The Siege by Arturo Perez-Reverte
Summary: For fans of Alan Furst and Carlos Ruiz
Zafón comes a haunting and layered thriller filled with history, adventure,
suspense, and an unforgettable love story—by the internationally bestselling
author Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
Cádiz, 1811: The Spanish port city has been
surrounded by Napoleon’s army for a year. Their backs to the sea, its residents
endure routine bombardments and live in constant fear of a French invasion. And
now the bodies of random women have begun to turn up throughout the
city—victims of a shadowy killer.
Police Comisario Rogelio Tizón has been assigned
the case. Known for his razor-sharp investigation skills—as well as his brutal
interrogation methods—Tizón has seen everything. Or so he thought. His inquiry
into the murders reveals a surprising pattern: Each victim has been found where
a French bomb exploded. Logic tells him to pass it off as coincidence; his
instinct tells him otherwise, and he begins to view Cádiz as a living
chessboard, with himself and the killer the main players.
In a city pushed to the brink, violence and
desperation weave together the lives of a group of unlikely people: the Spanish
taxidermist who doubles as a French spy; the young woman who uses her father’s
mercantile business to run the enemy blockade; the rough-edged corsair who
tries to resist her charms; and the brilliant academic furiously trying to
perfect the French army’s artillery and bring Cádiz to its knees once and for
all. And as Napoleon presses closer, Tizón must make his next move on the
bomb-scarred chessboard before the killer claims another pawn.
Combining fast-paced narrative with scrupulous
historical accuracy, this smart, suspenseful tale of human resilience is Arturo
Pérez-Reverte at the height of his talents.
Angie's
Comments: The Siege may be
a large book with 594 pages, but I am happy that I took the time to read it.
The story is haunting, and I wonder how the characters fared after the book
ended. The characters are fascinating,
as each is good and bad, strong and weak. Pérez-Reverte did a fantastic job
describing the city in the midst of war and the effect it had on the people of Cádiz
and the soldiers laying siege to Cádiz. The mystery part is the weakest part of
the novel. Recommended for readers of war stories and those interested in
characters.
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