Black Storms

by Teresa Solana, Peter Bush (Translator)

A country that doesn't acknowledge its past is destined to repeat its mistakes.
Why murder a sick old man nearing retirement? An investigation into the death of a professor at the University of Barcelona seems particularly baffling for Deputy Inspector Norma Forester of the Catalan police, as word from the top confirms she's the one to lead this case.
The granddaughter of an English member of the International Brigades, Norma has a colourful family life, with a forensic doctor husband, a hippy mother, a squatter daughter and an aunt, a nun in an enclosed order, who operates as a hacker from her austere convent cell.
This blended family sometimes helps and often hinders Norma's investigations.
It seems the spectres of the past have not yet been laid to rest, and there are people who can neither forgive nor forget the cruelties of the Spanish Civil War and all that followed.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2024

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

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Storms is a really intriguing read, and a great introduction to the character of Deputy Inspector Norma Forester and her colleagues and family. It is not what I'd probably expect from your typical Police investigation type thriller, in that we perhaps spend as much time experiencing Norma's family life as we do the investigation, but Norma has a such a wonderfully diverse, slightly eccentric, extended family, it made the whole thing quite fun.

The story begins with the perpetrator of the book's crimes and their victim, a college history Professor who, in the short time we are with him, I actually developed a little bit of sympathy for. There was certainly nothing I could put my finger on as to why he may have been targeted, and by someone whose main vocation was not that of killer either. But I was intrigued enough to want to find out the whys and wherefores of the story - to stick by Norma, her Sergeant, Gabriel, and the wider investigative team as they sought to get to the real motive of the murder. It's a case that takes some time to solve, not least of all because the killer leaves few clues behind. It takes one coincidence too many to put Norma on the killer's tracks, but we are still far from knowing the full truth. Teresa Solana leaves us a trail of clues that the canny may cotton on to very quickly. I had my suspicions about what was going on, but whether they were true or not is for me alone to know.

I really liked the character of Norma and especially her extended family. Her husband, Octavi, is a pathologist, her daughter, Violeta, an activist, and her Aunt Margarida ... well, lets just say that being a Nun and giving her devotion to God is not the end of her particular talents or interests. Add in Violeta's biological father and his partner, and Norma and Octavi's parents and you have such a large and eclectic mixture of personalities that it is hard not to like them. And getting to know Norma on a personal level really helped me connect with her in a way I may otherwise have struggled with. As for Norma's partner, Gabriel, I'd like to know a bit more about him. although it's clear he's a bit of a flirt, even when it comes to witnesses. I'd say that he and Norma are chalk and cheese, although Norma is capable of taking readers by surprise too, but they do work well together, and for readers.

What I like about reading literature in translation is getting a little insight into the different cultures, or the way in which Police services and investigations are structured. The book helped me to draw some connections between the various layers of the Catalan justice system and certainly the upper levels of the hierarchy that I didn't really know before, and also to see the different ways in which various countries approach a police thriller. Each destination has a very different style of writing, and I enjoyed this mixture of personal and investigative approach, even if the conclusion to the story was not quite what I might have been expecting. I actually also learned a little more of the Catalan history through the explanations of certain characters past, which is something I always enjoy.

The pacing is just right, the story engaging and the characters thoroughly entertaining. I'm definitely going to be looking out for more books in the series as I think Norma, Octavi, Gabriel and co have a lot more to offer us. If you'd like to try out a Police investigation with a touch of Catalan flair, give this book a go. I really enjoyed it.

[Peter Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a crime novel, but not one heavy on the police procedural side, instead what we get to enjoy is a large slice of life in the big city. Prepare to be absorbed in the way of life and culture of that part of Barcelona away from the tourist traps, one that is quite different from that of the UK.

The murder of a very sick university professor, one in remission from cancer, is puzzling. His connection to one of the wealthiest families in the city requires tact and diplomacy the top brass decide, so Deputy Inspector Norma Forester is called in, ruining a family dinner celebrating a birthday and All Saints Day. Norma is not like most of Catalan force, she has no family background in law enforcement or the army, instead she has a degree in anthropology.

Will little to go on the investigation only begins to take shape once the murder is connected to an earlier one. From there it is a link to the past and the Spanish civil war, an event that still resonates and divides people, Norma herself being the granddaughter of an English volunteer of the International Brigades.

Family life figures large in this story, with Norma Forester’s extended family living together in a central apartment, like many Spanish families do, though it does help that it is large, well-appointed and filled with valuable heirlooms. So, meals are shared together at what to us seems a rather late hour and going home for lunch and a quick nap is not out of the question. If not, its café culture for breakfast, coffee and snacks. The family bonds are tight, where the older members are valued and whose knowledge and wisdom respected. Family ties and secrets play important roles within the story.

Norma’s family is unusual, quirky and entertaining. Husband Octavi is a forensic doctor, While Daughter Violeta is going through the leftie student rebellion phase and living in a squat. Mother Mimi was a bit of a hippie in her day and rather laid back whilst her sister Aunt Margarida became a nun late in life, after the death of her husband and has developed some unexpected skills. With a nod to the modern world Violeta’s father Gabriel is Octavi’s younger brother who came out as homosexual late in life but still plays an active role in the family. The cultured and more observant may have noticed that the female members of the family are all named after opera heroines.

There is surprisingly quite a bit of humour, some very subtle, but as it is a character driven piece, they provide the big laughs. Aunt Margarida is the surprise taking time off from convent duties to escape for nights on the town and at bingo with Mimi. Her skills are amusingly original for a nun and prove useful to the case, having a computer in her cell, piggybacking of the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum Wi-Fi and not so much silver surfing as being a geriatric Lisbeth Salander. There can’t be the modern without a throwback to the past and this is in the form of Deputy Inspector Carrasco. He’s the uncouth, unloved and unwashed sexist-pig who just happens to be a great detective. A case of fitting in when mixing with the dregs of society.

The Spanish Civil War is central to the story and if you are unfamiliar with the details then I would recommend doing a bit of digging to appreciate some of references to places and events such as Camp de la Bota. The war was deeply divisive and remains so today as it polarises people between remembrance and moving on.

[J Fearnley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens as we follow a character known as ‘the man who was about to commit murder’ travelling through Barcelona on his way to kill. It is an intriguing beginning and immediately gripped my imagination and held my attention.

The murder of Professor Francesc Parellada, Professor of History at the University of Barcelona has Deputy Inspector Norma Forester being called away from a family celebration to take charge of the investigation. As you can imagine this was not a welcome event especially as her husband Octavi, head of Forensics, is also called in to attend!

The investigation into the murder of Professor Parellada, who had just returned to work following treatment for cancer and was still not very well, could find no enemies or incidents that would cause someone to want to kill him. It’s a real mystery and there are no leads to follow. That is until another murder comes to light which has a tenuous connection. There are no similarities in the deaths as Victor Porta appears to have been the victim of a robbery in which he is brutally stabbed whilst Parellada’s was a murder seemingly without reason. Nevertheless, Norma believes that it cannot be a coincidence, there’s a connection she feels and delves deeper.

We are treated to some terrific characters both from Norma’s family and her colleagues. There are a lot of characters whose roles are both important and less important. It’s worth understanding who is who as we have nearly as much written about them as we do the investigation. This is the first of a series of books to be published in translation and so the characters are all important as the ongoing storylines with the investigation being the unique story in each book. Norma’s family are supportive, loyal and caring. They also bring humour at times to the story which is a bit of light relief and gives a lift to the book which can be quite dark. Her family is quirky and what they get up to can be not only be worrying but possibly illegal and often funny. I particularly liked Mimi and Aunt Margarida is a really wonderful character. Individually and as an ensemble they bring another important layer to the book which I loved.

Norma is herself quite a complicated character, she has her flaws but clearly has a sense of justice with regard to the crimes she is investigating which is particularly interesting as in a way we see that it relates to her own history. Whilst I wasn’t keen on all her foibles she is a likeable character who could easily become quite a favourite.

There is also an array of colleagues, each of whom perform the various roles we are used to in criminal investigations, that we have been introduced to, such as Gabriel, Norma’s ‘sidekick’ and who, hopefully, we will come to know more about and see their relationships grow in future books. Then there are the characters that may only be ‘one off’s’ that intriguing character ‘the man who was about to commit murder’ who immediately ensured we were completely hooked on this story, the witnesses, members of the victims family and so on all of whom provide further layers of interest and depth.

The story presents some of Spain’s recent history which weaves through the book like a shadowy and poignant character. The Spanish Civil War brought terrible suffering and pain to Norma’s family as it did to other characters and in real life to many. How it affects the various characters is a fascinating yet deeply tragic element of the story.

This is a book that brings to life both the setting of Barcelona and the history that has obviously had a profound impact on the lives of the Spanish people.

Teresa Solana has written a clever, multi-layered, compelling and highly engaging book with a fascinating and thrilling mystery at its core. Black Storms is a book which I found evocative, moving, interesting and very enjoyable.

I look forward to reading more of this series which will hopefully be brought to us soon. It is only through the wonderful skills that Peter Bush, the translator, has and terrific publishers like Corylus Books that we are able to read such incredible stories as Black Storms by Teresa Solana.

Many thanks to Ewa Sherman for the invitation to join the Black Storms BlogTour and to Corylus Books for kindly providing an eBook to read and share my thoughts on.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery set in BARCELONA /CATALONIA



Black Storms by Teresa Solana is set in modern-day Barcelona. The book takes its title from a revolutionary hymn. Solana uses the physical menace of the thunderstorms that echo through the book to reflect both the immediate danger of a murderer on the loose in the city and also the oppressive authority of Franco and the Spanish Civil War that forms the historical backdrop to the story.

Catalan Police Deputy Inspector Norma Forester is the main character in an extensive cast. When a professor of modern history, Francesc Parellada, is murdered in an apparently motiveless attack in his own university study, Norma is called upon to take charge of the case. Her boss is relying on her to get results quickly.

What is striking is that the idea of haste has a different meaning for Norma and her colleagues than is often seen in police procedural novels, where relationships and even personal wellbeing are cast aside and police work 24/7 to solve the crime. By contrast, the Catalan police carefully observe lunchtime, clock off at the end of office hours and resent being called in outside hours, even when a second murder takes place. The author uses this change of pace cleverly to create tension.

I loved the book’s quirky humour, which contrasts sharply with the very serious, unresolved issues about the Civil War that still cause enormous grief the Catalan people to this day.

This is Solana’s first book about Norma, who is the latest in a line of women in her family named after opera characters. Norma feels that her career trajectory is being blocked by her boss, Superintendent Mistral. Norma faces additional challenges: she has a colourful extended family to deal with in addition to her job, including a wayward teenage daughter, Violeta; Violeta’s gay father and his boyfriend; Norma’s mother, grandmother* and sometimes her aunt – who is an extremely unconventional nun. Norma also has a loving husband, Octavi Claramunt, who is a forensic pathologist, and they frequently work together. Uninvited, the other family members are keen to contribute to solving the crime and indeed they do, in the most unexpected ways.

The author appears to reveal the identity of the murderer very early on, but the intrigue continues. The true reasons for the murder are not revealed until the final pages and even then there are more revelations to come. It is both gripping and entertaining.

The setting for this book has to be Barcelona, due to the Spanish Civil War theme that runs through it. The author describes the city with affection but not without criticism. She deals with historical facts but also modern issues of importance to Catalans, such as the repurposing of beloved buildings and the issue of over-tourism that is currently animating the citizens. The level of detail is such that you can follow the characters steps through the city, through its famous streets and squares, and areas that are less well-known to casual visitors.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am grateful that is has been translated from Catalan to English by Peter Bush, which allows English speakers like me to enjoy it.

A couple of niggles: I was confused by Senda being referred to in some places as Norma’s great-grandmother and in others as her grandmother – I think the latter is correct. Also that judge and magistrate are used interchangeably in the text. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable book and I hope to be able to review Norma’s future adventures.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deputy Inspector Norma Forester of the Catalan police is holding a family party to celebrate her birthday with her forensic doctor husband, Octavi, when the call comes through that they are both required at the scene of a bizarre murder. Someone has killed an elderly professor at the University of Barcelona, and the high profile nature of his family connections means that Norma's tact and discretion will be required to lead the investigation.

As Norma and her team get to work, she discovers that there are links to the case that go back to the dark days of the Civil War, and a secret that someone wants to stay buried...

Black Storms is the first part in a crime series featuring Deputy Inspector Norma Forester, now available for the first time in English from Corylus Books, beautifully translated by Peter Bush to maintain every ounce of suspense and pace.

We meet Norma in the midst of her birthday celebrations, which introduces us to her lively, blended family, and then in close order, to the eccentric bunch of police officers that she works with. There are a lot of colourful characters to get your head around right from the word go, but Solana's style allows you to get to know them and all their foibles very quickly - and many of them you will get to absolutely love as they both help and hinder Norma with her investigation... but more on that later.

The story unfurls as both a suspenseful investigation into the death of the aged professor with plenty of grit, and as an absolutely compelling family drama full of emotion and nicely employed humour. Norma is a great protagonist, driving the plot as she swaps back and forth between pursuing leads in the case, dealing with all the situations that arise in her hectic family life and workplace, and reconciling her own romantic entanglements. Solana does an excellent job of bringing the character of Barcelona alive in the process.

There are lovely echoing themes that gradually emerge, cleverly connecting the police investigation with the long shadows of the Spanish Civil War, and the current political situation, and I loved how Solana links the ghosts of injustices and betrayals that still run deep in the Spanish psyche to all aspects of the story - including Norma's fascinating family history, which is fully explained in an epilogue that fills in all the poignant gaps about her quirky family set-up. And speaking of family, Norma's family is an absolute joy. I came to know and love so many of them while the crime elements played out, even when their antics were problematic. My stand-out favourite is Norma's unconventional aunt, who is both a nun and a consummate hacker - and whose skills turn out to be crucial in cracking the case!

This is a pacy, fun and thought provoking introduction to the series and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I hope that more instalments will follow in English, because I really need more of Norma, her family, and her oddball work colleagues - especially Aunt Margarida!

[Karen Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Storms is a fairly short book but despite being under 300 pages long, it examines some complex topics. It is a detective novel which is light on the procedural side of business – which is just as well because Detective Inspector Norma Forester's eccentric family means she sometimes has rather an offbeat approach to investigations
The book opens with the murder of an aged professor; it's not an especially violent death but it does seem particularly cruel because the old man is already dying of cancer. The identity of the killer is revealed to readers quite early in proceedings but the motive doesn't become clear until much later. In the meantime, Black Storms is as much about Norma's family as it is the case.
Her English-sounding name comes from her grandfather, Jack but the rest of the family are Catalan and they are the best part of the book. Her husband is a pathologist, her teenage daughter, an anarchist and her mother's a hippy. They are joined by Violeta's birth father and his boyfriend, and Aunt Margarida, who is the character I most enjoyed. She is a nun and chose to take her vows later in life, joining a closed convent. However, she manages to invent reasons to leave every so often and during her time away, plays bingo, enjoys more than a few drinks and goes to the movies. It's what she is capable of in her cell which is most impressive though; she certainly hasn't been left behind by modern life and her hacking abilities prove very useful. Norma herself is an often flawed character; I can't say I particularly warmed to her but she is certainly interesting.
The case itself has links to the country's turbulent past and is a reminder that the shadows cast by the Spanish civil war and the long years of dictatorship which followed, still persist. The balance between the lighter family scenes and the exploration of this brutal history is poignant and the eventual denouement is probably a realistic reflection of how an investigation such as this would really play out, given the complexities of seeking justice under such complicated circumstances. Not everybody is yet ready to fully confront the sins of the past, especially since so many people are connected in some way to the atrocities committed back then.
As a character-driven novel, Black Storms isn't as propulsive as some crime fiction; the prose has a tendency towards the verbose and I felt it would have benefitted from being tighter at times. That said, I enjoyed reading this nuanced, thought-provoking story – it's always intriguing to read translated works and to appreciate the difference in writing styles and themes examined.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start talking about the actual writing and plot of this book, please take a moment to look at the amazing cover. The cover design is by Cade Roach and it is absolutely amazing. I could look at it for hours, it is so in-depth and totally fits with the story line. A real genius cover.

Black Storms is not a long book, my paperback copy is just over 230 pages in length, yet it is a cleverly complex tale of murder and intrigue set in the stunning city of Barcelona. Solana begins the novel with an intriguing, mysterious chapter that introduces the reader to a murderer. Known at the beginning as 'the man who was about to commit murder', this is wonderfully written and sets the scene for the whole novel.

We are introduced to Deputy Inspector Norma Forester of the Catalan police. This is a woman who carries a lot of baggage along with her. There is almost as much about Norma and her wide and eclectic family as there is about the case, and it's incredibly well told. Each of the characters (and there are a lot of them) have their own distinctive traits, they are an unusual extended, blended family who often drive Norma to despair, but are always loyal and supportive.

As Norma begins to investigate the murder of a professor from the University of Barcelona, she draws many blanks. There seems to be no motive, the professor was elderly and ill and had no known enemies. The murderer has left no clues, it's most certainly a puzzle. It is only when Norma discovers that an old friend of the professor was also recently murdered that she begins to look deeper into how the two cases may be connected. The first case appeared to be a case of a robbery gone wrong, the man was brutally stabbed, the circumstances are nothing like the professors's case. However, Norma is still convinced that there is a link.

This is fine crime fiction, with twists and turns to keep the reader engaged throughout and the added bonus of learning more about Norma and her family. There's some humour that lessens the darkness of the plot, and adds another dimension to the story.

Clever and multi layered. Black Storms is a great crime novel that incorporates some recent history in a setting that is brought to life wonderfully. Recommended.

[Angi Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new (to me, at least!)author with a totally fresh style of writing.
I really enjoyed this book and although it’s under 300 pages in length it tells a very concise story, that is rich in detail and not lacking for having less pages.
The author writes with a sense of humour that is infectious to the reader, without turning the story into a comedy. I also enjoyed her take on giving us the eclectic home life of the police investigator charged with solving the case in possibly as much detail as that of the crime. I have read several books heavy on police procedure and enjoyed them, while having what can feel like a slotted in paragraph about the person investigating. The author gives us a person to get to know properly and who we can learn as much about them as their ability to solve problems. Possibly giving with it the reason why they are so able, which is a refreshing change.
If you enjoy translated crime fiction then you should put this on your list.
I must mention the cover which in itself is an intricate artwork which reflects the book its content perfectly.
With thanks to Ewa Sherman, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deputy Norma Forestor and her colleague Sergeant Gabriel Alonso, from the Catalan Police, are tasked by their boss to lead an investigation into the mysterious death of a Professor Francesc Paredella at the University of Barcelona. They delve into why as old man has been killed and they look for motives and who was responsible. They soon learn of another mysterious death a fortnight ago and they wonder if both murders are connected? How are they connected? We learn there is a link to the Spanish Civil War, but how? This was an engrossing, thrilling, page turner of a book! The characters are wonderful and so full of life, that I could imagine them in my mind's eye. The subplots tie up to an exciting conclusion.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Norma is an intriguing character, both in a professional and personal capacity and I enjoyed getting to know her, her family and her colleagues. Everyone had their own part to play in investigating the crimes committed.

Past and present events were skillfully intertwined - in terms of family histories and that of the Spanish Civil War, both of which have far-reaching consequences for the book's characters.

A really well-written (and translated) story that gets across a real sense of Barcelona. I'm delighted that this is only the first outing for Norma - can't wait to see what she gets up to next!

Thanks to the author, Ewa Sherman, and Corylus Books for the eARC of this book.

[Toby Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up after listening to the author at Crime Central.

The opening of the book is superb, setting the scene of a murder and the murderer's actions. It then proceeds to the investigation which is more a setting of the characters and the domestic issues of our protagonists.

It has a certain elegance of prose but I struggled with the pacing and the disparate elements of the search. It feels like it could be the start of a series but personally I would need more of the police work than of the family.

An interesting read nonetheless

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting change up for a police procedural. Strong on setting in Barcelona. Maybe 50:50 family life: crime mystery. Very Spanish, all the detecting has to stop at midday to go to a restaurant or home for lunch. Enjoyed all the context about the Spanish Civil War and how history will always leak through to the present. Also, nuns