The cover is arresting, and the reason I picked up this book. But, I am so glad I did. Like the author, I love Barcelona, the setting for the book. Though I am glad I visited before reading this book. The story is a thriller set in many iconic places in Barcelona, like the labyrinth and near Gaudi's famous apartment building. For example, there is a tussle in the gondolier going up to Montjuic. I'll never quite look at those sights the same after reading the book. Great read with arresting illustrations. Sort of underworld Jason Bourn in Barcelona, but better. Grab this book if you get a chance.

For the record. I read the English version The Art of Dying. I am a real fan of Europe Comics who bring the skills and styles of various cultures and places.
This graphic novel is set in Barcelona and it appears without embarrassment to bring out the very best of this Catalonian city.
Philippe Martin, a Paris cop, is invited to Barcelona to assist into the death of a young woman who may have been his daughter. Barcelona is a charged place for Martin—he’s been visiting every summer for the 25 years since the girl’s mother left him and fled there. The dead girl looks strikingly like the woman he loved for some 5 years and after taking a paternity test he wants to find some answers for the tragic death. His investigations lead him into a shady world of criminal activity from extortion, embezzlement and fraud. This is a lucrative business and his independent research starts to ruffle some feathers and brings Martin to the attention of the most notorious gangsters.
Although outside his jurisdiction Martin receives support initially from the local police but even they can’t help him when he finds out too much. This journey reflects the path he has taken all his professional life. While he might seem career driven it is deeper, it is his sense of duty and justice that wins out but can he save the day when the odds are stacked against him and innocent lives are at risk.
A dark mystery. It is tragic as much as it is broken. He knows the city from all his visits that gives him an edge but it also reflects how close he came to finding his life which has been sealed until this suicide/murder. These character flaws and the incomplete shapes of these people that rarely come into focus leaves the story cold and lacking emotional involvement.
The greatest love affair is here, that of the affection in which the city of Barcelona is held. Nothing here undermines that, despite the brutality, the criminality at work throughout the city. One is drawn to places a casual visitor might not know, and the star of this story is its location.

The art of dying by Raule and Philippe Berthet.
Philippe Martin, a Paris cop, is called to Barcelona to look into the suspicious suicide of a girl who might be his daughter. Barcelona is a charged place for Martin—he’s been visiting every summer for the 25 years since the girl’s mother left him and fled there. His investigations lead him into a labyrinth of criminal activity stretching from the most violent depths of Barcelona’s society to its wealthiest families. Taunted by a particularly vicious and wily opponent, the stakes of Martin's investigation are not only justice but his very soul.
This was a very enjoyable read. I loved the colour and the story. 4*.