Translated by Peter Bush.
Published in ebook 25th October 2024 and in paperback 1st November 2024 by Corylus Books.
From the cover of the book:
A country that doesn't acknowledge its past is destined to repeat its mistakes...Why murder a sick old man nearing retirement? An investigation into the death of a professor at the University of Barcelona seems particularly baffling for Deputy Inspector Norma Forester of the Catalan police, as word from the top confirms she's the one to lead this case.
The granddaughter of an English member of the International Brigades, Norma has a colourful family life, with a forensic doctor husband, a hippy mother, a squatter daughter and an aunt, a nun in an enclosed order, who operates as a hacker from her austere convent cell.
This blended family sometimes helps and often hinders Norma's investigations.
It seems the spectres of the past have not yet been laid to rest, and there are people who can neither forgive nor forget the cruelties of the Spanish Civil War and all that followed.
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Deputy Inspector Norma Forester of the Catalan police is holding a family party to celebrate her birthday with her forensic doctor husband, Octavi, when the call comes through that they are both required at the scene of a bizarre murder. Someone has killed an elderly professor at the University of Barcelona, and the high profile nature of his family connections means that Norma's tact and discretion will be required to lead the investigation.
As Norma and her team get to work, she discovers that there are links to the case that go back to the dark days of the Civil War, and a secret that someone wants to stay buried...
Black Storms is the first part in a crime series featuring Deputy Inspector Norma Forester, now available for the first time in English from Corylus Books, beautifully translated by Peter Bush to maintain every ounce of suspense and pace.
We meet Norma in the midst of her birthday celebrations, which introduces us to her lively, blended family, and then in close order, to the eccentric bunch of police officers that she works with. There are a lot of colourful characters to get your head around right from the word go, but Solana's style allows you to get to know them and all their foibles very quickly - and many of them you will get to absolutely love as they both help and hinder Norma with her investigation... but more on that later.
The story unfurls as both a suspenseful investigation into the death of the aged professor with plenty of grit, and as an absolutely compelling family drama full of emotion and nicely employed humour. Norma is a great protagonist, driving the plot as she swaps back and forth between pursuing leads in the case, dealing with all the situations that arise in her hectic family life and workplace, and reconciling her own romantic entanglements. Solana does an excellent job of bringing the character of Barcelona alive in the process.
There are lovely echoing themes that gradually emerge, cleverly connecting the police investigation with the long shadows of the Spanish Civil War, and the current political situation, and I loved how Solana links the ghosts of injustices and betrayals that still run deep in the Spanish psyche to all aspects of the story - including Norma's fascinating family history, which is fully explained in an epilogue that fills in all the poignant gaps about her quirky family set-up. And speaking of family, Norma's family is an absolute joy. I came to know and love so many of them while the crime elements played out, even when their antics were problematic. My stand-out favourite is Norma's unconventional aunt, who is both a nun and a consummate hacker - and whose skills turn out to be crucial in cracking the case!
This is a pacy, fun and thought provoking introduction to the series and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I hope that more instalments will follow in English, because I really need more of Norma, her family, and her oddball work colleagues - especially Aunt Margarida!
Black Storms is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.
Thank you to Corylus Books for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Her first crime series has been translated into several languages, and her short story collection The First Prehistoric Serial Killer was longlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger Award in 2019.
Black Storms is full of Teresa Solana’s signature humour, but also reflects social issues and acknowledges the weight of history that is part of Catalonia’s psyche.
About the translator:
Not only active as a translator, he has also been a key figure in developing literary translation as an academic discipline.
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