Max Cámara is feeling low. Ominous cracks have appeared in the walls of his flat; the body of a well-known paella chef has been washed up on the beach; there are rows and threats about abortion clinics in anticipation of the Pope’s visit to Valencia; and town hall officials are set on demolishing El Cabanyal, the colorful fisherman's quarter on Valencia's sea-front. As Cámara untangles these threads, he stumbles into a web of corruption and violence, uncovering deep animosities and hidden secrets, and forcing him to question his own doubts and desires.

This is the second novel in Webster's dark and witty series, following his widely praised debut with Or the Bull Kills You. The plot is fast and twisting, the scene-setting vivid and the atmosphere powerfully authentic. Starring the determined Cámara, with his love of flamenco and brandy, and occasional doped-out high, A Death in Valencia delves into issues that rouse unruly passions and divide the Spanish people today.

Reviews for the first Max Cámara novel, Or the Bull Kills You

'[Max Cámara is]one of the most attractive figures to enter recent detective fiction...Like the best detective stories, this book becomes a scrutiny of our own most powerful drives and secrets.'

The Independent

 

'The Spanish city of Valencia looks dazzling in Jason Webster's first novel. Even as the violence escalates and the symbolism thickens, the estimable Inspector Camara remains open-minded, if a bit cynical, about the grand follies of his beautiful city.'

New York Times