ"3/1/10.]
Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.