Matthew Carr (1)

In 1492, with the surrender of the Kingdom of Granada to the Christian armies of Isabella and Fernando the last vestige of Moslem rule on the Iberian Peninsula came to and end. Many Moslems, however, remained behind. Although they were soon forced to convert to Christianity, and many became Christians in faith as well as in name, they were never considered true Christians, or even true Spaniards. The Moriscos, as these people came to be known, were treated with suspicion, contempt and show more cruelty, in varying degrees over the decades. The idea of a successful and benignly pluralistic society apparently never occurred to Spain's religious and secular rulers. Finally over 100 years after the fall of Granada, in 1609 King Philip IV signed an edict ordering the eviction of the entire Morisco population. The fact that many of these people, hundreds of thousands in number, were being sent to their deaths did not trouble the Spanish authorities, who had seriously considered a massacre of the entire Morisco population, anyway.

Blood and Faith does and excellent job of describing that 100-year period of uneasy co-existence between the two cultures under Christian rule, setting the seen in detail for the final blow of expulsion. The research seems meticulous and is certainly in-depth. Astonishingly, I had never even heard of this gigantic historical ethnic cleansing. The horrific episode was unknown to me.

At any rate, Carr also does a very good job of framing this story within the context of the current mistrust of Moslems as a group both here in the U.S. and in Europe, where stereotyping and worries about Moslem immigrants working (and breeding!) to undermine European culture are now commonplace.

The book is highly detailed, not a quick read, but for anyone interested in European history, or fascinated at the way history does, indeed, seem to repeat itself down through the centuries, this is a fine book. show less

Black Sun Rising is an engaging historical thriller set in 1909 Barcelona, a time when leftist groups—radicals, anarchists, syndicalists—were fighting one another and also fighting a national government that had begun leaning toward fascism. Matthew Carr deftly juggles several narrative threads in this novel, pulling them together to a surprising conclusion.

One thread follows Harry Lawton, a British private detective forced to leave a job with Scotland Yard due to the onset of epilepsy. show more Another focuses on a small group of "scientists" and explorers who hope eugenics can produce a "master race" (if that rings any bells, it should). A third involves Bernat Mata, a left-leaning journalist indebted to his wealthy father-in-law, and Esperanza Claramunt, a young anarchist whose father was tortured to death by government forces when she was a young girl and who Mata championed in his reporting. The novel opens with an anarchist bombing and moves back and forth among the many threads it contains, which means readers are engaged from the first and never lose that initial excitement.

The central mystery is rather improbable, but the strong characterizations override that potential weakness. The individuals seem real, even if parts of the mystery they're tangled up in don't. I have no idea whether Carr plans this novel as the first in a series. The ending is ambiguous enough to leave that in doubt, but I would welcome seeing where Harry Lawton winds up next.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus. The opinions are my own. show less

From the beginning, the main character, Mendosa, appears to be in danger. He is sent to Seville to investigate the murder of a moneylender, but the city’s lawlessness and corruption give it the feel of the American Wild West. His mission seems nearly impossible, and new obstacles emerge at every turn. I enjoyed this book for its compelling subject, well-crafted plot, richly developed characters, and vivid setting. Because I know little about the kings and queens of Spain, I found its show more portrayal of medieval Spain especially fascinating. show less

Read this over a long time because the detail and the subject were hard going at times - but well worth it. Excellently written so a pleasure to read despite the horrors of what was happening. And we have to work against a drift to madness as movements in Europe are using the same false accusations against Muslim populations in our own communities here and now. If you think the book looks a hard read then read the epilogue and I'm sure you will be inspired to read the rest.