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Vengeance of Memory #1
The Sentinel
They didn't find the bodies until 2010, 57 years after they were hastily buried in a disused mineshaft. Fourteen had died from a single bullet to the back of the skull. The fifteenth was so viciously garroted that its head was almost severed from its body.
For Ana Maria Galindez, the forensic investigator, it was her first encounter with the work of Comandante Guzman. But not her last.
The Sentinel is the first in an ambitious and enthralling trilogy of novels that explores the Spanish Civil War's savage legacy. Centre stage is the figure of Leopoldo Guzman, head of the Brigada Especial - Franco's secret police.
Guzman is one of the more remarkable creations of modern fiction. A monster and an enigma who nevertheless engages the sympathy of the reader. He is also a man who vanishes from history in the winter of 1953... Until Galindez unearths his tracks.
For Ana Maria Galindez, the forensic investigator, it was her first encounter with the work of Comandante Guzman. But not her last.
The Sentinel is the first in an ambitious and enthralling trilogy of novels that explores the Spanish Civil War's savage legacy. Centre stage is the figure of Leopoldo Guzman, head of the Brigada Especial - Franco's secret police.
Guzman is one of the more remarkable creations of modern fiction. A monster and an enigma who nevertheless engages the sympathy of the reader. He is also a man who vanishes from history in the winter of 1953... Until Galindez unearths his tracks.
592 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
22 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Mark Oldfield
7 books25 followersWrote my first book in 1979. It was nearly my last. I went off to live in Paris and later Spain because I thought that was what writers did. Later I realised that writers had to write as well.
Going to Spain however, has been a constant inspiration and I've been a regular visitor there since 1976 - the year after dictator Francisco Franco died. Most of the events in The Sentinel are based either on documented incidents or anecdotal evidence from conversations with Spaniards.
As well as writing, I worked for a long time as a criminological researcher and taught at various universities.
Six years ago I began to write in earnest and the result was 'The Sentinel' the first volume of the 'Vengeance of Memory' trilogy in which events of the past can still affect present day life - sometimes with lethal effects.
Going to Spain however, has been a constant inspiration and I've been a regular visitor there since 1976 - the year after dictator Francisco Franco died. Most of the events in The Sentinel are based either on documented incidents or anecdotal evidence from conversations with Spaniards.
As well as writing, I worked for a long time as a criminological researcher and taught at various universities.
Six years ago I began to write in earnest and the result was 'The Sentinel' the first volume of the 'Vengeance of Memory' trilogy in which events of the past can still affect present day life - sometimes with lethal effects.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 4, 2013
Mark Oldfield deserves credit for exploring unfamiliar territory (at least in crime fiction). The story is of a 21st Century forensic investigator researching the disappearance from history of the head of Franco's secret police at the time of the Spain's civil war.
At nearly 600 pages, the book needs to engage the reader in the culture - the atmosphere, the time and place - in which Comandante Guzmán operated. At first, this seems to work, but the frequent resort to Spanish words and phrases - "A sus ordenes, Comandante" and the like - soon becomes more irritating than authentic.
And the dialogue will be a problem for some readers. "'Narrative coherence,' Luisa said. 'I thought focussing on Guzmán would help us to show how historians and politicians pass blame down the chain of command to their subordinates. Mainstream historians always assume Guzmán and others like him are responsible for various atrocities - but in many cases, there's never any substantive evidence so support those assumptions. I want to analyse his role using documents of the time - reports, policy papers and so forth - and develop a narrative, a better storyline if you like, locating Guzmán and others as nodes in a network of power.'"
If you can believe that human beings speak to each other like that, and you can accept 585 pages with a great deal of violence, you may well award The Sentinel more than two stars.
At nearly 600 pages, the book needs to engage the reader in the culture - the atmosphere, the time and place - in which Comandante Guzmán operated. At first, this seems to work, but the frequent resort to Spanish words and phrases - "A sus ordenes, Comandante" and the like - soon becomes more irritating than authentic.
And the dialogue will be a problem for some readers. "'Narrative coherence,' Luisa said. 'I thought focussing on Guzmán would help us to show how historians and politicians pass blame down the chain of command to their subordinates. Mainstream historians always assume Guzmán and others like him are responsible for various atrocities - but in many cases, there's never any substantive evidence so support those assumptions. I want to analyse his role using documents of the time - reports, policy papers and so forth - and develop a narrative, a better storyline if you like, locating Guzmán and others as nodes in a network of power.'"
If you can believe that human beings speak to each other like that, and you can accept 585 pages with a great deal of violence, you may well award The Sentinel more than two stars.
March 3, 2018
The Sentinel is the first book in a trilogy focusing on the aftermath and legacy of the Spanish Civil War, and in particular the exploits of Comandante Guzman. Guzman works to the orders of General Franco and runs the Brigada Especial, which specializes in hunting former Republicans, torturing them for information, and executing them. He’s a cunning and savage policeman who rules by fear and violence, leading his fellow officers from the front as he teases, beats, rapes and kills his victims. There’s really no redeeming side to his character, yet Oldfield manages to make him a fascinating protagonist despite his savagery. The Sentinel is told through three narratives, two of which focus on Guzman directly, and one by proxy. The first is his youth in the civil war, the second his actions in 1953 as he’s caught in a vicious power game within Franco’s court. The third is set in 2009 and tracks the investigation of a young but well-connected forensic investigator, Ana Maria Galindez, as she tries to uncover evidence of Guzman’s post-war activities. I have mixed feelings about the book. While on one level the story is engaging and interesting, on another it is uneven and over-extended. The Galindez storyline is unnecessary and unconvincing with respect to plot, relationships and dialogue and is driven by endless plot devices and for me the book would have been a far better read if it had been absent. For the first third of the book, the Guzman plotline was too much tell and not enough show. The second half of the Guzman story saves the book as the intrigue and tension deepens. My dilemma now is that I’d like to know what happens in the subsequent books, but I don’t want the same frustrating reading experience. Since both are longer than this one, I’m not sure that’ll be the case.
July 6, 2015
It’s a nice fist try!
First of all, being a Spaniard myself, I would recommend to Mr Oldfild not to use a translator for all the Spanish expressions he uses. Some of them sound ludicrous! (“Mi cariña!” and many more which made me flinch whenever I read them). There are many grammar mistakes! I also understand that, for a no native reader, there are too many of them.
By the way: “Churros crusted with sugar and SALT ?????” Have you tried them in Spain cooked this way? It’s nearly a contradiction in terms!
Having said that, I really enjoyed the novel, although the part set in the present (2009) seemed to me the weakest one. Besides, one can get the impression that all Spanish women are lesbians. And the characters motivations don’t seem to be very well explained.
I also found the book too lengthy. If you take out the modern part, and try to give Guzmán, the main character, a better description of why he ends up being one of Franco’s most valued gunmen, I would have liked it better. And the last Guzmán chapter also seems a bit far-fetched.
Anyway, it was worth the reading. The Madrid atmosphere of the 50’s is very well written, the Badajoz massacre of 1936 is quite touching, and the plot (except for the 2009 chapters) is superbly woven.
First of all, being a Spaniard myself, I would recommend to Mr Oldfild not to use a translator for all the Spanish expressions he uses. Some of them sound ludicrous! (“Mi cariña!” and many more which made me flinch whenever I read them). There are many grammar mistakes! I also understand that, for a no native reader, there are too many of them.
By the way: “Churros crusted with sugar and SALT ?????” Have you tried them in Spain cooked this way? It’s nearly a contradiction in terms!
Having said that, I really enjoyed the novel, although the part set in the present (2009) seemed to me the weakest one. Besides, one can get the impression that all Spanish women are lesbians. And the characters motivations don’t seem to be very well explained.
I also found the book too lengthy. If you take out the modern part, and try to give Guzmán, the main character, a better description of why he ends up being one of Franco’s most valued gunmen, I would have liked it better. And the last Guzmán chapter also seems a bit far-fetched.
Anyway, it was worth the reading. The Madrid atmosphere of the 50’s is very well written, the Badajoz massacre of 1936 is quite touching, and the plot (except for the 2009 chapters) is superbly woven.
October 12, 2022
I really, really wanted to like this novel, but unfortunately I was unable to overlook its many, many flaws.
For a start, the author kept interspersing the narration with Spanish!? Lot's of Spanish, muchos Espania!
Please, either write it in English and I'll take it as read that they're speaking Spanish, (as it's set in Spain!) or write it in Spanish and I'll leave it alone, as unfortunately Spanish is a language I cannot read, write nor speak!
I'd maybe even have let it slide for the odd word or phrase that perhaps couldn't translate into English and given the context, I'll presume that I could work it out!
But the way the author goes about it here, it quickly becomes tiresome, rather annoying, completely unnecessary and quite often confusing.
The author also uses the characters, especially the more vile ones, of which there are plenty and believe you me, when it comes to fascists in Franco's regime, that's quite the accolade, to tell us several times about Republican "nun rapers".
I'm now sincerely hoping that further down the line it will be worked into the narrative to let the reader know, so to speak, that there is ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE (Antony Beevor - The Spanish Civil War) that shows that Republicans, whether communist, socialist, anarchist or moderate ever raped, molested or committed atrocities against nuns!
But no, nada, nowt, nothing whatsoever let's the reader know that such accusations were complete conjecture at the time and ultimately nothing more than anti-republican propaganda!
Not only does the author not expand or even mention this point further down the tracks, but he even tries to engender reader sympathy for the extremely vicious and sleazy historical lead character which does lend itself to a massive plot contradiction in his survivalist nature and the predictability of the grand finale's "money shot" plot twist!
This is just one of many dangerous, historical inaccuracies on display here, culminating with the overall victim blaming message of the book, that somehow the democratically elected Republican government and the Nazi backed, fascist, Nationalist usurper Franco and his hoards were two sides of the same coin, both being as bad as one another!! An unacceptable and Trumpian world view if ever there was one!
I also found the modern day settings at different times to be both predictable and plodding and on other occasions rather far fetched and improbable!
Now on saying all this, although it doesn't sound like it at all, there was still enough in this tale to hold my interest and even enjoy some of the story lol, right to the point where I will read the next two instalments of the trilogy!
Gracias por escuchar a mi gente culta!
For a start, the author kept interspersing the narration with Spanish!? Lot's of Spanish, muchos Espania!
Please, either write it in English and I'll take it as read that they're speaking Spanish, (as it's set in Spain!) or write it in Spanish and I'll leave it alone, as unfortunately Spanish is a language I cannot read, write nor speak!
I'd maybe even have let it slide for the odd word or phrase that perhaps couldn't translate into English and given the context, I'll presume that I could work it out!
But the way the author goes about it here, it quickly becomes tiresome, rather annoying, completely unnecessary and quite often confusing.
The author also uses the characters, especially the more vile ones, of which there are plenty and believe you me, when it comes to fascists in Franco's regime, that's quite the accolade, to tell us several times about Republican "nun rapers".
I'm now sincerely hoping that further down the line it will be worked into the narrative to let the reader know, so to speak, that there is ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE (Antony Beevor - The Spanish Civil War) that shows that Republicans, whether communist, socialist, anarchist or moderate ever raped, molested or committed atrocities against nuns!
But no, nada, nowt, nothing whatsoever let's the reader know that such accusations were complete conjecture at the time and ultimately nothing more than anti-republican propaganda!
Not only does the author not expand or even mention this point further down the tracks, but he even tries to engender reader sympathy for the extremely vicious and sleazy historical lead character which does lend itself to a massive plot contradiction in his survivalist nature and the predictability of the grand finale's "money shot" plot twist!
This is just one of many dangerous, historical inaccuracies on display here, culminating with the overall victim blaming message of the book, that somehow the democratically elected Republican government and the Nazi backed, fascist, Nationalist usurper Franco and his hoards were two sides of the same coin, both being as bad as one another!! An unacceptable and Trumpian world view if ever there was one!
I also found the modern day settings at different times to be both predictable and plodding and on other occasions rather far fetched and improbable!
Now on saying all this, although it doesn't sound like it at all, there was still enough in this tale to hold my interest and even enjoy some of the story lol, right to the point where I will read the next two instalments of the trilogy!
Gracias por escuchar a mi gente culta!
March 29, 2013
“The Sentinel” by Mark Oldfield
Fifteen bodies have been discovered in an old mine near Madrid, capital of Spain. We soon learn that they had been buried in the early 1950s at a time when Franco is portrayed as ruling Spain with an iron fist. One of his enforcers is a brute of a man – Comandante Guzmán. As Head of Franco’s secret police – the Brigada Especial – Guzmán takes his orders directly from the caudillo himself, ensuring that those perceived as “enemies of the state” soon “disappear”. Thus it was Guzmán who was directly responsible for the deaths of the fifteen, just another example of how he kept the people of Spain in fear, and Franco in power. As the chapters of “The Sentinel” describe Guzmán’s methods, we can have no real sympathy for a man who takes what he wants from life – food, drink, women, and more – and in return delivers vicious punishment on those who cross him. And yet, the quality of Oldfield’s writing leads us exactly down this path.
Is Guzmán really the man we think he is? Are events being plotted that will displace him from his safe position as a favourite of Franco? These questions and more are answered as we read two of the three plot lines of “The Sentinel”. The story of Guzmán’s horrific work in 1953 is complemented by chapters graphically explaining how he came to be the Spanish Civil War “hero of Badajoz”. And both of these plot lines are juxtaposed against the third story, that of an altogether different person. Ana Mariá Galindez is very much an example of a young, modern 21st century Spanish woman. In her role as a forensic scientist with the guardia civil she is asked to examine the 15 bodies, but her investigations lead her to want to know more about Guzmán. Pursuing what may still remain of this monster in the form of a personal account of his atrocities, Galindez soon finds herself being followed by dangerous people. Has Guzmán’s power somehow reached out across the years?
This book is written with great intelligence. Descriptions of Madrid and its people, both in the 1950s, and now, are very vivid. Characters of the main protagonists are well drawn. Historical, political and social issues are explored through the vehicle of an engaging and thrilling story. My only real criticism would be that more thorough editing could have reduced the length of the book without losing any of its strengths. I feel sure that this is a lesson the author will learn as the second book in his trilogy is developed. I certainly look forward to reading the next book. An excellent start to Mark Oldfield’s writing career!
Fifteen bodies have been discovered in an old mine near Madrid, capital of Spain. We soon learn that they had been buried in the early 1950s at a time when Franco is portrayed as ruling Spain with an iron fist. One of his enforcers is a brute of a man – Comandante Guzmán. As Head of Franco’s secret police – the Brigada Especial – Guzmán takes his orders directly from the caudillo himself, ensuring that those perceived as “enemies of the state” soon “disappear”. Thus it was Guzmán who was directly responsible for the deaths of the fifteen, just another example of how he kept the people of Spain in fear, and Franco in power. As the chapters of “The Sentinel” describe Guzmán’s methods, we can have no real sympathy for a man who takes what he wants from life – food, drink, women, and more – and in return delivers vicious punishment on those who cross him. And yet, the quality of Oldfield’s writing leads us exactly down this path.
Is Guzmán really the man we think he is? Are events being plotted that will displace him from his safe position as a favourite of Franco? These questions and more are answered as we read two of the three plot lines of “The Sentinel”. The story of Guzmán’s horrific work in 1953 is complemented by chapters graphically explaining how he came to be the Spanish Civil War “hero of Badajoz”. And both of these plot lines are juxtaposed against the third story, that of an altogether different person. Ana Mariá Galindez is very much an example of a young, modern 21st century Spanish woman. In her role as a forensic scientist with the guardia civil she is asked to examine the 15 bodies, but her investigations lead her to want to know more about Guzmán. Pursuing what may still remain of this monster in the form of a personal account of his atrocities, Galindez soon finds herself being followed by dangerous people. Has Guzmán’s power somehow reached out across the years?
This book is written with great intelligence. Descriptions of Madrid and its people, both in the 1950s, and now, are very vivid. Characters of the main protagonists are well drawn. Historical, political and social issues are explored through the vehicle of an engaging and thrilling story. My only real criticism would be that more thorough editing could have reduced the length of the book without losing any of its strengths. I feel sure that this is a lesson the author will learn as the second book in his trilogy is developed. I certainly look forward to reading the next book. An excellent start to Mark Oldfield’s writing career!
January 6, 2013
The story covers three periods, the Spanish Civil war in 1936, Madrid in 1953 and 2009.
Dr Ana Maria Galindez is a forensic scientist, not long out of university eager to start her career in the guardia civil, she is becoming increasingly frustrated after all her training to be the one sent to investigate the remains of people killed in a war seventy five years ago. Sent to investigate a mass grave from the Franco era, Galindez becomes fascinated by a diary recording the details, arrests and executions under the control and orders of Comandante Guzman of the Brigada. She meets up with Profesora Luisa Ordonex, who is conducting an investigation into secret policeman Leopoldo Guzman who disappeared without trace in 1953.
The events of 1953 are narrated in the third person by Guzman. He is greatly feared. Reporting direct to Franco, he is there to remove anyone who opposes, or is even a possible threat to Franco. His approach to human life is cold and brutal. His methods of execution, inhuman. But Guzman has enemies who are keen to bring about his downfall.
The events of 1953 run con-currant with Ana Maria Galindez’s investigation into Guzman, but there are people who would prefer that Guzman’s secret ledgers remain hidden. Are the shadows of the past still haunting the present. Obsessed with her search, Ana Maria puts her life on the line in pursuit of her quest.
Not a comfortable book, portraying a vivid picture of a country torn by war and conflict, fear and poverty, but a powerful story meshing together the past and present, with a stunning climax.
-----
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
Dr Ana Maria Galindez is a forensic scientist, not long out of university eager to start her career in the guardia civil, she is becoming increasingly frustrated after all her training to be the one sent to investigate the remains of people killed in a war seventy five years ago. Sent to investigate a mass grave from the Franco era, Galindez becomes fascinated by a diary recording the details, arrests and executions under the control and orders of Comandante Guzman of the Brigada. She meets up with Profesora Luisa Ordonex, who is conducting an investigation into secret policeman Leopoldo Guzman who disappeared without trace in 1953.
The events of 1953 are narrated in the third person by Guzman. He is greatly feared. Reporting direct to Franco, he is there to remove anyone who opposes, or is even a possible threat to Franco. His approach to human life is cold and brutal. His methods of execution, inhuman. But Guzman has enemies who are keen to bring about his downfall.
The events of 1953 run con-currant with Ana Maria Galindez’s investigation into Guzman, but there are people who would prefer that Guzman’s secret ledgers remain hidden. Are the shadows of the past still haunting the present. Obsessed with her search, Ana Maria puts her life on the line in pursuit of her quest.
Not a comfortable book, portraying a vivid picture of a country torn by war and conflict, fear and poverty, but a powerful story meshing together the past and present, with a stunning climax.
-----
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
June 20, 2015
It’s a nice first try!
First of all, being a Spaniard myself, I would recommend to Mr Oldfild not to use a translator for all the Spanish expressions he uses. Some of them sound ludicrous! (“Mi cariña!” and many more which made me flinch whenever I read them). There are many grammar mistakes! I also understand that, for a no native reader, there are too many of them.
By the way: “Churros crusted with sugar and SALT ?????” Have you tried them in Spain cooked this way? It’s nearly a contradiction in terms!
Having said that, I really enjoyed the novel, although the part set in the present (2009) seemed to me the weakest one. Besides, one can get the impression that all Spanish women are lesbians. And the characters motivations don’t seem to be very well explained.
I also found the book too lengthy. If you take out the modern part, and try to give Guzmán, the main character, a better description of why he ends up being one of Franco’s most valued gunmen, I would have liked it better. And the last Guzmán chapter also seems a bit far-fetched.
Anyway, it was worth the reading. The Madrid atmosphere of the 50’s is very well written, the Badajoz massacre of 1936 is quite touching, and the plot (except for the 2009 chapters) is superbly woven.
First of all, being a Spaniard myself, I would recommend to Mr Oldfild not to use a translator for all the Spanish expressions he uses. Some of them sound ludicrous! (“Mi cariña!” and many more which made me flinch whenever I read them). There are many grammar mistakes! I also understand that, for a no native reader, there are too many of them.
By the way: “Churros crusted with sugar and SALT ?????” Have you tried them in Spain cooked this way? It’s nearly a contradiction in terms!
Having said that, I really enjoyed the novel, although the part set in the present (2009) seemed to me the weakest one. Besides, one can get the impression that all Spanish women are lesbians. And the characters motivations don’t seem to be very well explained.
I also found the book too lengthy. If you take out the modern part, and try to give Guzmán, the main character, a better description of why he ends up being one of Franco’s most valued gunmen, I would have liked it better. And the last Guzmán chapter also seems a bit far-fetched.
Anyway, it was worth the reading. The Madrid atmosphere of the 50’s is very well written, the Badajoz massacre of 1936 is quite touching, and the plot (except for the 2009 chapters) is superbly woven.
February 28, 2013
I like thrillers and detective novels that take place in Spain so I was attracted to this book. But for the first few chapters I had trouble getting hooked on the novel because so many pages are devoted to a really dispicable violent head of the secret security forces named Guzman. I was also put off by the author's choice of creating unrealistic half helpless lesbian characters to investigate Guzman's old crimes instead of a nice, strong, handsome and heroic Spanish detective. But I have to say I was sucked into the novel by the drama of the terrible history of Franco's regime and reign of terror and its legacy of guilt and shame and lasting hatreds. As another reviewer said: after a while, I was rooting for Guzman in a changing power landscape and I even started to root for the lesbian forensic scientist investigating him. This certainly is a satisfying "Good Read".
December 24, 2012
Excellent thriller, set in three time zones and brought together expertly with enough twists to keep the reader hooked.
Oldfield's major feat, IMO, is to make the heinous serial executioner likeable.
I was rooting for Guzman from halfway though the book.
Oldfield's major feat, IMO, is to make the heinous serial executioner likeable.
I was rooting for Guzman from halfway though the book.
August 11, 2018
I was attracted to this book as I wanted to read about the Spanish civil war and Franco years from the point of view of a non Spanish person, as we are still suffering from those years (even though the Franco regime finished more than 40 years ago) and it seems difficult to talk about them.
Although the story was interesting (and here is where the good things about this book end), it fell to the ground after about half the book, and this a very long book, so reading the second part was a bit boring, as there is a lot of talk but not much happening; there are a few good twists but, even with all the talking, we still don't know many things at the end of the story, like why Guzmán became such a sadistic person.
Other than a story that could have been very good, this book provides nothing but clichés an mistakes: it talks about the 'Spanish Prime Minister' but in Spain we actually have a President; it mentions that people eat 'churros with sugar and salt' which not only sounds disgusting, but it's also not true; all Spanish men seem to be chauvinist and incapable of looking at women in the eye, but rather look at their breasts and we all drive really badly, honking all the time apparently! Has the writer even been to Spain and if so, where? Because I would like to know where he had such a bad experience with Spanish people.
But worse of all in my opinion is that there are far too many Spanish words and sentences in the book, even for me (and I'm Spanish!) it became a bit tiring all that change between English and Spanish, but above all, it bothered me that pretty much every other Spanish word had a spelling mistake (and I can't really repeat enough how many!) This must be one of the worst proofread books I have ever seen, seriously, there are SO MANY mistakes that it's embarrassing: 'Holá' (no need for the diacritical mark, thank you!); 'cariña' (this word simply DOESN'T EXIST in Spanish); 'todo los santos' (first word in singular, last word in plural); the word 'querida' (meaning 'darling') is barely used in Spain to refer to people; 'pendejo' which is a word from Central America rather than Spain... I could go on and on. Does the writer speak Spanish? And what about the proofreader and the editor?... this was so appalling that it was embarrassing to read.
And then we come to the end in which , in preparation, I guess for the second book of the trilogy which I will not bother to read.
Although the story was interesting (and here is where the good things about this book end), it fell to the ground after about half the book, and this a very long book, so reading the second part was a bit boring, as there is a lot of talk but not much happening; there are a few good twists but, even with all the talking, we still don't know many things at the end of the story, like why Guzmán became such a sadistic person.
Other than a story that could have been very good, this book provides nothing but clichés an mistakes: it talks about the 'Spanish Prime Minister' but in Spain we actually have a President; it mentions that people eat 'churros with sugar and salt' which not only sounds disgusting, but it's also not true; all Spanish men seem to be chauvinist and incapable of looking at women in the eye, but rather look at their breasts and we all drive really badly, honking all the time apparently! Has the writer even been to Spain and if so, where? Because I would like to know where he had such a bad experience with Spanish people.
But worse of all in my opinion is that there are far too many Spanish words and sentences in the book, even for me (and I'm Spanish!) it became a bit tiring all that change between English and Spanish, but above all, it bothered me that pretty much every other Spanish word had a spelling mistake (and I can't really repeat enough how many!) This must be one of the worst proofread books I have ever seen, seriously, there are SO MANY mistakes that it's embarrassing: 'Holá' (no need for the diacritical mark, thank you!); 'cariña' (this word simply DOESN'T EXIST in Spanish); 'todo los santos' (first word in singular, last word in plural); the word 'querida' (meaning 'darling') is barely used in Spain to refer to people; 'pendejo' which is a word from Central America rather than Spain... I could go on and on. Does the writer speak Spanish? And what about the proofreader and the editor?... this was so appalling that it was embarrassing to read.
And then we come to the end in which , in preparation, I guess for the second book of the trilogy which I will not bother to read.
June 4, 2017
First of all, this book is not for everyone.
I thought I had a good tolerance for violence in books. I have read many books set in wartime, but never have I been as disgusted by "wartime events" as when I was reading The Sentinel. Guzmàn's behaviour almost made me physically ill. (Compliments on the writing.)
But this story made me feel much more than that. I laughed, cried, feared and loved, I felt very invested in this book after only the first chapter.
I definitely preferred reading the 1953 timeline over reading the 2009 timeline, but Galindez's point of view was indispensable from my enjoyment of the story. As the story progresses and Galindez's obsession with Guzmàn grows, she starts rectifying her criminal behaviour. This was were I realised I was starting to rectify Guzmàn's behaviour, something that I didn't think would ever happen after the violent deeds he committed earlier in the book.
There are questions left unanswered and some character aspects left unexplored, so I will continue reading as soon as I get my hands on the next book in the series.
I thought I had a good tolerance for violence in books. I have read many books set in wartime, but never have I been as disgusted by "wartime events" as when I was reading The Sentinel. Guzmàn's behaviour almost made me physically ill. (Compliments on the writing.)
But this story made me feel much more than that. I laughed, cried, feared and loved, I felt very invested in this book after only the first chapter.
I definitely preferred reading the 1953 timeline over reading the 2009 timeline, but Galindez's point of view was indispensable from my enjoyment of the story. As the story progresses and Galindez's obsession with Guzmàn grows, she starts rectifying her criminal behaviour. This was were I realised I was starting to rectify Guzmàn's behaviour, something that I didn't think would ever happen after the violent deeds he committed earlier in the book.
There are questions left unanswered and some character aspects left unexplored, so I will continue reading as soon as I get my hands on the next book in the series.
December 8, 2021
What a fascinating if unlikely protagonist. Guzman is a revolting and frightening psychopath whose life is unravelled as the reader learns about the results of the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath and how the dictator, Franco, and his henchmen held the Country to ransom.
It jumps between 3 time zones, 1936, 1953 and 2009 which show the reader how the past and present are linked through the finding of documents, forensic evidence and archaeological digs.
Oldfield is a very descriptive author and it is because he goes in to so much detail that this turns in to a very long read.
However, for me, that is what I enjoy the most as I can become immersed in all the characters and their mindsets.
A couple of surprises along the way but this has been one of my favourite books this year.
I’m on to the second of the series already The Exile.
Hope I’m not disappointed.
It jumps between 3 time zones, 1936, 1953 and 2009 which show the reader how the past and present are linked through the finding of documents, forensic evidence and archaeological digs.
Oldfield is a very descriptive author and it is because he goes in to so much detail that this turns in to a very long read.
However, for me, that is what I enjoy the most as I can become immersed in all the characters and their mindsets.
A couple of surprises along the way but this has been one of my favourite books this year.
I’m on to the second of the series already The Exile.
Hope I’m not disappointed.
June 15, 2023
A thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing novel with so many twists and turns that it makes a corkscrew look like a straight garrotting wire. It plumbs the depth of brutality and depravity during and after the merciless Spanish Civil War bringing the period more alive that my reading of Hugh Thomas's 'Spanish Civil War' ever did.
Not normally a fan of novels that bounce between different time periods I was riveted by the attempts to reveal or destroy the truth after so much time had passed. Reading the 'modernist' historical jargon espoused by Professor Ordenez trying to justify the executioner Guzman's behaviour was like listening to one of my Marxist lecturers decades ago.
Read this if you want to discover how a quest for survival can lead to the destruction of a person's humanity and 'enjoy' the storyline in an unnerving sort of way.
Not normally a fan of novels that bounce between different time periods I was riveted by the attempts to reveal or destroy the truth after so much time had passed. Reading the 'modernist' historical jargon espoused by Professor Ordenez trying to justify the executioner Guzman's behaviour was like listening to one of my Marxist lecturers decades ago.
Read this if you want to discover how a quest for survival can lead to the destruction of a person's humanity and 'enjoy' the storyline in an unnerving sort of way.
April 30, 2020
Gripping read
Looking through the previous reviews, there has been some variance between views held. It really depends on what you want out of a work of fiction. If you want a book that grips, makes you think and try and work out where the story is going next has unexpected twists, then this book is probably for you. There are valid criticisms made of this book by other readers by as a work of fiction, albeit with an accurate historical basis, this book delivers. If the story line had been weak, those criticisms may have been more relevant from my perspective but because I was so engaged in the story, I overlooked them.
Looking through the previous reviews, there has been some variance between views held. It really depends on what you want out of a work of fiction. If you want a book that grips, makes you think and try and work out where the story is going next has unexpected twists, then this book is probably for you. There are valid criticisms made of this book by other readers by as a work of fiction, albeit with an accurate historical basis, this book delivers. If the story line had been weak, those criticisms may have been more relevant from my perspective but because I was so engaged in the story, I overlooked them.
December 26, 2018
This story is brutal and bleak but I could not put it down. I almost stopped reading it after 50 pages because it seemed to be another story about misogynistic European police and where all women are only sluts or lesbians. I am glad I kept on as I was enthralled about the horror of Mr Gustman and his henchman after the Spanish Civil war and had to know what happened to them. I shall look out for the next book and am interested what that might be.
December 28, 2020
Really enjoyed this book, I knew nothing of the Spanish civil war whatsoever and although this story is of a fictional character it has prompted me to look at the history of this time. Guzman is terrifying, violent and always angry however his circumstances and the way he is played by his superiors makes the monster almost human.
January 26, 2021
What an awesome book! In fact I could not wait to read the second and third book.
You have to hate old Guzman for all the atrocities he has committed, but amazingly enough you simply cannot help but love this character.
Probably one of the most captivating books I have ever read.
You have to hate old Guzman for all the atrocities he has committed, but amazingly enough you simply cannot help but love this character.
Probably one of the most captivating books I have ever read.
July 12, 2025
I enjoyed it a lot, but there were some annoyances. Also I'm not sure it needs two sequels, but hey, I guess I'll get round to them. I do wish the editor had picked up on the fact that 1953-2009 isn't 70 years though!
June 7, 2015
For many years after his victory in the Spanish Civil War Franco's oppressive dictatorship was characterised by brutal reprisals against his perceived enemies - Reds, Atheists, Protestants, Freemasons, Intellectuals, Liberals, Queers and other Degenerates - together with their families and associates. Mark Oldfield is to be commended on his well-researched exploration of this dark period in Spain's recent history and its aftermath, uncommon for novels in English.
His skilful achievement is to braid several sometimes (deliberately?) confusing plots set in Madrid in winter 1953 and summer 2009, with italicised flashbacks to events in Badajoz in August 1936, when Nationalist troops sadistically massacred as many as 4000 Republican prisoners in the municipal bull ring. The depictions of Spain's economic and class divisions, post-war poverty, stresses within the military regime, shadowy foreign interests, tensions surrounding the 1970s transition to secular democracy and different approaches among modern historians and jurists to recuperating La Memoria are particularly well handled.
While highly readable, The Sentinel is not a flawless masterpiece. It may have seemed a good idea to write parts of the dialogues in Spanish, but the numerous syntactic / lexical errors should have been spotted prior to publication. A good literary editor would also have toned down such clichéd elements as the pathetic fallacy of the contrasting climatic conditions, and got rid of others, e.g. the fortune-telling gypsy crone and the bizarre salted churros. A more serious criticism is that although Republican war crimes may have been exaggerated and in any event ended in 1939, they are mentioned here only in the context of cynical justifications for revenge, arguably taking away from their real historical importance.
Almost all the protagonists are somewhat two-dimensional, including the socially cool but politically lightweight leading investigator, Dr Ana Maria Galindez. She is one of only two strong female characters in The Sentinel; the other, Maria Alvarez, is the only person who inspires moral respect. Nobody in the book is particularly likable.
The main difficulty with The Sentinel is one of genre; is it a historical novel or a racy thriller? This is due to the author's sense of humour. At first I was discomfitted to find myself giggling through descriptions of dreadful atrocities; surely the bloody depictions of painful torture and violent death were supposed to inspire horror and pity rather than dark amusement? Perhaps the problem was the old one of pathos vs. bathos (like Shakespeare had in King Lear with Cornwall's gouging out of Gloucester's only remaining eye - "Out, vile jelly!"). Then I realised that no, these scenes were indeed written with a slant akin to the cringe-inducing black humour of some modern British TV series.
Most of Oldfield's baddies are as OTT as Christmas pantomime villains. The Dominican gangsters in their zoot suits, the sinister secret agents and the brutish skinheads are pure stereotypes.The mad sargento and his Guardia Civil goons are cartoon caricatures, albeit sadly believable. Corrupt government ministers (including one major historical figure, Admiral Carrero Blanco) ooze cynicism as they plot and scheme against each other for the Caudillo's favour. The grotesque Father Vasquez, a rabidly anti-Semitic drunkard, is merely farcical - imagine Craggy Island's Father Jack at a stage-Oirish IRA execution. Teniente Peralta is a contemptible worm.
But the star of The Sentinel is, paradoxically, the malignant head of the Brigada Especial for eliminating subversives and undesirables, Comandante Leopoldo Guzmán. Clearly a psychopathic monster with no redeeming qualities, incapable of sympathy or remorse, he is the ultimate essence of evil, and simultaneously the most interesting and intelligent person in the book. A self-deluding alcoholic, not only does he get to utter great Clint Eastwood style one-liners, usually at the expense of the pathetic Teniente or the victim(s) he is about to murder in cold blood, but even more surprisingly, he is also given the - highly unlikely, but maybe just about credible - love interest of the story. Guzmán is undoubtedly the driving force of the novel, keeping the reader engaged over 600 pages.
Historical novels are often criticised as a genre for playing fast and loose with the periods they are set in. I think this one accurately depicts the reality for many of post-war life under Franco and brings the reader up to date with how those times were widely viewed in Spain just before the current economic crisis broke (The recovery of interest in the Civil War has since been largely replaced by attention to the flawed Transición and endemic corruption at all levels of government). The perversely fascinating portrait of Comandante Guzmán is very clever, but more appropriate to a noir thriller or perhaps a tale of horror.
The Sentinel is, for now at least, ultimately sui generis. I very much look forward to reading the remaining two volumes of Mr. Oldfield's Vengeance of Memory trilogy.
His skilful achievement is to braid several sometimes (deliberately?) confusing plots set in Madrid in winter 1953 and summer 2009, with italicised flashbacks to events in Badajoz in August 1936, when Nationalist troops sadistically massacred as many as 4000 Republican prisoners in the municipal bull ring. The depictions of Spain's economic and class divisions, post-war poverty, stresses within the military regime, shadowy foreign interests, tensions surrounding the 1970s transition to secular democracy and different approaches among modern historians and jurists to recuperating La Memoria are particularly well handled.
While highly readable, The Sentinel is not a flawless masterpiece. It may have seemed a good idea to write parts of the dialogues in Spanish, but the numerous syntactic / lexical errors should have been spotted prior to publication. A good literary editor would also have toned down such clichéd elements as the pathetic fallacy of the contrasting climatic conditions, and got rid of others, e.g. the fortune-telling gypsy crone and the bizarre salted churros. A more serious criticism is that although Republican war crimes may have been exaggerated and in any event ended in 1939, they are mentioned here only in the context of cynical justifications for revenge, arguably taking away from their real historical importance.
Almost all the protagonists are somewhat two-dimensional, including the socially cool but politically lightweight leading investigator, Dr Ana Maria Galindez. She is one of only two strong female characters in The Sentinel; the other, Maria Alvarez, is the only person who inspires moral respect. Nobody in the book is particularly likable.
The main difficulty with The Sentinel is one of genre; is it a historical novel or a racy thriller? This is due to the author's sense of humour. At first I was discomfitted to find myself giggling through descriptions of dreadful atrocities; surely the bloody depictions of painful torture and violent death were supposed to inspire horror and pity rather than dark amusement? Perhaps the problem was the old one of pathos vs. bathos (like Shakespeare had in King Lear with Cornwall's gouging out of Gloucester's only remaining eye - "Out, vile jelly!"). Then I realised that no, these scenes were indeed written with a slant akin to the cringe-inducing black humour of some modern British TV series.
Most of Oldfield's baddies are as OTT as Christmas pantomime villains. The Dominican gangsters in their zoot suits, the sinister secret agents and the brutish skinheads are pure stereotypes.The mad sargento and his Guardia Civil goons are cartoon caricatures, albeit sadly believable. Corrupt government ministers (including one major historical figure, Admiral Carrero Blanco) ooze cynicism as they plot and scheme against each other for the Caudillo's favour. The grotesque Father Vasquez, a rabidly anti-Semitic drunkard, is merely farcical - imagine Craggy Island's Father Jack at a stage-Oirish IRA execution. Teniente Peralta is a contemptible worm.
But the star of The Sentinel is, paradoxically, the malignant head of the Brigada Especial for eliminating subversives and undesirables, Comandante Leopoldo Guzmán. Clearly a psychopathic monster with no redeeming qualities, incapable of sympathy or remorse, he is the ultimate essence of evil, and simultaneously the most interesting and intelligent person in the book. A self-deluding alcoholic, not only does he get to utter great Clint Eastwood style one-liners, usually at the expense of the pathetic Teniente or the victim(s) he is about to murder in cold blood, but even more surprisingly, he is also given the - highly unlikely, but maybe just about credible - love interest of the story. Guzmán is undoubtedly the driving force of the novel, keeping the reader engaged over 600 pages.
Historical novels are often criticised as a genre for playing fast and loose with the periods they are set in. I think this one accurately depicts the reality for many of post-war life under Franco and brings the reader up to date with how those times were widely viewed in Spain just before the current economic crisis broke (The recovery of interest in the Civil War has since been largely replaced by attention to the flawed Transición and endemic corruption at all levels of government). The perversely fascinating portrait of Comandante Guzmán is very clever, but more appropriate to a noir thriller or perhaps a tale of horror.
The Sentinel is, for now at least, ultimately sui generis. I very much look forward to reading the remaining two volumes of Mr. Oldfield's Vengeance of Memory trilogy.
June 9, 2018
A book that showed much promise, but in the end failed to deliver.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2018
Fabulous book, with great characters. Highly recommend together with The Exile and The Dead. Great trilogy. Envious of those that have yet to read them.
March 19, 2021
First in the trilogy based in and around the Spanish Civil War, covering a period up to c.2010. A really good start to the series.
Read
April 8, 2021Very good
July 21, 2018
Absolute class. A great story covering an unknown piece of history that warrants better reporting/sharing/ discussing. A nations history that this story suggests is as bad as the Nazis or Russian Communists and which remains silent. The book stars alone, And I didn't realise it was part of a trilogy. If the remaining books are as good as this then we're in for a treat.
February 8, 2023
I may perhaps have over starred this book but I really enjoyed it and I thought the way it dealt with Spanish history, particularly the post civil war years was excellent. The viciousness and tawdriness of the Franco regime was made clear as well. Also indirectly it made clear the true cost of, and was part of the coming to terms with, for Spanish society as whole with the whole process of 'forgetting' and 'not talking about' that had been the key note of the immediate post Franco years. It might been necessary, may be it helped Spain move on, but it left to much pain unaussaged and to many wrongs unrighted.
Still I never got round to reading anything else by this author, not even the other novels connected to this one. As a piece of fiction it worked at the time but wasn't really my thing.
Still I never got round to reading anything else by this author, not even the other novels connected to this one. As a piece of fiction it worked at the time but wasn't really my thing.
September 28, 2015
Some brilliance, some tedium
This is a mixture of a book - terrific in parts but with some serious flaws which get in the way of it being the excellent novel it could have been.
Three stories are told simultaneously. The central tale set in Madrid in 1953 is bleak, gripping and brilliant. The compelling central character is Guzman, an utterly unprincipled, self-serving torturer and murderer who directs a unit of secret police for Franco's repressive fascist dictatorship. The story is exceptionally well told, the atmosphere superbly conjured and the characters all horribly believable. There are also brief flashbacks to events in the Spanish Civil War during 1936, also well done and whose significance becomes clear late in the book.
Unfortunately, interspersed with these very good stories is a present-day tale of a forensic investigator and her two historian colleagues who are investigating Guzman's history and trying to piece together who he was and what happened in 1953. Sadly, I found this story trite, unconvincing and rather uninteresting. Mark Oldfield is trying to show parallels between Franco's truth-suppressing totalitarian regime and postmodernist historians who regard history as narrative with no objective truth, but an exercise in personal interpretation where the truth is just what you can persuade people to believe. Now, I regard this approach (and postmodernism in general) as a toxic intellectual pollutant, so I am absolutely in sympathy with Oldfield here - but, oh dear, it does go on. Plastic characters, endless indignation about oppressive attitudes, a silly plot...no matter how much I agreed with what was being said it was tedious and absurd, and it badly marred what could have been a really fine book.
I have given this four stars because the 1953 story was so good, but the modern one is two-stars at best. Frankly, I think you'd be best off skipping the present day bits: you'd miss almost nothing and could immerse yourself in a really good, informative and atmospheric historical thriller.
This is a mixture of a book - terrific in parts but with some serious flaws which get in the way of it being the excellent novel it could have been.
Three stories are told simultaneously. The central tale set in Madrid in 1953 is bleak, gripping and brilliant. The compelling central character is Guzman, an utterly unprincipled, self-serving torturer and murderer who directs a unit of secret police for Franco's repressive fascist dictatorship. The story is exceptionally well told, the atmosphere superbly conjured and the characters all horribly believable. There are also brief flashbacks to events in the Spanish Civil War during 1936, also well done and whose significance becomes clear late in the book.
Unfortunately, interspersed with these very good stories is a present-day tale of a forensic investigator and her two historian colleagues who are investigating Guzman's history and trying to piece together who he was and what happened in 1953. Sadly, I found this story trite, unconvincing and rather uninteresting. Mark Oldfield is trying to show parallels between Franco's truth-suppressing totalitarian regime and postmodernist historians who regard history as narrative with no objective truth, but an exercise in personal interpretation where the truth is just what you can persuade people to believe. Now, I regard this approach (and postmodernism in general) as a toxic intellectual pollutant, so I am absolutely in sympathy with Oldfield here - but, oh dear, it does go on. Plastic characters, endless indignation about oppressive attitudes, a silly plot...no matter how much I agreed with what was being said it was tedious and absurd, and it badly marred what could have been a really fine book.
I have given this four stars because the 1953 story was so good, but the modern one is two-stars at best. Frankly, I think you'd be best off skipping the present day bits: you'd miss almost nothing and could immerse yourself in a really good, informative and atmospheric historical thriller.
January 30, 2016
Hmm. A lot of good points to praise about this strong (shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for best thriller of 2013) novel, but plenty to criticise as well.. lots which irked me.
Anyhow, this is a tale set partly in Madrid in 1953, and partly in the same place in 2009. There is an ambitious plot involving the Spanish Secret Police, and a forensic investigator putting together hidden historical mysteries half a century later - it's well written and involving, and complicated, lots in common with Tom Rob Smith's Leo Demidov series, and also quite a bit which reminded me of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books' trilogy too. It's an impressive debut novel, big and bold and pulling no punches.. but far from perfect.
Punches, and gunshots, were part of the problem. It's a very violent book - which in the post-war rough streets of Madrid was understandable (though it became tiresome and lost impact), but in the 2009 parts was a bit unbelievable. A very high body count, lots of double-crossing, conspiracy, so many superhuman escapes and coincidences, and super bonus sexy Latino lesbians! The author had thrown plenty at the story, and some of it stuck, but.. yeah.. I was eye-rolling at some of the more cringe-worthy and tedious parts.
So yes, a mixture of 'I admire the effort and enjoyed a lot of the ride' and 'a bit of a mess in places, and there are plenty better/tighter books out there'.
Anyhow, this is a tale set partly in Madrid in 1953, and partly in the same place in 2009. There is an ambitious plot involving the Spanish Secret Police, and a forensic investigator putting together hidden historical mysteries half a century later - it's well written and involving, and complicated, lots in common with Tom Rob Smith's Leo Demidov series, and also quite a bit which reminded me of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books' trilogy too. It's an impressive debut novel, big and bold and pulling no punches.. but far from perfect.
Punches, and gunshots, were part of the problem. It's a very violent book - which in the post-war rough streets of Madrid was understandable (though it became tiresome and lost impact), but in the 2009 parts was a bit unbelievable. A very high body count, lots of double-crossing, conspiracy, so many superhuman escapes and coincidences, and super bonus sexy Latino lesbians! The author had thrown plenty at the story, and some of it stuck, but.. yeah.. I was eye-rolling at some of the more cringe-worthy and tedious parts.
So yes, a mixture of 'I admire the effort and enjoyed a lot of the ride' and 'a bit of a mess in places, and there are plenty better/tighter books out there'.
January 22, 2015
The Sentinel is a thrilling read. The prose skips between Spain's bloody past and the investigatory present day, where an ambitious forensic scientist tries to unravel its murderous truths. You are propelled into a world of post-war corruption, fear and manipulation.
Guzman's cruelty and violence is amplified with graphic scenes akin to Quentin Tarantio style cinematography and gory detail. His ruthlessness aside, there is a sliver of humanity that glows like a dull candle in a breezy cold-stoned house. Both his mysterious past and his protective and mostly gentlemanly behaviour towards Señora Martinez suggests that this villain may have been an honest man at heart, but circumstance and timing forced his lust for survival as paramount. Whatever it would take to live in such a world calls upon deep courage and quick-thinking strategy. His identity must never be wholly discovered or that would ruin a lifetime of execution.
As the plot thickens, this book is un-put-down-able!
Guzman's cruelty and violence is amplified with graphic scenes akin to Quentin Tarantio style cinematography and gory detail. His ruthlessness aside, there is a sliver of humanity that glows like a dull candle in a breezy cold-stoned house. Both his mysterious past and his protective and mostly gentlemanly behaviour towards Señora Martinez suggests that this villain may have been an honest man at heart, but circumstance and timing forced his lust for survival as paramount. Whatever it would take to live in such a world calls upon deep courage and quick-thinking strategy. His identity must never be wholly discovered or that would ruin a lifetime of execution.
As the plot thickens, this book is un-put-down-able!
April 8, 2013
Got this thinking it was a straightforward 'forensic science' crime story. It is and much more than that. It's also following through on the bloody aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and its echoes in present day Spain. I had no idea that Franco sponsored such a level of post-war KGB-style killing off opponents. As it happened I was in Spain when I read this and my Spanish friends tell me that Oldfiled is tapping into current concerns and difficulties re-surfacing as Spain tries to come to terms with its recent history. It's made want to know much more about the Civil War so I've got hold of a book by Giles Tremlett called "Ghosts of Spain". One criticism of The Sentinel: I think the ending doesn't do it justice but maybe he's going to write another volume.
May 9, 2014
This started out interesting - it's certainly a fascinating time period but the constant Spanish interjections for local colour did start to grate, and the notion that all Spanish women are gay and utterly indiscriminate in their affections is laughable and seemingly only included for a punchline about lesbians fighting over a man. The twist was pretty obvious from about a third in. And mostly for a book with a pretty hideous body count it was never apparent why Guzman did his 'job' - he didn't appear to be a psychopath like the Sarge, he wasn't ideologically motivated, so why the relish? It didn't make sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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