SPLIT

This murder mystery, set in the city of Split in what is now Croatia, is steeped in early-20th-century Europe’s roiling politics.

The year is 1936. The action takes place against the forthcoming Olympics in Hitler’s Germany. Split is a cultural mélange, including remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire along with Croats, Czechs, Italians, Russians, Germans, and others who conduct business in the bustling port. Split is also a favorite spot for German film crews, notably the group scouting locations for White Slaves, a real movie released in 1937 as anti-Soviet propaganda. We learn that there are fascist, anti-fascist, and other forces at work in town, as well as Jewish refugees. Who is responsible for stabbing the man entangled in fishing nets at the port? An extensive list of characters at the beginning distinguishes real historical characters from fictional ones and is indispensable to following the plot. The author does an excellent job describing the geography and atmospherics of Split. We feel the sea's salt air and smell the fishing boats in the harbor. Descriptions of food are mouthwatering and varied. Untranslated Croatian expressions peppered across the pages also remind readers where we are. Unfortunately, an overabundance of backstory and too many unnecessary details bog down the action all the way through. The translation from German can feel stiff at times, and some sentences jar: “Unperturbed, the sun continued to rise over Split, waking up the remaining sleepers.” This book would have benefited from some streamlining to keep things moving and the suspense over whodunit alive.

A thoroughly researched novel that's bogged down with unnecessary detail.