The Sound of One Hand Killing

Borja and Eduard #3

by Teresa Solana, Peter Bush (Translator)

The director of an exclusive New Age meditation centre in a fancy Barcelona neighborhood is murdered, a case for twin detectives Borja and Eduard. The murder of a CIA agent simultaneously drags them into an international conspiracy that transports them to China and back. This hilarious mystery novel is a remorseless satire of those practicing pseudo-science and pseudo-spirituality.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Spain, Fiction

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Teresa Solana lives in Barcelona. Born in 1962, she studied philosophy and worked as a literary translator and essayist. She has written several novels kept quietly in her drawer. A Not So Perfect Crime, her first published title, won the 2007 Brigada 21 Prize for the best Catalan mystery novel.

Reviews

[Nancy Oakes]

3.5 stars (and PLEASE someone, add in the half star action to this website!)

The Sound of One Hand Killing is Teresa Solana's latest installment of her series set in Barcelona, and I liked it -- with reservations. Read on for the condensed version -- to go into the full-on discussion click through here.

A strange small statue, a dead neighbor, and a murder at an "exclusive, luxury alternative centre" where the wealthy go for Bach-flower and other homeopathic therapies are only part of the lineup in this third installment of Solana's entertaining series set in Barcelona. The brothers Borja and Eduard are back and once again find themselves in some pretty wild predicaments. Going all postmodern on her readers, Teresa Solana shows up as a character seeking the help of Borja and Eduard, and has an appointment to meet them. Not wanting to give away the show that their office is a setup, Borja remembers that his upstairs neighbor had given him a set of keys to his apartment, so they decide to meet the author there. However, the brothers stumble on to a dead body -- that of the neighbor -- who's obviously been there some time. With Solana on her way, they take a bit of their non-existent secretary's perfume and spray it in the dead neighbor's flat for her visit, hoping to disguise the smell of decomposition. The author's request is simple: she's writing a novel about "alternative therapies," and wants to set some of her chapters in a more upscale area, so she comes to the brothers to enlist their aid in gathering research for her. They are only too happy to help -- the credit crunch and economic downturn leaves Eduard's wife Montse unable to procure a loan for her business, and money is tight all over; Borja has even agreed to be a middleman and hold on to a small statue until he is called to deliver it, an easy task for a reward of several thousand Euros. After Solana's visit, they quickly clean up any traces of themselves and leave the door open for the smell to waft down and the body to be discovered. They then make their way to the Zen Moments center, where they wangle their way into a weekend stay and the brothers are on hand when the owner of the place is discovered dead.

There's a lot of action in this book and as usual there are some very funny moments with the brothers. The satire is great, as always, but the murder investigation had little complexity, and offered way too easy of a solution, making the resolution to the murder somewhat unexciting, and frankly, flat. Anyway, what happens at the end of the book leaves no doubt but that the brothers will return in another installment, dogged by business left unfinished in this one.

I liked this book with only a few reservations, and I recommend it for readers continuing with the series. It has some very entertaining moments and I absolutely love the brothers and can't wait to see what trouble they get into next. While I'm a little less than overwhelmed with the murder solution, the entire series is worth reading because of the main characters -- their craziness will always keep me coming back for more.

[Mariona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sempre s'agraeix una lectura que entra sense adonar-te'n i que està narrada amb un llenguatge planer. La Teresa mai decepciona.

[Saoirse Milotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twin brothers Borja and Eduard are private detectives, although you would never be able to guess that from their private lives. Between smuggling, shop lifting, cheating and becoming embroiled with the CIA they somehow manage to find the time to take on an assignment from a Catalan author; Teresa Solana. She wants the twins to investigate the shady goings-on in the world of alternative medicine. This seemingly straight forward job becomes almost more than the brothers can handle when the Director of the Zen meditation centre they are staying at is murdered while they sleep. Forced to investigate, the duo discover that deep, dark secrets are hiding behind the serene façade of flower remedies and yoga classes.

Teresa Solana's third instalment of the twin detective series introduces us to a recession hit Barcelona where the rich throw their money around and everyone else struggles to make it to payday. Her scathing look at the 'science' behind herbal medicine is an interesting take on this alternative life style choice. Intriguingly, Solana establishes herself as a character in the book, giving the story an element of meta-fiction, a fantastic technique that further draws the reader in. Her protagonists are likable rogues and despite their many flaws you can't help but root for them as they wriggle out of the many ridiculous situations they get themselves into.

[David Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific piece of writing. It's a neat piece of metafiction in which the author sets the investigators off to establish the background for the novel she's writing and this gets them involved in a murder case (well, actually a second murder case). And of course, they don't deserve to be threatened or kidnapped. That's all a misunderstanding. It's genuinely fascinating.

http://opionator.wordpress.com/2013/0...

[Laura Root · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written satire, with a fabulous sense of place (Barcelona). The meta-fiction element (the author as a character commissioning the sleuths to help with research for her book) worked surprisingly well. I found the sub-plot re:antique statue and epilogue quite irritating at times.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was absolutely gripping and such an easy read, which did surprise me slightly given that is has been translated into English. The story follows brothers Borja and Eduard as they are hired to research what goes on in an alternative therapy centre by an local author who wants to weave this into one of her books. Instead of just a bit of background they find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation, one in which they could easily be suspects. Add to that some misunderstandings around a key fob and a statue as well as some rather shady characters, you have the makings of a superb multilayered thriller.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was translated from Catalan and I wonder if some things got lost in the translation as I was confused by the relationships between some of the characters and even their gender! Also one of the characters is diagnosed as suffering from mange which does not affect humans. I suppose it may have been scabies. This is a lighthearted book but I am afraid I found it a bit too silly for my taste and I did not like one of the main characters, Borja. I doubt I will read any more of this series.

[Charlotte mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. The translation in the end seemed to be a bit off, as though the translator didn't quite get what the author was trying to say.

[Ignasi BS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel·la negra i humor. Lectura agradable per desconnectar.

[Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes going into this book
Then the author chose to self-insert. Maybe some readers love this device but I'm not one of them
However...I strongly recommend this author's short stories

[Núria Aragonès · Rating 2 out of 5]

M' ha decebut una mica. L' he trobat poc interessant

[Richard Nessfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really entertaining read - I was quickly hooked and found the characters extremely believable, despite their outlandish behaviour. In fact, as most of us who've spent time in Spain know, their antics are commonplace as people need to bypass rules and regulations to survive. A detective agency that isn't licensed etc.? Yep sounds par for the course.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of novels is a hoot. Funny, witty and filled with sardonic characterization and real snarkines about the various levels of Barcelona society. I enjoy the twin brothers of impossible ambition and deep deception and the adventures they get immersed in. The writing, setting and characterization are the real hit of this series.

[Alan Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for the characters and atmosphere. She isn't as strong on plot.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather bland book. One received glimmers into the city of Barcelona, its inhabitants, its lifestyles, but overall it felt rather noir-light.

[Debs · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars.
The antique subplot was annoying
And the mystery of the key ring didn't make much sense.
It was humorous but not funny enough to balance out the weak plot.

[Dorothy]

It's not fair for me to rate this book because I read only the first two chapters.

I found the language too irritating. Too many convoluted sentences. It could well be that the translation is at fault.