This trumps many murder mysteries by having two stories going at once. Each is important in its own way. One has an international context, the other explores sensitive child protection issues. In amongst all this is a batch of very well drawn characters,particularly the lead police commander in Slovakia. The nuances of state sensitivities in various Central European countries are very well handled. This is a truly good read.

A most interesting read with a cast of interesting characters .centred on Bratislava. The action spreads to Zurich and across the territories of the old Hapsburg Austrian empire giving a good taste of its cultures and cities. The investigating female Commander deftly manipulates people and situations to further her investigations into murderous crimes escaping many assassinations until finally setting herself up as the bait in a trap so as to ruthlessly deal with the villain behind all the events.

There’s a murderer on the loose, one that has killed across international boundaries. The weapon of choice? An ice pick. Happily, the case is assigned to total bad-ass Commander Jana Matinova, the best new female detective I’ve seen in emerge in crime fiction in decades. Thank you to Net Galley and Brash Books for the DRC. This title will be available for purchase November 3.

Part of what initially attracted me to this novel was the setting. Though Matinova finds herself crossing into various parts of central Europe, she is based in Slovakia, a country not even on my personal radar. By way of apology, I will point out that for most of my life, a giant swath of Europe and Asia was designated as USSR, and the satellite states lined up like faithful guardians around its perimeter included Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, both of which have been carved into different nations since the Stalinist realm crumbled. So I thought I’d learn a little bit about the contemporary contours of central Europe in the most enjoyable way possible—through fiction.

Genelin doesn’t disappoint. Along with Matinova, we have a collection of other cops, some of whom garnered truly fetching descriptions, such as this one: “With his thinning hair and lopsided smile he looked like a harmless, slightly unkempt beagle without its long ears.”

In addition we have the sinister Koba, a master criminal that Matinova considers akin, perhaps, to Holmes’s Moriarty. Koba’s role in Genelin’s story is complex and fascinating.

But most of all, I appreciated the development of Jana Matinova, both for her silver-bullet speed and cleverness, and also for that which is not included. We never hear about her hair, makeup, or her figure; we don’t need to know anything about her love life, and if she experiences any ambivalence about her lack of a domestic life, we don’t hear about it. In fact, Genelin treats his protagonist just as he would a male protagonist.

Now isn’t that a breath of fresh air?

The fifth star, which I would have loved to be able to add to this engaging story, is denied because of problematic passages that popped up often enough to warrant ten different notations in my kindle: “Too wordy! Tighten it up!” It seemed either as if there were two writers, one more capable than the other, co-writing the novel, or as if someone whose mother tongue is not English was struggling to say what needed saying. I noticed this was most frequent during passages of narrative, and less likely to occur during dialogue. Whatever it is, it could benefit greatly from either some rewritten passages or strong editing. But every time I found my eyes jerking through one of these verbose areas in the text, sooner or later we would come out slick as a whistle, and everything would commence to flow again. I don’t think a published text has ever confused me so much in this regard.

That being said, I would cheerfully read other books in this series given the opportunity. Because when push comes to shove, Commander Jana Matinova is a champ!

For the Dignified Dead is a slow burner. I was expecting a hunt for a serial killer and instead I got an international conspiracy. These books don't usually engross me as much, but in this case the plot held my interest until the very end. Bratislava Police Commander Jana Matinova is trying to find out the killer of a woman who was found frozen in the Danube, stabbed with an ice pick. This is the mark of a famous serial killer called Koba. There are other cases in Austria, Hungary and other neighboring countries, but Koba may not have been the author. The murdered woman's son is missing and Matinova has to travel through Europe trying to solve the crimes and find the child. She is also working on what seems like an open and shut case in which a man killed a health worker who had allegedly abused his daughter. All this, while trying to survive many, many attempts on her life. The different plots combine in a compelling way, and some parts had me sitting at the edge of my seat. Jana is also very likable. Not your usual "young, strong policewoman" but more of a realistic figure. Her character, and her unlikely ally Zuzu who is also looking for the missing child, are so well written that I was surprised to realize that the author was a man. All the supporting characters, from Jana's commander to her subordinates are also very well fleshed-out. As a trivia note, Mr. Genelin was a prosecutor who worked on many cases, including the murder of Sal Mineo - that's a story I'd love to read. If you are looking for a brainless thriller, this is not it. For the Dignified Dead is a smart, well thought out and ultimately satisfying novel.

For The Dignified Dead Michael Genelin
The cover of this book is perfect for the story.

A serial killer who uses and Icepick ? I've seen this before,
thinks Commander Jana Matinova. She works in the busy Slovakian police homicide unit. A body has been found in the river. The woman had been killed by an icepick to the back of her head. As Jana pursues the case she begins to believe that a killer, who has never been cought, is at work again. But things are not always as they seem.

I liked Jana she is a strong personality and very persistant. Once she gets her teeth into a case she doesn't give up. The obsticales she has to overcome are many. Her assistant is lazy and incompent and she is trying to get him transfered. Her other case is about a father who shot the man he said molested his young daughter. This case is also not what you think.

This whole book is full of red herrings. The plot has many twists and turns and can leave you wondering, what just happened ? Perhaps the place that this tale takes place has much to do with the flavor of this story. I don't usually care for mysteries about police in European countries. This story, however, because it not only takes placein Slovakia but in several neighboring countries, touches on how different our procedures are. Trying to get the other countries police to share their information is sometimes difficult. There is also a language problem that Jana has to deal with.

All in all, it is a very good read or listen. I had the audio kindle version. Really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for the free Kindle version.

Thought this was a brilliant book, well written with very good characters.

Enjoyed the lead detective very much, and the way she interacted with everyone,.

It could have been a really complicated story as there was lots of layers to the story with different countries involved, but was told in such good way wasn't difficult to follow.

Highly recommended and can't wait to read more from the same author.
Sad to say from my point of view was very surprised to find it had been written by a man as I thought he had nailed the female lead character perfectly!

A woman's frozen body has been pulled from the Danube River. Bratislava Police Commander Jana Motvina is on the case. The woman's death appears to be the work of someone who has escaped Jana in the past. The investigation leads Jana all over Western Europe and right into the middle of an international conspiracy involving millions of dollars of missing money. One dead body after another turns up and all appear to be the work of Koba, the killer who escaped Jana before. But Koba isn't responsible for all the deaths, someone just wants you to think so. Kobas relationship with Jana becomes very interesting. He gives her hints to help her in her investigation and warns her people are trying to kill her. This isn't the first book featuring Commander Motvina but I didn't feel like I missed anything because I read it out of order. Based on this book I will probably go back and read the previous books. The characters are well developed and the plot is fast moving. I highly recommend this book.

This book didn't go for History Corner, but it WILL teach you a lot about the former Soviet areas, that are now countries, like Slovakia. I had never read any of the books in the series, so when I read the description, I knew it was a good book for some Fall reading. And I was right! This is a mystery tied into another mystery, with a spider web of deceit that is slow to unravel, but comes at you at the perfect pace. I had a hard time putting the book down, as it is so unique! Matinnova has an unique relationship with her boss, is stuck with an employee who vexes her at every opportunity and a mayor to contend with, on top of her investigative duties. She is a wonderfully strong, resourceful woman officer, and a great lead character. If you are looking for something different than traditional American and British police procedurals, pick up this book. I promise you when you finish, you'll be wanting to read all the previous books in the series!

This is a good police procedural set in Europe. Jana, the lead police investigator recognizes a pattern for a serial killer using an ice pick.As police from several countries meet to help solve the crime, a missing young boy becomes a focus. Action packed, I hope Jana returns for more books.

I received this ebook free from the publisher, Brash Books, through NetGalley.com This book starts out with a murder in Slovakia. Jana Matinova is the commander of the homicide unit in Bratislava. She digs deeper into what her lazy subordinate has dismissed as a drowning/suicide. As Matinova connects this murder to others and realizes that a serial killer could be behind them, she finds that she is in danger. People try to kill her.
There are several twists and turns in the plot, which moves along very well. Matinova is a strong determined woman and does unravel who is killing who in this complicated mystery.
I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Superb intricate thriller. Action spread across Europe with a splendid complex plot and high body count ,believable characters and all in all a hugely satisfying read.

This is an outstanding police procedural with a strong female as the protagonist. The discovery of a frozen body floating in the Danube starts police commander Jana Matinova on a pursuit of a killer that leads through many countries and brings in a number of related cases. Jana herself becomes the target as repeated attempts are made on her life. The action is realistic and exciting, and the story includes action on a separate case, and interactions with Jana's staff. The true bad guys are not fully revealed until the very end of the book. I recommend this book for an entertaining, suspenseful and satisfying read.

Thanks to netgalley.com, Michel Genelin and Brash Books for the advance ARC for my review.

My first Michel Genelin book, also my introduction to his Jana Matinova series and it's the fifth book in the series.

It's a international Police Procedural thriller, multiple Countries, the US even, that takes place in Slovakia and other places in Eastern Europe. Commander Matinova grew on me, she's tough, determined and doesn't give up on the case.

The prologue made it a patient read for me. It didn't fit for me, with how the book started and the more details you got as you read, it made sense.

This one has multiple storylines intertwined, full of twist and turns, predictable, detailed at times, simplistic other times and it's a matter of connecting the dots.

Built around a Ponzi scheme that cleans out some Albanian citizens, were multi-millions get moved around, multi-Country banks, the criminals end up fighting amongst themselves, killing each other and in the end the strongest or smartest of them is left standing.

It's one that grew on me as I read, feel it's a little long in the tooth and excellent when he kept it simple.

A young woman is found floating in an icy river outside Bratislava. Her death is subsequently connected to several more deaths across Europe by the mode of death (an icepick) and the killer whose signature that represents. Commander Jana Matinova's search for answers leads to a massive financial banking scandal, more deaths, and a target on her back. As she searches for answers, one more question arises -- where is the victim's young son?

Michael Genelin has written a gripping crime thriller and introduced us to a worthy protagonist. Jana is smart, in charge, and as adept at navigating the politics of international criminal cooperation as she is at coaxing information from witnesses and guiding her team. If you like crime thrillers, you should love For The Dignified Dead.

A female police detective in the capital of Slovakia hunts for a serial killer, but the case turns into much more as she collaborates with cops from other countries, not all of whom are helpful.
It’s heartening to see a male writer with a female protagonist, as well as an author who knows his stuff; one look at his previous career shows that. Jana, the cop in this story, doesn’t come off as much different than her American counterparts, being equally dogged in her pursuit of justice as she is stubborn when it comes to following orders. There are good cops and bad cops around her, and her boss is entertaining. One part that was tough to enjoy was the appearance of another killer she’d been after, but is now helping her; reading the previous books is necessary to get that dynamic, and I haven’t. At one point I noted “There’s nothing particularly special here, but I’m enjoying it,” and that’s pretty much how I felt at the end too.
A couple of scenes stood out for me. I’ve obviously read far too many mysteries, because I know that whenever a detective is looking at photographs, something’s gonna shake loose as far as evidence, motive, or suspect go. But despite the cliché I found it well-written and entertaining, especially with Jana not giving anything away to those around her. The other scene is where she’s talking to the little girl, with an odd mix of heartwarming and passive aggressive.
I haven’t been to Bratislava in over 20 years, but the descriptions made me feel like I was back. Helped by all the well-described European scenery, especially my long-time faves Vienna, Salzburg, and Dubrovnik.

The 5th book in the Jana Matinova series (as best as can be gleaned from online lists which universally don’t seem to include it), FOR THE DIGNIFIED DEAD was so good the first book leapt straight into Mt TBR. It also extremely readable if you are new to them as well.

Part of the strength of the book was undoubtedly the central character of Jana Matinova who is strong, smart and unwilling to take any crap from anyone - crims and colleagues alike. She’s compassionate without being soppy and dedicated. She’s also very driven in this book as she’s well aware that the killer’s signature is that of one who got away. She’s not too proud to take assistance from unlikely quarters when it’s offered, and she’s definitely no super-hero.

The sense of place here is interesting, somehow there is a very Slovakian sensibility in the attitudes, the physical locations and, obviously, the impact of the weather. There’s a rapid pace, but it’s always supported by a sense of the places that Matinova encounters as she searches for a serial killer, a lot of money and some very unexpected connections.

Finally there’s a good plot, with internal consistency, enough twists to keep you paying close attention, and enough depth and complication to make the path that Matinova must tread believable. There’s also quite a bit of action and some tension and threat which works really well.

Thanks to Netgalley I happened upon this book and liked it so much that the it has became a series I’m making sure I catch up with from the start.

A tensely written story that crosses Europe and cultures. A female detective makes the links across multiple crimes, deaths, and countries, that culminate in a most unexpected outcome.
The writing style impressed me as it felt Eastern European in its cadence and grammar and the preciseness of a detective whose mind could make these links across so many clues and occurrences, in so many different countries.
This book did not read like an American novel. It read like a translation from a Baltic or Slavic language, which, from a western writer, was I thought impressive.
The story was complex and complicated and involved many disparate countries and police authorities. The detective amassed an enormous amount of travel miles – she hopped on planes like they were buses, in her quest to find the truth and to help find a lost boy.
In the end, she was surprised by the truth or the crimes and who committed them and just how far the conspiracy spread and who was involved and who was the mastermind, and thus just what her own role in the conspiracy turned out to be.

I am delighted that netgalley exists and affords readers an opportunity to read and review books. During the past 11 months I have been introduced to new publishers and authors and pushed my usual genre choices.
In reading For the Dignified Dead by Michael Genelin I initially thought it was a debut novel. It fascinated and stimulated my interest as it was set in Slovakia and would therefore throw new light upon a police procedural especially due to the legacy of the Communist era.
Police Commander Jana Matinova is the star of these novels and the good news is when I researched the author this is the fifth in that series. I have now sought out the first 4 books to read in the new year.
The writing in cumbersome at times in terms of words used, but the story is told with passion and intrigue. Jana Matinova is a force of nature, respectful towards the dead and driven to find answers and justice for the victims of crime. A thinking detective who is relentless in her enquiries even when her life is threatened. She also is very human, she bleeds and her body aches, indeeed even she admits to fear. Her relationship with her boss is another hightlight of this book.
This book is realistic and provides a fresh perspective on the crime thriller. I was fully caught up in the story; the plot was beautifully executed at a pace that makes it a difficult story to put down or forget about.

A very different setting for a murder, mystery story, starring a Slovakian police Commander and various Eastern and Western European Countries. Very detailed story with lots of travelling. Excellent characters and a great storyline. A welcome conclusion which brought together all the threads. Absorbing story.

Interesting plot and great central character

Jana Manitova is a female police commander in Slovakia. She is working in a country where police, due to the Communist past of the country are mistrusted and expected to be corrupt. Jana, however, is honest, dedicated and, most of all effective.

This is the fifth novel in the series and like the others involves Jana trying to deal with a crime that is spread throughout various European countries many of which Jana has to visit in order to solve the crime. The novel opens with the discovery of a body that has been dumped in a river after being killed with an ice pick. Readers of the previous novels will realise that this is the modus operandi of master criminal Ivan “Koba” Makine.

The dead woman Iulia becomes linked with a massive money laundering heist stretching through various Eastern European countries, Swiss banks and involving the FBI. As Jana begins to investigate she also becomes involved with Iulia’s friend, Zuzu, who is the godmother to Iulia’s son Nicolay who has disappeared with Iulia’s husband. Together they travel to various countries chasing the money trail and searching for Nicolay. Along the way other bodies are found each killed by an ice pick. However, Koba is not the killer this time as he makes contact with Jana to warn her that attempts will be made on her own life if she continues to pursue the investigation and the ice pick is being used to throw suspicion on Koba.

There is a sub plot involving the murder of a child molester in Slovakia which Jana is also involved with although I am not sure of the relevance of this. Maybe it is to show how effective Jana is on her home turf as well as abroad.

Jana is the mainstay of this book, she is intelligent and determined and disobeys the rules, using her contacts with police departments in other countries to get information. She survives two attempts on her life and refuses to be distracted from finding out the truth. The outcome of both the main and sub plots are unexpected but are brought to a satisfactory conclusion. However, as Jana is such a strong person she tends to overpower the other characters in the book. It would be good to see another strong character introduced in any future novels featuring Jana.

I enjoyed this book in particular because it is set in countries that I know very little about and the author is very good at describing the atmosphere of some of these places, I particularly enjoyed the description of Tirana.

It has made me want to read some of the earlier novels to see what has made Jana the person she is now and I would be interested in reading any future books by this author.

Dexter