Third installment and although I hadn't read the previous two, in no way did this affect my enjoyment of this book and subsequently ordered the two previous ones to read as well.

This book was pretty decent as there was a lot going on . The detective Elisenda had some personal things going on but she managed to work through them. Her abilities as a detective are good and she has a humorous side to her. The only part that dragged me down was the Spanish politics and the reenactments of a Spanish history event that was being celebrated . The plot of the politician's son missing was interesting and I was surprised at how that ended. All and all I liked the book . If you like a read with lots going on with some not so likeable characters plus some great characters, politics, religion, loss , Spanish culture, symbolism this book may interest you .Thanks Netgalley.

An atmospheric plunge into a part of the world (Girona, in Catalonia) few of us know, allowing us to witness some of the political and social tensions there, with pro-independence and pro-Spain supporters. The Opus Dei link seemed somewhat unnecessary, but did perhaps serve to emphasise the tightly knit circles of influence in the area. Two solid investigations, with good examples of teamwork.

4 stars

When a bad tip off causes police resources to be wasted while the real crime is committed in another location, Elisenda Domènech is told to take time off and get therapy. This is after she behaves inappropriately to her superior officer.

The problem she talks about in therapy is that she sees her daughter – the one who was killed six years earlier. She doesn’t see it as a problem really, but her therapist does. It is keeping her awake, it is a distraction and is making her short-tempered.

Then a 14-year old boy goes missing. He is the son of a famous politician. His older brother went missing and was never found four years earlier. Elisenda is called back from “vacation” to work the case. The other case is the burgling of some expensive rural homes.

I liked that the detective team got along well with one another – for the most part anyway. There were a few spats, but that only adds to the feeling of appropriateness to real life situations. While Elisenda is outspoken to some degree, she does not offend. She runs a tight ship and her crew appreciates it.

The mother of the missing boy is not sympathetic – indeed, she claims she does not grieve because of her faith. This angers Elisenda. The father, however, is a different subject. There is more to these parents that meets the eye.

As they follow the clues, interview people and review the first son’s disappearance, they move slowly forward with the cases.

With regard to the missing boy, there is a huge surprise and turn at the end of the book. All in all, this is a well written, suspenseful and enjoyable mystery. I look forward to reading more of Chris Lloyd’s novels.

I want to thank Netgalley and Canelo for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of City of Drowned Souls, the third Girona based police procedural to feature Sotsinspectora Elisenda Domenéch and her team.

Elisenda and the team are investigating a series of violent robberies when a failed tip off leads to her losing her cool and being suspended on sick leave while she attends therapy to help her deal with the death of her daughter six years previously, something she has never dealt with. Her leave, however, is cancelled when the son of an unpopular local politician goes missing, four years after the disappearance and presumed death of his brother.

Mr Lloyd throws the kitchen sink at this novel with false leads and theories including fraud, Catalan politics, corruption and Opus Dei, all of it interesting but mostly irrelevant to both plot lines. Add in the tourist's guide to Girona and its history, again interesting but irrelevant, and you get a fairly slow moving investigation with a surge at the end.

I like Elisenda and her team. They are motivated and generally work well together but there are little niggles between them which add a certain reality to their interactions. The novel focuses on Elisenda and her personal problems. She sees and hears her daughter at odd moments and her colleagues believe this is starting to affect her judgement, hence the enforced therapy, but, apart from a tendency to say exactly what she thinks, I don't see it and think she runs a good investigation with the limited resources available. I do like her brazenness in saying exactly what she thinks and she makes some good points.

Within all the padding there is a clever plot with a good twist at the end. For those who don't like them there is a cliffhanger in an italicised epilogue so it's easy to skip. I also liked the fact in this novel, contrary to my normal views, that all the loose ends aren't tied up nicely in a bow. It gives the novel a healthy dose of the realities of policing.

I think 3.5* is a fair assessment of City Of Drowned Souls as a crime novel but as I can't give that rating I've rounded it up to 4 for making me want to visit Girona - it sounds lovely

When the son of a politician disappears right before an election, it’s imperative he’s found immediately. That order comes right down from the top and Elisena Domench knows she has to deliver. But with budget cuts have left her short-handed at the same time she’s tracking down a violent home intruder. With her key informant missing, too, the detective begins to wonder if the cases might be connected

Thank you.
Enjoyed it.
Will get copies for family and friends.