Klaus felsen, forced out of his berlin factory into the ss, arrives in a luminous lisbon. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson has two story lines, one set in the 1940s in germany and portugal, the other set in the late 1990s in lisbon. A small death in lisbon is a hard book to put down, but it isnt an easy book to read. Goodreads members who liked a small death in lisbon also liked. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson is a mystery set in lisbon, portugal, in the 1990s, but also a novel that has routes in world war ii when germans were looking for an escape route when the war looked to be ending, and not in their favor. A small death in lisbon book hennepin county library. A small death in lisbon is a crime novel by robert wilson. As ze digs deeper he overturns the dark soil of history and unearths old bones. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson won the 1999 gold dagger award for best crime novel.
Oct 05, 2000 this small death in lisbon is horrific compensation for an even older crime, and coelhos stubborn pursuit of its truth reveals a tragedy that unites past and present. The reader had to be careful to follow the time line, and identify the players, because they were not always clear. Berkeley books isbn 0425184234, pub date march 2002, paperback. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson reading matters.
Robert wilson is an excellent writer, and crafts a good story. The small death is the murder in the 1990s of a young schoolgirl who has been moonlighting as a prostitute, but that thread is interwoven with a complex historical story of nazi gold and neutral. As he digs deeper into all levels of lisbon society he overturns the dark soil of history and unearths old bones. Find a small death in lisbon 000651202x by wilson, robert.
But theres and older, greater injustice, for which this small death in lisbon is horrific compensation, and in his final push for the truth ze must face the most chilling of opposition. Robert wilsons intense novel of crime and ignominy begins with a brutal murder in portugal in the 1990s, when the body of a teenaged girl is cast upon the. A major edit of the beginning of the book would probably have clarified the plot for the reader, but i fear that one of its basic problems would have remained. Read a small death in lisbon by robert wilson available from rakuten kobo. It begins with nazis coercing swabian businessman klaus felsen into leaving berlin to procure wolfram for them by any means in portugal. Ze coelho shares some characteristics with his spanish counterpart, inspector jefe javier falcon, such as. Jul 19, 1999 a small death in lisbon by robert wilson is a mystery set in lisbon, portugal, in the 1990s, but also a novel that has routes in world war ii when germans were looking for an escape route when the war looked to be ending, and not in their favor. A small death in lisbon is a gripping thriller packed. But theres and older, greater injustice, for which this small death in lisbon is horrific compensation, and in his final push for the truth ze. A small death in lisbon was a page turner which i read with considerable enthusiasm. Felsens assignment takes him to the bleak mountains of the north where a devious and brutal battle is being fought for an element vital to. Sean barrett has a wonderful voice, but you wouldnt want to hear it. Buy a small death in lisbon 10th anniversary edition by robert wilson isbn. Robert wilson the portuguese books a small death is lisbon.
Free download or read online a small death in lisbon pdf epub book. The small death is the murder in the 1990s of a young schoolgirl who has been moonlighting as a prostitute, but that thread is interwoven with a complex historical story of nazi gold and neutral portugals shady dealings during and after the second world war. This small death in lisbon is horrific compensation for an even older crime, and coelhos stubborn pursuit of its truth reveals a tragedy that unites past and present. This stunning, atmospheric thriller set in wartorn europe won the cwa gold dagger and has now been reissued with the ja. Jan 27, 2015 a small death in lisbon is certainly wellwritten and absorbing, but way, way too long.
A small death in lisbon by robert wilson, paperback. Find books like a small death in lisbon from the worlds largest community of readers. But theres an older, greater injustice for which this small death in lisbon is horrific compensation, and in his final push for the truth, ze must face the most chilling opposition. Her disturbing sexual past is the focus for his colleagues attention, but as coelho begins to unearth some remarkable secrets behind her death, he encounters a plot that stretches beyond the. Felsens assignment takes him to the bleak mountains of the north where a devious and brutal battle is being fought for an element vital to hitlers. The novel won the cwa gold dagger award in 1999, and the german crime prize for an international novel in 2003. Here is a quick description and cover image of book a small death in lisbon written by robert wilson which was published in 1999719. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson is two books in one for at least 500 pages. Apr 09, 2018 a small death in lisbon by robert wilson has two story lines, one set in the 1940s in germany and portugal, the other set in the late 1990s in lisbon. Pdf a small death in lisbon book by robert wilson free. No lazy reading, or else one loses ones way, whether it is a john le carre spy story or crime fiction like robert wilsons a small death in lisbon. The author carefully brought together two stories, one dating from world war ii and the other from contemporary lisbon, and meshed them in the end. The story revolves around klaus felsen, a german businessman during world war ii who is drafted into the ss. Klaus felsen, forced out of his berlin factory into the ss, arrives in a luminous lisbon, where nazis and allies, refugees and entrepreneurs, dance to the strains of opportunism and despair.
A small death in lisbon book charlevoix public library. The later time line features a police detective whose investigation of a teenage girls murder links back to the experiences of a berlin factory owner forced into hitlers ss in 1941. A small death in lisbon 000651202x by wilson, robert. This work does not just shift between 2 points in time. The real star of this gripping and beautifully written mysterydwhich won the british crime writers golden dagger award for best crime novel last yeardis portugal, whose. Over half a century later a young girl is murdered in lisbon. But robert wilson, author of a small death in lisbon, is no ordinary crime novelist. Robert wilsons combination of intelligence, suspense, vivid characters, and mesmerizing storytelling richly deserves the international acclaim his novel has received. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson, paperback barnes. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson 2002, paperback. The shocking connection makes this the most talkedabout thriller in years. A small death in lisbon by robert wilson goodreads.
For much of the book a small death in lisbon is like reading two novels. The 1974 revolution has left some injustices of salazars fascist regime unresolved. Apr 28, 2020 pdf epub a small death in lisbon download by robert wilson. Its wilsons supreme artistry that keeps one turning the pages to an ending that twists back upon itself, mocking the reader as if to say, see, it was there all the time. The first story, told in alternating chapters, is about a lisbon homicide. This posts is part of a series about books you might enjoy reading before you visit portugal. James, or any other ordinary crime novelist, would make for genre parody and little more. The first part is about finding a sixteen year old girls body on a beach in portugal. Mar 06, 2018 a small death in lisbon falls into that category. Had the first 400 pages of a small death in lisbon been edited down to 200 pages he would possibly have had a riveting plot.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 451 pages and is available in paperback format. I love wwii suspense thrillers, and this one could have developed nicely, but it just played out flat. Robert wilson a girls death leads inspector ze coelho to unsolved crimes from portugals past. A small death in lisbon won the cwa gold dagger in 1999. A highly satisfying book, part thriller, part psychological mystery and part novel of ideas. Aug 06, 2009 a dead blonde, a lonely gumshoe, and a rich man with a past, left to the devices of a robert b.
A dead blonde, a lonely gumshoe, and a rich man with a past, left to the devices of a robert b. The portuguese books a small death is lisbon robert wilson. Inspector ze coelho is struggling against the closed ranks of his colleagues in the investigation of the brutal murder of a young girl. A small death in lisbon king county library system.
A small death in lisbon, by robert wilson is not his first work, but unfortunately is the only writing of his available in the us at present. Thriller carves a place in the larger historical picture. At least 100 pages of the 450 page novel could easily be deleted by a good editor, without losing any of the suspense, the characterestablishing prose, the good dialogue, or the morbid humanuponhuman violence that pervades this story. The novel, set in portugal, consists of two narratives. A small death in lisbonrobert wilson451 pagesavailable in paperbackberkley.
It is a complex parallel story set in wwii and in 1999, in berlin and lisbon. A small death in lisbon book by robert wilson 6 available. Pdf epub a small death in lisbon download by robert wilson. The novel opens with the death of a young teen, catarina oliveira, who has a promiscuous past and a. Klaus felsen is slightly addicted to it, and the murder of the girl in lisbon reveals a sexual past that is quite disturbing. Download a small death in lisbon by robert wilson in pdf epub format complete free. One book follows the investigation by inspector ze coehlo into the 1990s murder and possible sexual assault of a 16year old daughter of a powerful portuguese lawyer. Books similar to a small death in lisbon goodreads. Robert wilson a portuguese bank is founded on the back of nazi wartime deals. The novel begins in present day lisbon, portugal, where a young woman, catarina oliveira, is found dead on the coast.
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