THE SUMMER SNOW (Historical-Spain-1940s) – VGPawel, Rebecca – 4th in seriesSoho Crime, 2006- US Hardcover – ISBN: 1569474087*** Lieutenant Carlos Tejada comes to Granada with his wife and son after his wealthy grand aunt has died. She had been a querulous old lady always seeing conspiracies but Carlos finds she had been murdered. While trying to find his aunt’s killer, his wife, Elena, must deal with her in-laws disapproval of her while trying to keep their young son amused.*** I so enjoy this series as much for the relationship of Tajada and his wife as for the mystery itself. It is not a perfect marriage. They were raised differently, and have very different political views which cause friction. In other words, it’s realistic. It’s interesting seeing Tajada in an environment where he is not in command of the men, but of the investigation, and where has to interrogate family members, including his father. This is a very good, character-driven story still with a very good mystery. I highly recommend this series.
Set in Spain in 1945, this book is unusual in its setting, characters, and themes - a very literary mystery. The political climate in Spain just after the civil war, and with WWII looming on the borders, is interesting and plays a large role in the book. More interesting to me are the cast of characters; particularly the protagonist, Carlos Tejada and his wife Elena. Carlos is from an aristocratic family while Elena is working class with 'Red' sympathies. They make an odd pair, and their class and political views loom large in the relationship. The secondary characters are all well-drawn and have their own interesting stories. The mystery itself seems almost beside the point, although the plot is well constructed and the murderer difficult to guess.
What do You think about The Summer Snow (2007)?
I thought this book was the perhaps the most depressing because I didn't particularly like Tejada's family. Their attitudes and treatment of Elena and Tejada were rather appalling, though not overtly so. I found myself wishing that they could just leave. Also, I was expecting some sort of resolution (in general) as I'd read that this was the last planned Tejada novel. The ending wasn't really a cliffhanger, but it certainly left room for more books about the Tejadas, especially now that Carlos Antonio is getting older. I guess I'm trying to say that I have no closure.
—rinabeana
This was one of those random books picked up at the library and it turned out to be a very well written one. The amount of historical research was impressive and really well done. There were enough detail so that you didn't get lost but not so much that you loose interest in the book. The dynamic between Carlos Tejada and his wife Elena was amazing and left you wanting to know more about their family life. (Which I will probably find out more when I read the other books) There are also some mysteries and drama about the Tejada family that are unraveled throughout the book and provide some interesting insight. These sideline mysteries are actually more interesting than the mystery of the will and who killed Carlos' aunt. The conclusion felt a little short, like it was missing some details, but overall this was a great book.
—Andrea
