The General's Dog (The Inspector Ruiz Mysteries)
Description
Inspector Paco Ruiz had investigated dozens of murders in the past - but none of them have been remotely like this one.
With all the human blood being spilled daily in the war-torn mountains around Madrid, the death of the German shepherd dog in a recently captured Republican village should have passed largely unnoticed. But Principe was no ordinary dog. He was the beloved pet of General Castro, the Butcher of Asturias - and, for a number of people, tracking down the killer is very important.
It matters to Castro himself because he sees the dog's murder as an affront to his dignity. It matters to Major Gomez, the General's ambitious intelligence officer, because he sees it as the ticket to his own advancement.
And it matters to Paco Ruiz (once a police officer and now a member of the Republican militia), because, but for his ability as a detective, he would already have met his death at the hands of a Republican firing squad.
From the outset, Paco knows it is an almost impossible task to uncover a killer in a village bursting at the seams with soldiers, yet he knows that if he fails, he will be shot. On the other hand, he reminds himself, if he succeeds, he will no longer be necessary to the rebels - and he will be shot! He needs a plan which can save both his own life and the life of the woman he loves, and he intends the investigation to be no more than a way of buying time while he formulates such a plan. Yet as the case proceeds, his detective's instincts kick in, and soon, finding the murderer becomes a matter of professional pride to him.
THE GENERAL'S DOG is primarily a thrilling mystery, but it also paints a vivid picture of a particular moment in Spanish history.
Regular readers of Sally Spencer's Woodend and Paniatowski books will already be familiar with Paco Ruiz, who makes his first appearance in THE BUTCHER BEYOND, crops up again in ECHOES OF THE DEAD (selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the 12 best detective novels of 2011) and plays a vital role in DEATH'S DARK SHADOWS.
With all the human blood being spilled daily in the war-torn mountains around Madrid, the death of the German shepherd dog in a recently captured Republican village should have passed largely unnoticed. But Principe was no ordinary dog. He was the beloved pet of General Castro, the Butcher of Asturias - and, for a number of people, tracking down the killer is very important.
It matters to Castro himself because he sees the dog's murder as an affront to his dignity. It matters to Major Gomez, the General's ambitious intelligence officer, because he sees it as the ticket to his own advancement.
And it matters to Paco Ruiz (once a police officer and now a member of the Republican militia), because, but for his ability as a detective, he would already have met his death at the hands of a Republican firing squad.
From the outset, Paco knows it is an almost impossible task to uncover a killer in a village bursting at the seams with soldiers, yet he knows that if he fails, he will be shot. On the other hand, he reminds himself, if he succeeds, he will no longer be necessary to the rebels - and he will be shot! He needs a plan which can save both his own life and the life of the woman he loves, and he intends the investigation to be no more than a way of buying time while he formulates such a plan. Yet as the case proceeds, his detective's instincts kick in, and soon, finding the murderer becomes a matter of professional pride to him.
THE GENERAL'S DOG is primarily a thrilling mystery, but it also paints a vivid picture of a particular moment in Spanish history.
Regular readers of Sally Spencer's Woodend and Paniatowski books will already be familiar with Paco Ruiz, who makes his first appearance in THE BUTCHER BEYOND, crops up again in ECHOES OF THE DEAD (selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the 12 best detective novels of 2011) and plays a vital role in DEATH'S DARK SHADOWS.
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