The Blind Man of Seville

This is an incredibly detailed and complex thriller about a series of murders on the periphery of the art community in Seville. The Inspector Jefe (the lead investigator) is Javier Falcon, the son of a (recently deceased) famous artist, and the victims are (or are associated with) people who were close to Javier's father.

What is extremely nice about this story is how well it is written. Wilson paces the story very carefully and very methodically. He forgoes action and violence, and focuses on detail and psychology - in fact, he gives an extremely deep and compelling characterization of Javier, whose confidence has been shattered by his recent divorce - particularly when he discovers that his ex is now seeing someone else.

An effective show more device is deployed in this book - a diary kept by Javier's father, which tracks the father's progression from soldier to pirate to painter. Diary entries are interspersed with the story and begin fleshing out details of Javier's past and his father's life. Effectively, Wilson has written a compelling story within a story - the author explains that mid-way through the book he realized that he needed a diary to work from, so he spent several months writing the father's diary before returning to the main book.

This is the first book I've read of Wilson's, but it won't be the last. I've already ordered the sequel to this novel. Mysteries are a dime a dozen, and most are mediocre. Wilson proves himself to be top-notch - you haven't read a real mystery until you've read The Blind Man of Seville. show less

Pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this novel, especially the first 2/3's or so. The mix of artist sensibilities and detective work gave the novel a fascinating depth,and the writing is excellent. The author continued to add characters and connections throughout the book until at the end he was forced to finally give it up- I was by then almost tired! But it was well worth the effort and I look forward to reading more of him.

I found this book to be extremely difficult to finish. It is not about gruesome murders described in it nor characters themselves. No.

It is about entire disturbing depressive setting, journey of the main character [one Javier Falcon] through the history of his family - more precisely his father's.

Inspector Javier is one of those "crusader" policeman who never gets the easy mission - he always encounters people without any conscience, tries to dissect truth from lies, essentially lives his life investigating some very disturbing cases while trying to keep his mind sound and integrity untouched.

While investigating a murder of a known businessman Javier suffers a complete nervous breakdown. After finding out that murder victim knew his show more father he starts down the path that will lead him to some unwanted discoveries about his father and his father's friends.

Ending is also somewhat .... rushed I guess. I do not know, seems like the author wanted to finish the book as fast as possible so many questions remain unanswered.

One of those books that try to describe the darkest things lurking within (wo)man.

If you have stomach do read it, otherwise I advise you not to. show less

"I see we have a convergence of delusion." Lines like this make reading Robert Wilson such a joy.

I won't go into the plot, as it has already been outlined in other reviews on here. But I will say: OK, it was dark, but that period of history in that place was evil...

I really enjoyed this book - the plot was tight, the characters were well drawn and the sense of place was mesmerizing. I also enjoyed the journals - so much history revealed from the opposite side that we usually see it. I will certainly be reading the additional diary excerpts on www.HarcourtBooks.com

The conversations about art fascinated me. As Francisco says, "Genius is an interstice... if you are blessed, you may put your eye to the crack & see the essence of it all." show more So, if this is a blessing, is it between the artist & the creator, as Tariq believed? Does selling it to the highest bidder make the artist the lapdog of the rich and eventually leave him (her) dried up & performing the same trick over & over ?

To me, this book was so full of ideas to ponder, that to brand it as dark & depressing seems such a shame. show less

I read this on holiday in Dubai, but the dark tone of the novel and the spot-on descriptions of what it can be like suffering from extreme stress didn't really fit the surroundings! Some of the passages about anxiety I almost felt I could have written myself, although here they are experienced by the main detective as he unravels a case and his own past with it. The only problem I have with these books is that sometimes the murders are just too fanciful and convoluted, and this was no exception. It takes the book into the realms of fantasy, and this was a shame because the characters themselves were intensely human and well drawn. Couldn't we just have a plain family murder somehow affecting the emotions of a troubled detective? Still, show more saying that, Robert Wilson goes down as an author who I would like to read at least one book a year from. show less

The first time I heard of the Javier Falcón books was when the first was dramatized on TV, and unfortunately I missed it. So it was with anticipation that I turned to the first of the four books, The Blind Man of Seville. My first impression was that it was the longest detective book I’d read in a while, but the reason for this soon became apparent: the back story in Tangiers. In a note at the back of the book, Wilson directs his readers to the full-length diaries he wrote for Francisco Falcón, Javier’s late father, artist, Tangiers resident and key character in ‘The Blind Man of Seville’.
It is a complicated novel, entangling the Spanish legal system, bullfighting, the worlds of art and restaurants, Seville, Tangiers and the show more theme which lurks just below the surface of everyday Spain: the Spanish Civil War. There is something about the first murder which slowly tips Inspector Falcón towards mental breakdown. Like all detectives, the interest lies in his frailties, how he overcomes them and manages to do the day job, how he outwits the criminal mind.
Francisco’s diaries are fascinating; an insight into the Spanish Legion, its time in Morocco and Russia, the brutality and hardships, the sense of brotherhood. The diaries in their entirety are available to read at Robert Wilson’s website, here, but do not read them until you have finished the book. At times as Javier reads his father’s story, the story churns his guts; mine too. Anyone who has read anything about the Civil War will anticipate some of the brutality. Wilson skilfully weaves this storyline into the modern day hunt for a murderer.
This is far from a formulaic detective story. Wilson writes about heavy subjects with a confident hand, and creates atmosphere easily. “The hotel had suffered in the intervening half-century. There was a glass panel missing from one of the doors in his room. Paint peeled off the metal windows. The furniture looked as if it had taken refuge from a violent husband. But there was a perfect view of the bay of Tangier and Falcón sat on the bed and gaped at it, while thoughts of deracination spread through his mind.”
This is the first book of a quartet about Javier Falcón.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ show less

I found this book to be extremely difficult to finish. It is not about gruesome murders described in it nor characters themselves. No. [return][return]It is about entire disturbing depressive setting, journey of the main character [one Javier Falcon] through the history of his family - more precisely his father's. [return][return]Inspector Javier is one of those "crusader" policeman who never gets the easy mission - he always encounters people without any conscience, tries to dissect truth from lies, essentially lives his life investigating some very disturbing cases while trying to keep his mind sound and integrity untouched.[return][return]While investigating a murder of a known businessman Javier suffers a complete nervous breakdown. show more After finding out that murder victim knew his father he starts down the path that will lead him to some unwanted discoveries about his father and his father's friends. [return][return]Ending is also somewhat .... rushed I guess. I do not know, seems like the author wanted to finish the book as fast as possible so many questions remain unanswered.[return][return]One of those books that try to describe the darkest things lurking within (wo)man. [return][return]If you have stomach do read it, otherwise I advise you not to. show less