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Captain Martin Bora #2
Liar Moon
Praise for Ben Pastor's "Lumen""Pastor's plot is well crafted, her prose sharp. . . . A disturbing mix of detection and reflection."--"Publishers Weekly""Rivets the reader with its twist of historical realities. A historical piece, it faithfully reproduces the grim canvas of war. A character study, it captures the thoughts and actions of real people, not stereotypes."--"The Free Lance-Star""And don't miss "Lumen" by Ben Pastor. . . . An interesting, original, and melancholy tale."--"Literary Review"Italy, September 1943. The Italian government switches sides and declares war on Germany. The north of Italy is controlled by the fascist puppets of Germany; the south liberated by Allied forces fighting their way up the peninsula.Having survived hell on the Russian front, Wehrmacht major and aristocrat Baron Martin von Bora is sent to Verona. He is ordered to investigate the murder of a prominent local a bizarre death threatening to discredit the regime's public image. The prime suspect is the victim's twenty-eight-year-old widow Clara.Haunted by his record of opposition to SS policies in Russia, Bora must watch his step. Against the backdrop of relentless anti-partisan warfare and the tragedy of the Holocaust, a breathless chase begins.Ben Pastor, born and now back in Italy, lived for thirty years in the United States, working as a university professor in Vermont. The first in the Martin Bora series, "Lumen," was published by Bitter Lemon Press in May 2011.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Ben Pastor
33 books75 followersBen (Maria Verbena Volpi) Pastor was born in Rome, but her career as a college teacher and writer requires that she divide her time between the United States and Italy, where she is now doing research. Author of the internationally acclaimed Martin Bora war mysteries, she begins with Aelius Spartianus a new series of thrilling tales. In addition to the United States, her novels are published in Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic. She writes in English.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 14, 2023
Outstanding. The mystery takes a back seat to the character study, and I admit Bora´s fascinates me.
My only objection is precisely that;the mystery is not as fully developed as it could be, but nonetheless, great, underrated series.
My only objection is precisely that;the mystery is not as fully developed as it could be, but nonetheless, great, underrated series.
April 9, 2015
Having really enjoyed the first in the Major Martin Bora series, I couldn't wait to read this. When we first met Bora in "Lumen", the Germans had just invaded Poland. Much has passed since then and our Major has spent time in Russia before being sent to Italy to fight the partisans. It is 1943 and Italy is divided - the North is controlled by the Fascists and the South has been liberated by the Allied forces. Having survived Stalingrad, Bora has just been injured in Italy and has lost his left hand, as well as suffering other injuries. Added to the doubts he is still having about his marriage and it is fair to say that he is a much more battle weary soldier this time around.
Despite his injuries, he is asked to look into the murder of a local fascist, Vittorio Lisi. Unwilling, and in pain, he is not keen to get involved, but eventually agrees to lead the investigation. Like "Lumen", Bora has a local confidante to aid him - in this novel it is Inspector Sandro Guidi. The problem is, that the chief suspect in Lisi's murder is his beautiful young wife, Clara, and Guidi is unable to be unbiased when he falls for her charms... There is a very chilling moment when the radio has an announcement that all Jews are to be "arrested and interned in concentration camps" and Guidi has a "glum lack of interest" while his mother does not react at all, suggesting that the actual reaction of apathy from the majority of people at that time was more damaging that those actually involved in the slaughter.
This is another wonderful mystery, with an exciting historical setting and sympathetic characters. Lisi, presented as a fine, upstanding man, turns out to have quite a few enemies and Ben Pastor recreates the time and place quite wonderfully. Bora is still having his usual battles with the SS, as well as his personal demons to deal with. If you like this, you may well enjoy the Bernie Gunther books as wellBerlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem.
Despite his injuries, he is asked to look into the murder of a local fascist, Vittorio Lisi. Unwilling, and in pain, he is not keen to get involved, but eventually agrees to lead the investigation. Like "Lumen", Bora has a local confidante to aid him - in this novel it is Inspector Sandro Guidi. The problem is, that the chief suspect in Lisi's murder is his beautiful young wife, Clara, and Guidi is unable to be unbiased when he falls for her charms... There is a very chilling moment when the radio has an announcement that all Jews are to be "arrested and interned in concentration camps" and Guidi has a "glum lack of interest" while his mother does not react at all, suggesting that the actual reaction of apathy from the majority of people at that time was more damaging that those actually involved in the slaughter.
This is another wonderful mystery, with an exciting historical setting and sympathetic characters. Lisi, presented as a fine, upstanding man, turns out to have quite a few enemies and Ben Pastor recreates the time and place quite wonderfully. Bora is still having his usual battles with the SS, as well as his personal demons to deal with. If you like this, you may well enjoy the Bernie Gunther books as wellBerlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem.
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October 4, 2019Η Ben Pastor επιστρέφει με το δεύτερο βιβλίο της, "Απατηλή Σελήνη". Το βιβλίο διαδραματίζεται στη Βερόνα της Ιταλίας το 1943. Μια κρίσιμη ιστορική περίοδος για την Ιταλία μιας και η κυβέρνηση της χώρας έχει αλλάξει στρατόπεδο κηρύσσοντας πλέον πόλεμο στη Γερμανία. Η βόρεια Ιταλία ελέγχεται από τους φασίστες, ενώ η νότια Ιταλία έχει απελευθερωθεί από τους Συμμάχους.
Ο πρωταγωνιστής, αξιωματικός Μάρτιν Μπόρα έχοντας επιζήσει από το ρωσικό μέτωπο μετατίθεται στη Βερόνα για να ερευνήσει τη δολοφονία ενός διακεκριμένου στελέχους των φασιστών. Η συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση πλήττει τη δημόσια εικόνα του καθεστώτος, επομένως χρήζει άμεσης επίλυσης. Τον αξιωματικό Μπόρα αναλαμβάνει να βοηθήσει ο επιθεωρητής της ιταλικής αστυνομίας Σάντρο Γκουίντι, ο οποίος ερευνά ήδη μια ιδιόρρυθμη σειρά δολοφονιών. Οι δύο άνδρες ενώνουν τις δυνάμεις τους.
Αξιοσημείωτο πρόσωπο αποτελεί ο αξιωματικός Μπόρα, ένας άνθρωπος που ακρωτηριάστηκε στο καθήκον του για την πατρίδα, αλλά παράλληλα αντιδρά στις μεθόδους των SS. Για το λόγο αυτό οφείλει να είναι προσεκτικός σε κάθε του κίνηση.
Με αυτό το ιστορικό φόντο πραγματοποιείται η καταδίωξη των δολοφόνων μέσα σε μια ατμόσφαιρα έξυπνα σχεδιασμένη. Η διχοτομημένη Ιταλία και το εξαιρετικά δοσμένο ιστορικό πλαίσιο συνθέτουν ένα μοναδικό background για το ξετύλιγμα των δύο αστυνομικών υποθέσεων. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι ένα πραγματικά ενδιαφέρον ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα που έχει ως πρωταγωνιστή έναν αντιρρησία του γερμανικού φασιστικού καθεστώτος ενώ παράλληλα το υπηρετεί.
Η προσωπικότητα του Μάρτιν Μπόρα είναι για μένα το δυνατό και πιο ενδιαφέρον σημείο της σειράς βιβλίων της Ben Pastor. Οι λάτρεις του ΒΠΠ, μα και των αστυνομικών μυθιστορημάτων θα λατρέψουν την αφήγηση της συγγραφέως και θα εκτιμήσουν τα προσεγμένα ιστορικά στοιχεία που συνθέτουν την ιστορία.
Ο πρωταγωνιστής, αξιωματικός Μάρτιν Μπόρα έχοντας επιζήσει από το ρωσικό μέτωπο μετατίθεται στη Βερόνα για να ερευνήσει τη δολοφονία ενός διακεκριμένου στελέχους των φασιστών. Η συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση πλήττει τη δημόσια εικόνα του καθεστώτος, επομένως χρήζει άμεσης επίλυσης. Τον αξιωματικό Μπόρα αναλαμβάνει να βοηθήσει ο επιθεωρητής της ιταλικής αστυνομίας Σάντρο Γκουίντι, ο οποίος ερευνά ήδη μια ιδιόρρυθμη σειρά δολοφονιών. Οι δύο άνδρες ενώνουν τις δυνάμεις τους.
Αξιοσημείωτο πρόσωπο αποτελεί ο αξιωματικός Μπόρα, ένας άνθρωπος που ακρωτηριάστηκε στο καθήκον του για την πατρίδα, αλλά παράλληλα αντιδρά στις μεθόδους των SS. Για το λόγο αυτό οφείλει να είναι προσεκτικός σε κάθε του κίνηση.
Με αυτό το ιστορικό φόντο πραγματοποιείται η καταδίωξη των δολοφόνων μέσα σε μια ατμόσφαιρα έξυπνα σχεδιασμένη. Η διχοτομημένη Ιταλία και το εξαιρετικά δοσμένο ιστορικό πλαίσιο συνθέτουν ένα μοναδικό background για το ξετύλιγμα των δύο αστυνομικών υποθέσεων. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι ένα πραγματικά ενδιαφέρον ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα που έχει ως πρωταγωνιστή έναν αντιρρησία του γερμανικού φασιστικού καθεστώτος ενώ παράλληλα το υπηρετεί.
Η προσωπικότητα του Μάρτιν Μπόρα είναι για μένα το δυνατό και πιο ενδιαφέρον σημείο της σειράς βιβλίων της Ben Pastor. Οι λάτρεις του ΒΠΠ, μα και των αστυνομικών μυθιστορημάτων θα λατρέψουν την αφήγηση της συγγραφέως και θα εκτιμήσουν τα προσεγμένα ιστορικά στοιχεία που συνθέτουν την ιστορία.
April 20, 2017
Ben Pastor’s LIAR MOON is the second installment of her Martin Bora series that follows her first effort, LUMEN. In her latest book we find Wehrmacht Major Bora lying on a gurney in an emergency room in German occupied Verona, Italy in September, 1943. By this time the Italian government had switched sides and declared war on Germany. Italy was divided with the north under the control of the Fascists, and the south was being liberated by allied troops as they worked their way up the Italian boot. Bora lay in unbearable pain, having lost his left hand suffered in a grenade attack by partisan forces in which three of his men were killed. Bora had experienced a great many deaths during the war as he had spent time in Spain, Russia, and Poland witnessing the slaughter of civil war and the eastern front.
After a few months in which he recovered somewhat he was approached by a Fascist Centurion named Gaetano DeRosa to assist in the investigation of the murder of a Fascist official named Vitoria Lisa. The evidence in the case seemed to point to Visi’s ex-wife who was thirty years younger than him who had been divorced for months when he had been killed. Visi’s death was deemed important because he was a friend of Benito Mussolini.
The story has a number of important threads. First, is the death of Lisa, the local Fascist official. Second, there appears to be an escaped convict on the loose, who may be a serial killer and the case has been assigned to Police Inspector Sandro Guidi. Third, is the search for partisans who attacked Bora and his men who remain very allusive with mounting attacks against German troops. At certain points all three cases overlap and Bora and Guidi are forced to work with each other leading to a rather tenuous relationship.
Pastor’s grasp of history is admirable and she presents her story through the perspective of Bora and Guidi. Bora is the central character and he continues to be the same flawed man that appeared in LUMEN. He is deeply troubled professionally and on a personal level. He is a Wehrmacht officer who is morally against the war, but as a good soldier he carries on. He deplores the tactics employed by his government, particularly the SS who seem to be hunters who have no respect for human life. The Final Solution of the Jewish problem is ongoing and he resents being co-opted into assisting in the transportation of Jews, priests, and partisans to death camps. On a private level he worries about his marriage to his wife, Dikta, an equestrian who still does not know about the attack on her husband that left him with a prosthesis for a left hand and shrapnel in his body. Bora worries that they do not have an intellectual relationship and find that physical attraction is what keeps them together. Bora would like to have a child as he fears he will not survive the war and would like to leave some type of legacy. The problem is that his wife’s activities do not lend themselves to a successful pregnancy. Pastor introduces Sandro Guidi to work with Bora. Guidi seems to have his own issues as he still lives with his mother and suffers from an extreme lack of confidence. He is a foil for Bora, as each point out the deficiencies that each seem to suffer from. Guidi is an integral part of the plot, and tends to soften Bora’s personality.
Pastor’s approach to creating a good mystery is to begin her story with what seems to be a rather routine murder investigation and then tries to spin into a detailed plot with tentacles that reach out to numerous characters amidst the military situation in Italy in the Fall and Winter of 1943-44. Her approach was very successful in LUMEN, but it does not work as well in LIAR MOON as the story evolves almost in slow motion, and lacks the excitement of her previous effort. However, the plot results in a surprising ending and an interesting twist to Bora’s relationship with Guidi. Though the book was somewhat disappointing there is enough here to make me move on to read her next Bora installment, A DARK SONG OF BLOOD.
After a few months in which he recovered somewhat he was approached by a Fascist Centurion named Gaetano DeRosa to assist in the investigation of the murder of a Fascist official named Vitoria Lisa. The evidence in the case seemed to point to Visi’s ex-wife who was thirty years younger than him who had been divorced for months when he had been killed. Visi’s death was deemed important because he was a friend of Benito Mussolini.
The story has a number of important threads. First, is the death of Lisa, the local Fascist official. Second, there appears to be an escaped convict on the loose, who may be a serial killer and the case has been assigned to Police Inspector Sandro Guidi. Third, is the search for partisans who attacked Bora and his men who remain very allusive with mounting attacks against German troops. At certain points all three cases overlap and Bora and Guidi are forced to work with each other leading to a rather tenuous relationship.
Pastor’s grasp of history is admirable and she presents her story through the perspective of Bora and Guidi. Bora is the central character and he continues to be the same flawed man that appeared in LUMEN. He is deeply troubled professionally and on a personal level. He is a Wehrmacht officer who is morally against the war, but as a good soldier he carries on. He deplores the tactics employed by his government, particularly the SS who seem to be hunters who have no respect for human life. The Final Solution of the Jewish problem is ongoing and he resents being co-opted into assisting in the transportation of Jews, priests, and partisans to death camps. On a private level he worries about his marriage to his wife, Dikta, an equestrian who still does not know about the attack on her husband that left him with a prosthesis for a left hand and shrapnel in his body. Bora worries that they do not have an intellectual relationship and find that physical attraction is what keeps them together. Bora would like to have a child as he fears he will not survive the war and would like to leave some type of legacy. The problem is that his wife’s activities do not lend themselves to a successful pregnancy. Pastor introduces Sandro Guidi to work with Bora. Guidi seems to have his own issues as he still lives with his mother and suffers from an extreme lack of confidence. He is a foil for Bora, as each point out the deficiencies that each seem to suffer from. Guidi is an integral part of the plot, and tends to soften Bora’s personality.
Pastor’s approach to creating a good mystery is to begin her story with what seems to be a rather routine murder investigation and then tries to spin into a detailed plot with tentacles that reach out to numerous characters amidst the military situation in Italy in the Fall and Winter of 1943-44. Her approach was very successful in LUMEN, but it does not work as well in LIAR MOON as the story evolves almost in slow motion, and lacks the excitement of her previous effort. However, the plot results in a surprising ending and an interesting twist to Bora’s relationship with Guidi. Though the book was somewhat disappointing there is enough here to make me move on to read her next Bora installment, A DARK SONG OF BLOOD.
November 17, 2023
Αδιάφορο ως αστυνομικό, ως ιστορικό και ως κοινωνικοπολιτικο μυθιστόρημα. Ο δε ναζί ήρωας καμία σχέση με τον υπέροχο Μπέρνι Γκούντερ του Φίλιπ Κερ
March 19, 2016
Knocked off a star because the author (and her editors) don't know the difference between the Immaculate Conception and the virgin birth. Bora wouldn't have gotten that wrong.
June 20, 2019
Αναλυτικά η παρουσίαση και άποψή μου για το βιβλίο βρίσκεται στο blog μου": https://onmybookself.wordpress.com/20...
January 13, 2019
Ci si può innamorare di un protagonista che ha tutte le caratteristiche per essere un “nemico”? Martin Bora è un ufficiale tedesco nella seconda guerra mondiale, persino occupatore in questo secondo romanzo del ciclo, ambientato nell’Italia del Nord Est, contraddittorio nell’obiezione agli ordini che riceve e (forse) non solo per sole ragioni di sopravvivenza.
La trama
Eppure, Martin Bora scatena una fortissima empatia. Lo ritroviamo in Veneto, sofferente e con una mano amputata dopo un attentato dei partigiani, ad indagare sulla morte di un personaggio di primo piano del regime fascista. Principale sospettata la (semi-svampita) moglie del gerarca, ma non tardano nuove possibili piste che sottointendono corruzioni, prestiti usurai, rivalità in un regime conscio di essere al suo crepuscolo.
Già in Lumen, mia prima lettura pastoriana, era emerso tra gli elementi di maggior interesse una contorta e particolarissima amicizia; in Luna bugiarda, Bora stringe (nel suo modo teutonico e militaresco) un rapporto con Guidi, ispettore di polizia e sua spalla diplomatica nelle indagini. Un personaggio altrettanto complesso: mi sembra che la cifra stilistica di Ben Pastor sia esattamente questa. Accompagnandosi con uno stile che appare asciutto ma che ha una sua bella profondità, la scrittrice italoamericana disegna uomini che finiscono per assomigliarci terribilmente: mai stereotipati, mai del tutto cattivi o adorabilmente buoni, carogne come possiamo essere in metropolitana alla 7 di mattina, generosi in alcuni lampi di consapevolezza, attenti alternativamente a noi stessi o agli altri.
E funziona, funziona davvero bene. Aggiungi una trama solidissima e non scontata, neppure nel finale, una ambientazione storica che cattura e un sottofondo climatico grigio e tetro anche quando è illuminato da una luna bugiarda, ed ecco servito un mistery che si avvicina alla perfezione.
http://capitolo23.com/2019/01/13/rece...
La trama
Eppure, Martin Bora scatena una fortissima empatia. Lo ritroviamo in Veneto, sofferente e con una mano amputata dopo un attentato dei partigiani, ad indagare sulla morte di un personaggio di primo piano del regime fascista. Principale sospettata la (semi-svampita) moglie del gerarca, ma non tardano nuove possibili piste che sottointendono corruzioni, prestiti usurai, rivalità in un regime conscio di essere al suo crepuscolo.
Già in Lumen, mia prima lettura pastoriana, era emerso tra gli elementi di maggior interesse una contorta e particolarissima amicizia; in Luna bugiarda, Bora stringe (nel suo modo teutonico e militaresco) un rapporto con Guidi, ispettore di polizia e sua spalla diplomatica nelle indagini. Un personaggio altrettanto complesso: mi sembra che la cifra stilistica di Ben Pastor sia esattamente questa. Accompagnandosi con uno stile che appare asciutto ma che ha una sua bella profondità, la scrittrice italoamericana disegna uomini che finiscono per assomigliarci terribilmente: mai stereotipati, mai del tutto cattivi o adorabilmente buoni, carogne come possiamo essere in metropolitana alla 7 di mattina, generosi in alcuni lampi di consapevolezza, attenti alternativamente a noi stessi o agli altri.
E funziona, funziona davvero bene. Aggiungi una trama solidissima e non scontata, neppure nel finale, una ambientazione storica che cattura e un sottofondo climatico grigio e tetro anche quando è illuminato da una luna bugiarda, ed ecco servito un mistery che si avvicina alla perfezione.
http://capitolo23.com/2019/01/13/rece...
September 15, 2023
This was my third Martin Bora. I read them out of order (4th then 1st then this one) but it doesn't seem to matter as they aren't chronological anyway. This second one takes place in Italy in 1943 after the events of the third, Tin Sky which was 1942. I don't think I'll read another in the series. As with Lumen, the action in this book takes place off the page. This is the equivalent of viewing a photograph only by its negative (that's a term us oldies know the meaning of. You have to be old enough to remember actual film). I'm getting a bit tired of trying to work out what is going on in these books purely because I like the character of Bora. We are plunged right into a story in this one that means nothing. Someone has been killed, but we don't know who he was so don't really care. A policeman is helping Bora investigate. Who is he? I have no idea. The whole background to the situation isn't explained either. If you didn't have a pretty good grounding in WWII history (which I do) you'd make nothing of this story and the interconnection between the Italian fascists, the partisans, the Germans. Bora seems to have a mentor in this novel, a senior German officer. Who is he? He just appears. No explanation of his relationship to Bora.
Ack, I think I'll move onto books where I get to see the actual picture. I know people rave about this series, but I genuinely think this is a case of Emperor's New Clothes syndrome. These are not well-written books. Shame, because Martin Bora is an inspired creation. But I don't think the author knows what to do with him.
Ack, I think I'll move onto books where I get to see the actual picture. I know people rave about this series, but I genuinely think this is a case of Emperor's New Clothes syndrome. These are not well-written books. Shame, because Martin Bora is an inspired creation. But I don't think the author knows what to do with him.
March 10, 2016
Luna bugiarda, in originale "Liar Moon" è un romanzo della scrittrice italo-americana Ben Pastor, edito nel 2001 e in Italia nel 2002. E' il secondo libro del ciclo dedicato al personaggio ricorrente di Martin Bora, ufficiale dell'esercito tedesco durante la Seconda guerra mondiale. Sullo sfondo dell'occupazione nazista dell'Italia settentrionale successiva all'8 settembre 1943, narra un'indagine per omicidio condotta dal maggiore Bora con l'aiuto dell'ispettore di polizia Sandro Guidi. Il titolo italiano del romanzo traduce letteralmente l'originale inglese (Liar Moon): entrambi rimandano alla corrispondente locuzione latina Luna mendax, citata anche nel frontespizio del volume.
La spiegazione della frase, parzialmente legata all'andamento della vicenda narrata (un'indagine in cui le cose sono molto diverse da come appaiono).
Il personaggio principale della serie è Martin Bora, maggiore dell'esercito tedesco, nato a Edimburgo nel 1913 da un'aristocratica famiglia originaria di Lipsia, ha ascendenze scozzesi per parte di madre. Il suo defunto padre, Friedrich von Bora, era un famoso direttore d'orchestra che gli ha trasmesso la passione per la musica. Il suo patrigno è un generale dell'esercito, la cui prima moglie ha spesso ospitato Martin a Roma, crescendolo nell'amore e nel rispetto per la tradizione culturale italiana. Martin pertanto non è solo un soldato ed un aristocratico, ma anche un uomo colto che ha studiato filosofia e che ha fatto infinite letture. Cattolico, dotato di un grande senso dell'onore e della dignità personale, è spesso in disaccordo con le direttive ricevute.
L'autrice ha dichiarato che Martin Bora è parzialmente modellato sul colonnello Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, uno degli ufficiali ribelli che parteciparono al fallito attentato contro Hitler del 20 luglio 1944.
La trama del romanzo in sintesi: siamo in veneto nel 1943. Reduce dall'inferno della Russia, il maggiore della Wehrmacht Martin Bora si trova distaccato a Lago, nei pressi di Verona. Un presidio di retroguardia, ancora lontano dalla linea del fronte. Eppure, proprio qui, all'indomani dell’8 settembre, l’ufficiale tedesco riceve il “cortese invito” di occuparsi della morte per omicidio del più illustre gerarca fascista della regione: un crimine bizzarro e scandaloso, che minaccia di infangare l’immagine pubblica del Regime. Investigatore brillante ma in crisi con la propria moglie e con se stesso, Bora accetta a malincuore l’incarico. Ad affiancarlo in un’indagine che si annuncia intricata come una ragnatela ed esplosiva come un campo minato, è l’ispettore Sandro Guidi, a sua volta alle prese con un assassino seriale che sta insanguinando i dintorni. Dovranno scoprire se esiste un collegamento tra i due casi e per quali motivi le autorità fasciste fanno di tutto per ostacolare le indagini di Bora. Sullo sfondo infuria la lotta partigiana e si consuma il dramma dell’Olocausto.
Nel secondo libro della Pastor, rispetto al primo, si esalta di più la parte di "giallo", rimane comunque un noir d'ambiente, con una predilezione alla cura nella descrizione degli ambienti piuttosto che alle note tipiche dei romanzi thriller; rimane comunque la scrittura fluida ed elegante che rende particolarmente piacevole la sua lettura. Sembra che questa seconda avventura di Martin Bora non solo conferma, ma esalta la capacità di Ben Pastor di descrivere in modo eccellente gli ambienti, i fatti e i personaggi dei suoi romanzi.
Rimane sempre un piacere per chi ama i romanzi storici ben documentati affrontare la lettura di questa scrittrice, ovviamente se cercate un libro thriller puro vi consiglio di rivolgervi altrove.
La spiegazione della frase, parzialmente legata all'andamento della vicenda narrata (un'indagine in cui le cose sono molto diverse da come appaiono).
Il personaggio principale della serie è Martin Bora, maggiore dell'esercito tedesco, nato a Edimburgo nel 1913 da un'aristocratica famiglia originaria di Lipsia, ha ascendenze scozzesi per parte di madre. Il suo defunto padre, Friedrich von Bora, era un famoso direttore d'orchestra che gli ha trasmesso la passione per la musica. Il suo patrigno è un generale dell'esercito, la cui prima moglie ha spesso ospitato Martin a Roma, crescendolo nell'amore e nel rispetto per la tradizione culturale italiana. Martin pertanto non è solo un soldato ed un aristocratico, ma anche un uomo colto che ha studiato filosofia e che ha fatto infinite letture. Cattolico, dotato di un grande senso dell'onore e della dignità personale, è spesso in disaccordo con le direttive ricevute.
L'autrice ha dichiarato che Martin Bora è parzialmente modellato sul colonnello Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, uno degli ufficiali ribelli che parteciparono al fallito attentato contro Hitler del 20 luglio 1944.
La trama del romanzo in sintesi: siamo in veneto nel 1943. Reduce dall'inferno della Russia, il maggiore della Wehrmacht Martin Bora si trova distaccato a Lago, nei pressi di Verona. Un presidio di retroguardia, ancora lontano dalla linea del fronte. Eppure, proprio qui, all'indomani dell’8 settembre, l’ufficiale tedesco riceve il “cortese invito” di occuparsi della morte per omicidio del più illustre gerarca fascista della regione: un crimine bizzarro e scandaloso, che minaccia di infangare l’immagine pubblica del Regime. Investigatore brillante ma in crisi con la propria moglie e con se stesso, Bora accetta a malincuore l’incarico. Ad affiancarlo in un’indagine che si annuncia intricata come una ragnatela ed esplosiva come un campo minato, è l’ispettore Sandro Guidi, a sua volta alle prese con un assassino seriale che sta insanguinando i dintorni. Dovranno scoprire se esiste un collegamento tra i due casi e per quali motivi le autorità fasciste fanno di tutto per ostacolare le indagini di Bora. Sullo sfondo infuria la lotta partigiana e si consuma il dramma dell’Olocausto.
Nel secondo libro della Pastor, rispetto al primo, si esalta di più la parte di "giallo", rimane comunque un noir d'ambiente, con una predilezione alla cura nella descrizione degli ambienti piuttosto che alle note tipiche dei romanzi thriller; rimane comunque la scrittura fluida ed elegante che rende particolarmente piacevole la sua lettura. Sembra che questa seconda avventura di Martin Bora non solo conferma, ma esalta la capacità di Ben Pastor di descrivere in modo eccellente gli ambienti, i fatti e i personaggi dei suoi romanzi.
Rimane sempre un piacere per chi ama i romanzi storici ben documentati affrontare la lettura di questa scrittrice, ovviamente se cercate un libro thriller puro vi consiglio di rivolgervi altrove.
January 29, 2022
Un brutto passo indietro rispetto al libro d'esordio della serie su Martin Bora. Trama praticamente inesistente, personaggi abbozzati e insignificanti. Nemmeno l'ambientazione riesce a restituire un minimo di tensione narrativa.
September 27, 2019
Perhaps after Lumen my hopes were a little too high. Please dont get me wrong, I still thought it was a good read, but somehow, I had expected more.
I thought it strange that at the end of Lumen there were two great spoilers concerning Captain Bora's future which, I felt, would be bound to spoil future reading until they happened. The author took care of this rather neatly. The first took place just before this story opened and the second, although it hasnt happened yet we suspect from the narrative is just round the corner.
The book tells us more about Bora. We learn a little about his upbringing and we also find hints of where his sympathies lie in the war. Mixed in with this, he is called upon to investigate a murder the solution of which goes some way to explain the books title.
I would like to have scored this 3.5 but as I gave Lumen 4 and enjoyed that more, have little choice but to round this down to a 3. Not that this will deter me from continuing this intriguing series.
I thought it strange that at the end of Lumen there were two great spoilers concerning Captain Bora's future which, I felt, would be bound to spoil future reading until they happened. The author took care of this rather neatly. The first took place just before this story opened and the second, although it hasnt happened yet we suspect from the narrative is just round the corner.
The book tells us more about Bora. We learn a little about his upbringing and we also find hints of where his sympathies lie in the war. Mixed in with this, he is called upon to investigate a murder the solution of which goes some way to explain the books title.
I would like to have scored this 3.5 but as I gave Lumen 4 and enjoyed that more, have little choice but to round this down to a 3. Not that this will deter me from continuing this intriguing series.
September 12, 2013
(April, 2012)
Liar Moon is Ben Pastor's second novel to feature Wehrmacht Major Martin Bora, following her earlier novel Lumen. Bora is headquartered near Verona, in northern Italy, where the Fascists still maintain control and the Nazis are occupying the territory. And although Bora is in the German Army, after what he's been through and what he's seen, he has no heart for this war. He's a man with a conscience and a troubled soul, with very little stomach for SS policies, which, by the way, has not gone unnoticed by the SS. Bora has to walk a very fine line between what's in his heart and what he is expected to do as a German army officer. Now, after a partisan attack, he's also been injured, leaving him with worries about his future with his wife.
His regular work is interrupted by a directive from headquarters asking him to help police inspector Sandro Guidi investigate the death of a prominent Fascist of Verona, one Vittorio Lisi. Lisi's death was publicly declared to have been the result of a stroke, but Lisi was known as "a comrade of the first hour," by Mussolini himself, and the real reason for his death might be embarrassing to the current regime: Lisi was murdered while in his wheelchair, run down by a car within the grounds of his own home. Ultimately, the tarnishing of the Fascist image is what ultimately convinces Bora to help Guidi, despite the fact that he doesn't really want to do this. Guidi is also hard at work on a case involving an escaped convict who also happens to be a sniper.
Liar Moon is very much a character-oriented novel, a work of historical fiction with a different slant -- rather than repeating what her readers already know about the horrors of the Nazi regime, Pastor tends to focus on what the war has done to her main protagonist Martin Bora. It's an interesting choice to have the war related through his perspective; even better is Guidi, who feels much the same way as Bora and is often horrified at things Bora does, including arranging transport for Jews on their way to their final destination and arresting a priest, who acts as Bora's confessor. What Guidi doesn't understand is that Bora is not really in a position to take up a public rant against the Nazis or the Italian Fascists even though Bora thinks largely along the same lines as the Inspector -- it is largely through interior monologues that Guidi expresses himself and it's also what is not said between the two main characters that really makes this book a very interesting read. While the focus is on the characters, the mystery of Lisi's death provides a few good red herrings to keep the reader guessing, as well as a conclusion that while sad and somber, makes sense and comes as a bit of a surprise.
At the same time, Liar Moon seemed to drag in spots, and although both of Guidi's cases cross paths, the sniper subplot was not so intruiging as to keep me glued to that particular investigation, and I eagerly waited to get back to the unspoken interactions between Bora and Guidi as well as the Lisi murder. It's also a very melancholy novel, much more angst ridden than its predecessor Lumen, which also moved a bit faster in terms of pace, although admittedly it had its fair share of darkness. Liar Moon is very intelligently written, although personally, I felt it worked very well as a novel of historical fiction, less so as crime fiction. I've also seen it reviewed as a "thriller," but I'm afraid I have to disagree with that assessment -- while the core mystery is good, it's the main characters who are really at the heart of the novel, not the whodunit.
I'd recommend it to readers who like historical fiction that deals with the Nazi occupation of Italy or World War II; I'd also recommend it to crime fiction readers with the caveat that it does move rather slowly and depends more on characters than plot. Overall -- it's a good read and one I've been waiting for since I read Lumen; I'll definitely be following the rest of the series as the novels are published.
Liar Moon is Ben Pastor's second novel to feature Wehrmacht Major Martin Bora, following her earlier novel Lumen. Bora is headquartered near Verona, in northern Italy, where the Fascists still maintain control and the Nazis are occupying the territory. And although Bora is in the German Army, after what he's been through and what he's seen, he has no heart for this war. He's a man with a conscience and a troubled soul, with very little stomach for SS policies, which, by the way, has not gone unnoticed by the SS. Bora has to walk a very fine line between what's in his heart and what he is expected to do as a German army officer. Now, after a partisan attack, he's also been injured, leaving him with worries about his future with his wife.
His regular work is interrupted by a directive from headquarters asking him to help police inspector Sandro Guidi investigate the death of a prominent Fascist of Verona, one Vittorio Lisi. Lisi's death was publicly declared to have been the result of a stroke, but Lisi was known as "a comrade of the first hour," by Mussolini himself, and the real reason for his death might be embarrassing to the current regime: Lisi was murdered while in his wheelchair, run down by a car within the grounds of his own home. Ultimately, the tarnishing of the Fascist image is what ultimately convinces Bora to help Guidi, despite the fact that he doesn't really want to do this. Guidi is also hard at work on a case involving an escaped convict who also happens to be a sniper.
Liar Moon is very much a character-oriented novel, a work of historical fiction with a different slant -- rather than repeating what her readers already know about the horrors of the Nazi regime, Pastor tends to focus on what the war has done to her main protagonist Martin Bora. It's an interesting choice to have the war related through his perspective; even better is Guidi, who feels much the same way as Bora and is often horrified at things Bora does, including arranging transport for Jews on their way to their final destination and arresting a priest, who acts as Bora's confessor. What Guidi doesn't understand is that Bora is not really in a position to take up a public rant against the Nazis or the Italian Fascists even though Bora thinks largely along the same lines as the Inspector -- it is largely through interior monologues that Guidi expresses himself and it's also what is not said between the two main characters that really makes this book a very interesting read. While the focus is on the characters, the mystery of Lisi's death provides a few good red herrings to keep the reader guessing, as well as a conclusion that while sad and somber, makes sense and comes as a bit of a surprise.
At the same time, Liar Moon seemed to drag in spots, and although both of Guidi's cases cross paths, the sniper subplot was not so intruiging as to keep me glued to that particular investigation, and I eagerly waited to get back to the unspoken interactions between Bora and Guidi as well as the Lisi murder. It's also a very melancholy novel, much more angst ridden than its predecessor Lumen, which also moved a bit faster in terms of pace, although admittedly it had its fair share of darkness. Liar Moon is very intelligently written, although personally, I felt it worked very well as a novel of historical fiction, less so as crime fiction. I've also seen it reviewed as a "thriller," but I'm afraid I have to disagree with that assessment -- while the core mystery is good, it's the main characters who are really at the heart of the novel, not the whodunit.
I'd recommend it to readers who like historical fiction that deals with the Nazi occupation of Italy or World War II; I'd also recommend it to crime fiction readers with the caveat that it does move rather slowly and depends more on characters than plot. Overall -- it's a good read and one I've been waiting for since I read Lumen; I'll definitely be following the rest of the series as the novels are published.
June 18, 2019
Continua la discesa negli inferi di Martin Bora, qui alla prese con l'omicidio di un fascista nel Veneto, in piena Repubblica di Salo'. Ho trovato il povero Martin piu' triste e piu' amaro del libro precedente: e' appena tornato dall'inferno di Stalingrado (fortunatissimo perche' sono stati uccisi quasi tutti) , si e' reso conto che la moglie non lo ama e, nonostante continui a fare il suo dovere di soldato del Reich, ha capito che il nazismo e' solo una macchina di morte e cerca a fatica di fare qualcosa per contrastarlo: ma e' troppo abituato all'obbiedienza per schierarsi apertamente, il suo onore si soldato ha spesso la meglio su di lui.
Ad affiancarlo stavolta c'e' l'ispettore Guidi, che e' meno disciplinato di Bora ma e' comunque un piacevole personaggio anche lui con i suoi problemi e le sue crisi politiche.
Continuiamo con il prossimo!
Ad affiancarlo stavolta c'e' l'ispettore Guidi, che e' meno disciplinato di Bora ma e' comunque un piacevole personaggio anche lui con i suoi problemi e le sue crisi politiche.
Continuiamo con il prossimo!
March 7, 2018
It starts in confusion, even a degree of chaos. A hand has been blown off...
Martin Bora, having "recovered" from a partisan attack is asked to investigate the murder of a prominent Fascist in Verona. The chief suspect is his wife, Clara Lisi, but the Italian policeman, Guidi, who Bora has asked to help him out, is not so sure. The investigation follows.
That's the bare bones but there is more to this enticing book. It is a strange book in some ways. We see it largely through the eyes of the Italian detective, Guidi, with his degree of disinterested dislike (on his his part) for Bora, accompanied with his infatuation for the accused, Clara, and interspersed with his domestic issues (he has an Italian mother who wants to know when she will become a grandmother). Yet, we also follow the story through the meditative thoughts (for they do take on a semi-spiritual quality) of Bora himself, in Limbo, cut off both intellectually and morally from the evils of a war which he is helping to pursue, emotionally from a wife who seems to exist in a universe far detached, but also physically, in pain, from that hand that he loses in the first, disorientated moments of the book.
The story is set in the vicinity of Verona but I was slightly disappointed at the lack of depiction of that lovely city. Perhaps this also contributed to the sense of dislocation that pervades the book. This could be any city in Fascist Italy; in truth, it could just as easily be Inspector Da Luca's Bologna (which was regularly brought to mind). The Fascists are equally nauseous characters in whichever city we place them... as Bora himself seems to suggest.
I loved this book. I love the character, Bora. I love his contemplative, even detached manner. Give me more!
Martin Bora, having "recovered" from a partisan attack is asked to investigate the murder of a prominent Fascist in Verona. The chief suspect is his wife, Clara Lisi, but the Italian policeman, Guidi, who Bora has asked to help him out, is not so sure. The investigation follows.
That's the bare bones but there is more to this enticing book. It is a strange book in some ways. We see it largely through the eyes of the Italian detective, Guidi, with his degree of disinterested dislike (on his his part) for Bora, accompanied with his infatuation for the accused, Clara, and interspersed with his domestic issues (he has an Italian mother who wants to know when she will become a grandmother). Yet, we also follow the story through the meditative thoughts (for they do take on a semi-spiritual quality) of Bora himself, in Limbo, cut off both intellectually and morally from the evils of a war which he is helping to pursue, emotionally from a wife who seems to exist in a universe far detached, but also physically, in pain, from that hand that he loses in the first, disorientated moments of the book.
The story is set in the vicinity of Verona but I was slightly disappointed at the lack of depiction of that lovely city. Perhaps this also contributed to the sense of dislocation that pervades the book. This could be any city in Fascist Italy; in truth, it could just as easily be Inspector Da Luca's Bologna (which was regularly brought to mind). The Fascists are equally nauseous characters in whichever city we place them... as Bora himself seems to suggest.
I loved this book. I love the character, Bora. I love his contemplative, even detached manner. Give me more!
January 27, 2013
The real strength of Liar Moon is the character of Martin Bora and the moral ambiguities around his persona and actions. He’s reserved yet direct, determined, ruthless, and principled, driven by a deep sense of conviction and his aristocratic family tradition. He’s a soldier in an army of a corrupt and corrupting regime, trying to hold the line between murder and killing, on the one hand relentlessly hunting down partisans and on the other subverting the hunt for Jews. And losing his hand and nearly losing his leg is not going to slow him down. Moreover, he remains loyal and dutiful to his wife, despite their failed marriage. My sense is that regardless of the storyline, he’d be an interesting character to spend some time with. In Liar Moon, Pastor places him in an interesting historical terrain - Northern Italy just as Italy changes sides - and pairs him with an Italian police inspector to investigate the death of a local Fascist. She creates a nice sense of place and history, and captures the awkward relations between Axis allies. For the most part the plot worked well, but faltered at the resolution, which was contrived and came too much from left-field. This was a shame as the story was coasting along very nicely up to that point. Nevertheless, this was a thoughtful and enjoyable tale and if the other books in the Bora series are translated I’ll be reading them in due course.
March 7, 2013
It is winter 1943 in northern Italy not far from Verona and a local Fascist grandee has died in suspicious circumstances. The reluctant Major Martin Bora of the Wehrmacht is ordered to investigate the death.
Martin Bora is a man with problems. He has lost his brother recently in battle, he has perhaps lost his wife's love, and as the novel opens he has just lost his left hand to a Partisan bomb. In addition, a nameless SS officer swears to him that he will make it his business to destroy Bora as a `Jew-lover'.
This is not sunny Italy of the imagination, but a bleak wintry north blasted by snow, rain and frost, emphasising the darkness suffusing the novel. The author also throws in the pain experienced by Bora throughout the story, physical pain from his injuries, and moral pain from what he has already done in the war and what he is ordered to do now. Pastor has dared to do something original in her writing: she has placed her creation in an impossible situation and has given him a conscience.
Liar Moon is a superb piece of writing. Pastor's rich and limpid prose and the stately pace of the narrative combine to produce a tale and tone which are bleak and sombre but also a delight to read. The wonderfully allusive and understated way in which the episode of the transportation of Jews is written presents the reader with Bora's quandary, how does a man of conscience and principle cope with evil?
Read this wonderful book!
Martin Bora is a man with problems. He has lost his brother recently in battle, he has perhaps lost his wife's love, and as the novel opens he has just lost his left hand to a Partisan bomb. In addition, a nameless SS officer swears to him that he will make it his business to destroy Bora as a `Jew-lover'.
This is not sunny Italy of the imagination, but a bleak wintry north blasted by snow, rain and frost, emphasising the darkness suffusing the novel. The author also throws in the pain experienced by Bora throughout the story, physical pain from his injuries, and moral pain from what he has already done in the war and what he is ordered to do now. Pastor has dared to do something original in her writing: she has placed her creation in an impossible situation and has given him a conscience.
Liar Moon is a superb piece of writing. Pastor's rich and limpid prose and the stately pace of the narrative combine to produce a tale and tone which are bleak and sombre but also a delight to read. The wonderfully allusive and understated way in which the episode of the transportation of Jews is written presents the reader with Bora's quandary, how does a man of conscience and principle cope with evil?
Read this wonderful book!
July 17, 2012
One of crime fiction’s more unusual protagonists is Baron Martin Bora, a German Army Major during World War II. In a previous [debut] novel, “Lumen,” Bora served in Spain, Poland and at Stalingrad, where he gained some distinction for solving a murder. This novel takes place in 1943 just as the Italian government switched sides, but the Nazi troops still controlled the north.
As the novel opens, Bora is in a hospital after his troops were attacked by partisans; he loses his left hand and shrapnel is embedded in his leg, leaving him in pain for the rest of the book. Parenthetically, this reader wondered how he was not sent home after being so badly injured. In any event, when he returns to his duties, his superior foists on him an investigation into the murder of a fascist leader. His inquiries take place in conjunction with those of a local inspector, who in turn is seeking a serial killer.
While the description of the investigation and activities against the partisans are skillfully drawn, more important is the author’s portrayal of the individual characters, especially Bora, who apparently scrupulously undermines efforts to transport Jews to concentration camps. To say the least, the characters are quite original, Bora a droll creation, highly intelligent.
Recommended.
As the novel opens, Bora is in a hospital after his troops were attacked by partisans; he loses his left hand and shrapnel is embedded in his leg, leaving him in pain for the rest of the book. Parenthetically, this reader wondered how he was not sent home after being so badly injured. In any event, when he returns to his duties, his superior foists on him an investigation into the murder of a fascist leader. His inquiries take place in conjunction with those of a local inspector, who in turn is seeking a serial killer.
While the description of the investigation and activities against the partisans are skillfully drawn, more important is the author’s portrayal of the individual characters, especially Bora, who apparently scrupulously undermines efforts to transport Jews to concentration camps. To say the least, the characters are quite original, Bora a droll creation, highly intelligent.
Recommended.
Read
February 24, 2013During WWII Italy is divided with the North being controlled by the Fascists and the South being liberated by the Allied forces. German Major Martin Bora is ordered to investigate the death of a local Fascist along with local police inspector Guidi, who is also pursing an elusive serial killer.
The conflict between the two characters is interesting both in terms of personality and heritage. While they seem to be at odds they do respect each other. Besides his conflicts with Guidi Bora plays a has other loyalties that cause problems with the German military.
The conflict between the two characters is interesting both in terms of personality and heritage. While they seem to be at odds they do respect each other. Besides his conflicts with Guidi Bora plays a has other loyalties that cause problems with the German military.
October 16, 2019
2.5*
Δεν ξέρω τι έφταιξε κ δεν τραβούσε αυτό το βιβλίο.
Στα θετικά ο "ελκυστικός" χαρακτήρας του πρωταγωνιστή Μπόρα κ του αθώου βοηθού Γκουίντι.
Στα αρνητικά, η ιστορία αδιάφορη? Δεν ξέρω πως να τη χαρακτηρίσω. Η δε λύση του μυστηρίου? Ακατανόητη? Τραβηγμένη από τα μαλλιά?
Κρίμα.
Δεν ξέρω τι έφταιξε κ δεν τραβούσε αυτό το βιβλίο.
Στα θετικά ο "ελκυστικός" χαρακτήρας του πρωταγωνιστή Μπόρα κ του αθώου βοηθού Γκουίντι.
Στα αρνητικά, η ιστορία αδιάφορη? Δεν ξέρω πως να τη χαρακτηρίσω. Η δε λύση του μυστηρίου? Ακατανόητη? Τραβηγμένη από τα μαλλιά?
Κρίμα.
Currently reading
August 28, 2013My word, somebody can write and does it. Transfixed.
January 13, 2018
To refer to Ben Pastor's Martin Bora novels as mysteries is, I think, to do them a disservice. Yes, Wehrmacht officer Martin Bora gets called upon to investigate murders. He carries out an investigation because he has been ordered to do so. Yet Bora does more than interview potential suspects and visit crime scenes. He tries to understand the various reasons leading to the crime being committed. His methods may annoy a trained investigator, but Bora seeks not only justice but to understand the forces that compel a crime to be carried out. "Liar Moon" is a good example. Bora is working with an Italian police inspector to solve the murder of a high-ranking Fascist official. Bora's methods at first irritate the inspector, but then the inspector gets an insight from observing Bora. So yes, Bora solves the crime. But at what cost to his soul? Definitely worth checking out.
February 25, 2023
Se Lumen mi aveva intrigato, Luna bugiarda mi ha definitivamente conquistato. Ben Pastor, scrittrice raffinata e dalla prosa colta e poetica descrive in maniera delicata e partecipe la sofferenza del maggiore Bora, diviso fra la nobiltà dei principi nei quali è stato cresciuto ed educato e la brutalità dei tempi in cui vive. Stupendo
August 20, 2019
Martin Bora soldato seppur fedele alla sua patria riesce a custodire l'onore. Giallo storico brillante
October 2, 2023
Ευχάριστο είδος αστυνομικού επι γερμανικής κατοχής , σαν του Philippe Kerr
August 17, 2019
Un giallo storico ambientato durante la seconda guerra mondiale. Un po' opaco rispetto al primo libro della serie
September 13, 2023
Italia, año 1943. Martin Bora, ascendido a Mayor se encuentra en Verona ocupando su nuevo puesto y todavía recuperándose de un ataque partisano que lo ha dejado discapacitado. Sus superiores le ordenan colaborar en la investigación por asesinato de Vittorio Lisi, un líder fascista licencioso y de fortuna de dudosa procedencia. La única sospechosa del crimen es su esposa, la superficial y frívola Claretta.
Hace tiempo leí por Internet, una entrevista realizada a Ben Pastor, dónde afirmaba que sus novelas eran una excusa para dar a conocer al gran público hechos de la historia: “La novela negra es un caballo de Troya, sirve para que la gente absorba conocimientos históricos sin darse cuenta. A mí, la manera en la que hago llegar esos conocimientos me da igual: es como el agua, tanto da la forma del contenedor”.
Las novelas de Ben Pastor destacan por su rigurosidad histórica, su buena ambientación y sobre todo por presentar un protagonista enmarcado en un contexto histórico muy interesante para desarrollar un personaje de ficción criminal: Un oficial de la Wehrmacht en conflicto con su deber como soldado y su ética y conciencia como católico y hombre ilustrado. Martin Bora es un individuo sensible y culto, a quien le afecta tanto moral como espiritualmente el horror de la guerra y sus daños colaterales, así como la maldad del régimen nazi con el cual no simpatiza. Todo esto hace del joven oficial, un héroe trágico, atormentado, solitario y lleno de angustia.
Hay que reconocer también que la autora tiene talento para escribir. El buen prólogo de Luna mentirosa, es una prueba de que sabe cómo utilizar las palabras y cuenta con la habilidad suficiente para crear una buena historia; pero nuevamente reincide en los fallos que presenta Lumen: Una trama policial simple y con unas motivaciones “del autor material del crimen” inverosímiles.
A destacar: La evolución del personaje protagonista; Bora ya no es el ingenuo teniente que el lector conoció en la Cracovia ocupada cuatro años atrás. Sus experiencias en el frente oriental y ciertos acontecimientos en su entorno familiar lo han cambiado; es un hombre curtido, amargado, cínico, melancólico y poco dispuesto a sucumbir a los encantos femeninos de la sospechosa de turno. Pese a todo mantiene su integridad y decencia.
Por comentarios que proceden de muy buena fuente, tengo entendido que Kaputt Mundi, la tercera de la serie es superior a las dos primeras entregas. Espero que sea así y se cumpla el viejo dicho según el cual a la tercera va la vencida.
Hace tiempo leí por Internet, una entrevista realizada a Ben Pastor, dónde afirmaba que sus novelas eran una excusa para dar a conocer al gran público hechos de la historia: “La novela negra es un caballo de Troya, sirve para que la gente absorba conocimientos históricos sin darse cuenta. A mí, la manera en la que hago llegar esos conocimientos me da igual: es como el agua, tanto da la forma del contenedor”.
Las novelas de Ben Pastor destacan por su rigurosidad histórica, su buena ambientación y sobre todo por presentar un protagonista enmarcado en un contexto histórico muy interesante para desarrollar un personaje de ficción criminal: Un oficial de la Wehrmacht en conflicto con su deber como soldado y su ética y conciencia como católico y hombre ilustrado. Martin Bora es un individuo sensible y culto, a quien le afecta tanto moral como espiritualmente el horror de la guerra y sus daños colaterales, así como la maldad del régimen nazi con el cual no simpatiza. Todo esto hace del joven oficial, un héroe trágico, atormentado, solitario y lleno de angustia.
Hay que reconocer también que la autora tiene talento para escribir. El buen prólogo de Luna mentirosa, es una prueba de que sabe cómo utilizar las palabras y cuenta con la habilidad suficiente para crear una buena historia; pero nuevamente reincide en los fallos que presenta Lumen: Una trama policial simple y con unas motivaciones “del autor material del crimen” inverosímiles.
A destacar: La evolución del personaje protagonista; Bora ya no es el ingenuo teniente que el lector conoció en la Cracovia ocupada cuatro años atrás. Sus experiencias en el frente oriental y ciertos acontecimientos en su entorno familiar lo han cambiado; es un hombre curtido, amargado, cínico, melancólico y poco dispuesto a sucumbir a los encantos femeninos de la sospechosa de turno. Pese a todo mantiene su integridad y decencia.
Por comentarios que proceden de muy buena fuente, tengo entendido que Kaputt Mundi, la tercera de la serie es superior a las dos primeras entregas. Espero que sea así y se cumpla el viejo dicho según el cual a la tercera va la vencida.
March 8, 2012
Set about four years after the events in Lumen, this second book in the Martin Bora series finds the aristocratic German Army officer stationed near Verona in northern Italy. The intervening years, including two on the Russian front, have taken their toll, and the sober officer is now even more cool and detached than before. The format of the story hews fairly closely to that of the first book: there's a main mystery, a secondary one, and a sidekick. Here, the main plotline follows the murder of a high-ranking civilian in the Fascist regime, and the Italians have asked for German help in investigating the murder. Meanwhile, there's an escaped convict roaming the countryside with a sniper rifle. Aiding him on the first matter, and asking for his help with the latter, is Italian police inspector Guidi.
The first book suffered from a plodding pace, and while this one isn't exactly a page-turner, there is slightly little more action and interest to it. The mystery is convoluted and there's a lot of back and forth between various suspects and witnesses. But the brittle relationship between Guidi and Bora is what sustains it -- as Bora can't afford to become too familiar or close to his Italian assistant he also struggles with loneliness. As with the first book, there's a lot of psychological heaviness -- lots of staring out windows, lots of denial, and general gloominess. Which is obviously perfectly in keeping with not only a book set in World War II, but one whose protagonist is on the side that lost not only the war, but moral standing.
The main storyline involves a lot of traveling to and fro in search of witnesses, evidence, etc. in what is really a fairly basic mundane murder, and the secondary plot about the sniper also involves lots of travelling around, but never really unfolds in a dramatic way. As in the first book, one can't help but feel that the book could have been improved immeasurably by the guiding hand of a good editor. If the first book was plodding, this one trudges along with a little more sense of purpose, and the details of wartime life are very convincingly displayed. On the whole though, I'm not sure I'll continue with the series beyond these first two books.
The first book suffered from a plodding pace, and while this one isn't exactly a page-turner, there is slightly little more action and interest to it. The mystery is convoluted and there's a lot of back and forth between various suspects and witnesses. But the brittle relationship between Guidi and Bora is what sustains it -- as Bora can't afford to become too familiar or close to his Italian assistant he also struggles with loneliness. As with the first book, there's a lot of psychological heaviness -- lots of staring out windows, lots of denial, and general gloominess. Which is obviously perfectly in keeping with not only a book set in World War II, but one whose protagonist is on the side that lost not only the war, but moral standing.
The main storyline involves a lot of traveling to and fro in search of witnesses, evidence, etc. in what is really a fairly basic mundane murder, and the secondary plot about the sniper also involves lots of travelling around, but never really unfolds in a dramatic way. As in the first book, one can't help but feel that the book could have been improved immeasurably by the guiding hand of a good editor. If the first book was plodding, this one trudges along with a little more sense of purpose, and the details of wartime life are very convincingly displayed. On the whole though, I'm not sure I'll continue with the series beyond these first two books.
March 9, 2012
“Liar Moon” is the second book in the Martin Bora series.
Bora is a Wehrmacht Major who two months after surviving a grenade attack in which he lost his left hand and nearly his leg, is back to work and tasked to investigate the murder of Camerata Vittorio Lisi, a well known Fascist and cripple. The Wehrmacht has zeroed in on Lisi’s very young widow Claretta as the prime suspect and with the help of Police Inspector Sandro Guidi, Bora must find evidence to either convict Claretta or find the true killer. Lisi—as it turns out—was a womanizer preying on his servant girls and the wives of other men. As a result, he had amassed a long list of enemies that included the recipients of large high interest loans.
Bora and Guidi are not only working on the Lisi case but are combined in their effort to catch a serial killer amongst the raging war between Italy and Germany. The serial killer has a calling card of sorts: he leaves shoes as clues and walks away barefoot from the scene. Working the parallel cases, the men follow up on leads that take them from underground abortion clinics to the fields of Verona chasing the elusive serial killer.
Both men have their demons to contend with, Bora from his opposition to the SS and their policies toward the treatment of Jews and Guidi with his ever growing feelings for Claretta who has now been jailed for the murder of her husband. They must put aside their personal demons and focus on the cases, which inevitably throw them into dangerous situations and chases to catch the killers.
Ben Pastor is the author of several very successful novels. She has won the prestigious Premio Zagaroza for the best historical fiction and is considered one of the top in her field. The second of the series has the reader engaged, following the lives of the very believable characters and hoping Pastor will continue the series.
Reviewed by Jodi Ann Hanson for Suspense Magazine
Bora is a Wehrmacht Major who two months after surviving a grenade attack in which he lost his left hand and nearly his leg, is back to work and tasked to investigate the murder of Camerata Vittorio Lisi, a well known Fascist and cripple. The Wehrmacht has zeroed in on Lisi’s very young widow Claretta as the prime suspect and with the help of Police Inspector Sandro Guidi, Bora must find evidence to either convict Claretta or find the true killer. Lisi—as it turns out—was a womanizer preying on his servant girls and the wives of other men. As a result, he had amassed a long list of enemies that included the recipients of large high interest loans.
Bora and Guidi are not only working on the Lisi case but are combined in their effort to catch a serial killer amongst the raging war between Italy and Germany. The serial killer has a calling card of sorts: he leaves shoes as clues and walks away barefoot from the scene. Working the parallel cases, the men follow up on leads that take them from underground abortion clinics to the fields of Verona chasing the elusive serial killer.
Both men have their demons to contend with, Bora from his opposition to the SS and their policies toward the treatment of Jews and Guidi with his ever growing feelings for Claretta who has now been jailed for the murder of her husband. They must put aside their personal demons and focus on the cases, which inevitably throw them into dangerous situations and chases to catch the killers.
Ben Pastor is the author of several very successful novels. She has won the prestigious Premio Zagaroza for the best historical fiction and is considered one of the top in her field. The second of the series has the reader engaged, following the lives of the very believable characters and hoping Pastor will continue the series.
Reviewed by Jodi Ann Hanson for Suspense Magazine
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