The Blind Man of Seville Book

I must confess that, when I dove into the Blind Man of Seville, I did it primarily for the narrative setting and expected it to be an indulgent but superficial detective story of almost "pulp" quality. A few chapters in, and I quickly realized how wrong I was -- this is a rich, complex and intricately woven tale that brings the best of historical fiction, thriller and detective fiction together in delightful and delicious fashion. Many detective writers are adept, spinning text that is tightly bound and then rushes from page to page, pulling the reader along with it --- often just being along for the ride is fun and joy enough. Wilson is an adept writer in this vein, for sure, but is surprisingly poetic and vivid in his style. The Blind Man of Seville is refreshingly elaborate for a detective story; the pathways of discovery revolve not just around crime solving, but also a deep and personal psychological exploration of the protagonist and his historical father. Wilson crafts a compelling and seductive picture of Seville, conjuring images that blend Moorish mystery with the vibrant heat of a buzzing Spanish city. His treatment of post-WWI Tangiers and Morocco belong in a class of their own as excellent historical fiction. It is probably worthy of four stars, in reality, but it so pleasantly surprised me -- and spurned me to the next installment in the series -- that I gave it top rating.