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Black Sun Rising
Barcelona, summer 1909.
When the scientist and explorer Randolph Foulkes is blown up in a random terrorist bomb attack, private detective Harry Lawton is hired by the man’s widow to identify the beneficiary of a large payment Foulkes had made shortly before his death. Lawton’s arrival in the Catalan capital coincides with a series of unusual killings that appear to have been carried out by a blood-drinking animal in the Ramblas district and adds another element of instability to a city already teetering on the brink of insurrection. Lawton soon meets and teams up with Esperanza Claramunt, a young anarchist whose lover was one of the victims of the “beast of the Ramblas,” and the Catalan crime reporter Bernat Mata, who has begun investigating these crimes.
So what begins as a straightforward investigation into presumed marital infidelity turns into something far more sinister, as Lawton probes Foulkes’ connections to the mysterious Explorers Club, the Barcelona political police, and an eccentric Austrian hypnotist. Adrift in a city gripped by rebellion and lawlessness, Lawton enters a labyrinth of murder, corruption, political conflict, and crazed racial pseudo-science where no one’s survival is guaranteed.
When the scientist and explorer Randolph Foulkes is blown up in a random terrorist bomb attack, private detective Harry Lawton is hired by the man’s widow to identify the beneficiary of a large payment Foulkes had made shortly before his death. Lawton’s arrival in the Catalan capital coincides with a series of unusual killings that appear to have been carried out by a blood-drinking animal in the Ramblas district and adds another element of instability to a city already teetering on the brink of insurrection. Lawton soon meets and teams up with Esperanza Claramunt, a young anarchist whose lover was one of the victims of the “beast of the Ramblas,” and the Catalan crime reporter Bernat Mata, who has begun investigating these crimes.
So what begins as a straightforward investigation into presumed marital infidelity turns into something far more sinister, as Lawton probes Foulkes’ connections to the mysterious Explorers Club, the Barcelona political police, and an eccentric Austrian hypnotist. Adrift in a city gripped by rebellion and lawlessness, Lawton enters a labyrinth of murder, corruption, political conflict, and crazed racial pseudo-science where no one’s survival is guaranteed.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2020
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259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 25, 2020
Black Sun Rising is an engaging historical thriller set in 1909 Barcelona, a time when leftist groups—radicals, anarchists, syndicalists—were fighting one another and also fighting a national government that had begun leaning toward fascism. Matthew Carr deftly juggles several narrative threads in this novel, pulling them together to a surprising conclusion.
One thread follows Harry Lawton, a British private detective forced to leave a job with Scotland Yard due to the onset of epilepsy. Another focuses on a small group of "scientists" and explorers who hope eugenics can produce a "master race" (if that rings any bells, it should). A third involves Bernat Mata, a left-leaning journalist indebted to his wealthy father-in-law, and Esperanza Claramunt, a young anarchist whose father was tortured to death by government forces when she was a young girl and who Mata championed in his reporting. The novel opens with an anarchist bombing and moves back and forth among the many threads it contains, which means readers are engaged from the first and never lose that initial excitement.
The central mystery is rather improbable, but the strong characterizations override that potential weakness. The individuals seem real, even if parts of the mystery they're tangled up in don't. I have no idea whether Carr plans this novel as the first in a series. The ending is ambiguous enough to leave that in doubt, but I would welcome seeing where Harry Lawton winds up next.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus. The opinions are my own.
One thread follows Harry Lawton, a British private detective forced to leave a job with Scotland Yard due to the onset of epilepsy. Another focuses on a small group of "scientists" and explorers who hope eugenics can produce a "master race" (if that rings any bells, it should). A third involves Bernat Mata, a left-leaning journalist indebted to his wealthy father-in-law, and Esperanza Claramunt, a young anarchist whose father was tortured to death by government forces when she was a young girl and who Mata championed in his reporting. The novel opens with an anarchist bombing and moves back and forth among the many threads it contains, which means readers are engaged from the first and never lose that initial excitement.
The central mystery is rather improbable, but the strong characterizations override that potential weakness. The individuals seem real, even if parts of the mystery they're tangled up in don't. I have no idea whether Carr plans this novel as the first in a series. The ending is ambiguous enough to leave that in doubt, but I would welcome seeing where Harry Lawton winds up next.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus. The opinions are my own.
August 12, 2020
This had a promising concept and very well-drawn setting, but it wound up being kind of a mess and didn't quite hold together. And there were a really egregious number of anti-Semitic and racist slurs; you can make clear that even the "good" characters are "of their time" or whatever without taking the opportunity to use those words every other page.
October 6, 2021
What a disappointment! This books starts off great, with a very compelling character in the person of Harry Lawton, a deeply flawed private detective who has been hired by a rich widow to investigate her husband's murder in Spain. As a reader who enjoyed Carr's "Devils of Cardona", I was rubbing my hands with glee at that point, thinking, "Oooohhh, this is going to be GOOD!"
It wasn't.
Soon the novel bogs down with far too many threads and way, way too many characters. Barcelona in 1909 was apparently a turbulent, chaotic mess with various rebellious factions fighting among themselves as they sought to overthrow the government. Hmmm....sounds a bit like the Trump Administration, doesn't it?
As I struggled to keep track of the huge number of characters and figure out which side they were on, I was reminded of the chant that some of vendors roaming the stands at Tiger Stadium (Detroit, Michigan) utilized to sell their wares many years ago: "Scorecard!!! Get your scorecard here. Can't tell the players without a scorecard!"
Well, this was a novel that DESPERATELY needed a scorecard! If a novelist as accomplished as Hilary Mantel saw fit to put one in her Henry VIII trilogy, I can't see how doing so would have detracted from this tumultuous mess of a plot Carr has given his readers.
It wasn't.
Soon the novel bogs down with far too many threads and way, way too many characters. Barcelona in 1909 was apparently a turbulent, chaotic mess with various rebellious factions fighting among themselves as they sought to overthrow the government. Hmmm....sounds a bit like the Trump Administration, doesn't it?
As I struggled to keep track of the huge number of characters and figure out which side they were on, I was reminded of the chant that some of vendors roaming the stands at Tiger Stadium (Detroit, Michigan) utilized to sell their wares many years ago: "Scorecard!!! Get your scorecard here. Can't tell the players without a scorecard!"
Well, this was a novel that DESPERATELY needed a scorecard! If a novelist as accomplished as Hilary Mantel saw fit to put one in her Henry VIII trilogy, I can't see how doing so would have detracted from this tumultuous mess of a plot Carr has given his readers.
September 26, 2020
3.5
This is a 4 for the historical context and description. I learned quite a bit about Spain's issues prior to their Civil War.
As for the mystery: it was intriguing but there was so much going on it was difficult to follow. Plus, I had difficulty bonding with Lawton, the protagonist. He seemed uninvolved, even as he was involved. Other characters, Esperanza and Mata were much more sympathetic in my view.
This is a 4 for the historical context and description. I learned quite a bit about Spain's issues prior to their Civil War.
As for the mystery: it was intriguing but there was so much going on it was difficult to follow. Plus, I had difficulty bonding with Lawton, the protagonist. He seemed uninvolved, even as he was involved. Other characters, Esperanza and Mata were much more sympathetic in my view.
January 30, 2024
Read this by accident….
The writing is immersive, it sort of reminds me of Jose Saramago’s Blindness, though now quite at that level.
A very pleasant mystery, crime, thriller? Whatever the key terms are.
The writing is immersive, it sort of reminds me of Jose Saramago’s Blindness, though now quite at that level.
A very pleasant mystery, crime, thriller? Whatever the key terms are.
wish-list-possibles
June 14, 2020Tom Nolan deals with this book exclusively in the June 13, 2020 WSJ
October 13, 2020
The Plot Thickens...
Slowly but surely, the author Matthew Carr succeeds in drawing the reader deeper ever deeper, into the intrigue,human ambition and quest for glory that had been the hallmark of all great story telling. The resolution rewards the patient reader.
Slowly but surely, the author Matthew Carr succeeds in drawing the reader deeper ever deeper, into the intrigue,human ambition and quest for glory that had been the hallmark of all great story telling. The resolution rewards the patient reader.
December 26, 2020
Catalonia Caper
Historical fiction. A slow start, especially if you’re not familiar with pre-Ww1 Spain, but persevere. Your patience will be rewarded if you enjoy complex plots mixed with real events. The pace picks up and the novel is nicely written.
Historical fiction. A slow start, especially if you’re not familiar with pre-Ww1 Spain, but persevere. Your patience will be rewarded if you enjoy complex plots mixed with real events. The pace picks up and the novel is nicely written.
August 27, 2020
I'm not sure if it was the somewhat monotone voice of the narrator or the writing itself, but this story never pulled me in and I struggled to get invested in what was happening.
January 31, 2021
Intersting story, but very complicated with loads of characters. This book would have been a lot better, in my opinion, if there had been included a map of the Barcelona of this time period.
September 29, 2020
Entertaining plot and tableau; bad copy-editing.
Pro:
Matthew Carr paints a fine, detailed tableau of Barcelona in 1909, from its wretched slums to the carriages and opera attendance of the rich. From such minutia as brands of consumer goods to the majestic Montjuïc Castle, one gets a good sense of what Barcelonians lived in, with, and by.
Plot twists make what might otherwise be a somewhat predictable tale engaging nonetheless. The characters are nicely fleshed out. Together, it made for enjoyable reading from beginning to end.
Con:
Woeful copy-editing. Errors abound, from inconsistent or erroneous spellings to any number of other glitches. Someone didn't proofread adequately.
To name a few:
It's unlikely that the British were fighting the Boers in 1990. (P. 52.)
The United Kingdom's flag is called the Union Jack only when on a ship; otherwise, it's the Union flag.
Cortez, not Cortéz. (Cortés would have the accent.)
Perturbant, not pertubant. (P. 233.)
Down syndrome didn't become the accepted term for "mongolism" until the 1970s. (P. 264.)
"Alright" may soon become an alternative to "all right," but it's not there yet. I'm not sure that the author or copy-editor knows this, as "alright" abounds. It looks peculiar.
On page 304, Dr. Evil is "holding a pair of scissors" in a menacing fashion. On page 305, he is again "holding a pair of scissors" in like fashion.
On page 297, one finds this sentence (quoted exactly):
And a plethora of needed commas are missing.
A book represents the author's commitment to the reader and vice-versa, the acceptance on trust of an invitation to form a bond. When there are copy-editing errors like these, that bond is frayed and that trust is eroded.
Pro:
Matthew Carr paints a fine, detailed tableau of Barcelona in 1909, from its wretched slums to the carriages and opera attendance of the rich. From such minutia as brands of consumer goods to the majestic Montjuïc Castle, one gets a good sense of what Barcelonians lived in, with, and by.
Plot twists make what might otherwise be a somewhat predictable tale engaging nonetheless. The characters are nicely fleshed out. Together, it made for enjoyable reading from beginning to end.
Con:
Woeful copy-editing. Errors abound, from inconsistent or erroneous spellings to any number of other glitches. Someone didn't proofread adequately.
To name a few:
It's unlikely that the British were fighting the Boers in 1990. (P. 52.)
The United Kingdom's flag is called the Union Jack only when on a ship; otherwise, it's the Union flag.
Cortez, not Cortéz. (Cortés would have the accent.)
Perturbant, not pertubant. (P. 233.)
Down syndrome didn't become the accepted term for "mongolism" until the 1970s. (P. 264.)
"Alright" may soon become an alternative to "all right," but it's not there yet. I'm not sure that the author or copy-editor knows this, as "alright" abounds. It looks peculiar.
On page 304, Dr. Evil is "holding a pair of scissors" in a menacing fashion. On page 305, he is again "holding a pair of scissors" in like fashion.
On page 297, one finds this sentence (quoted exactly):
"Arenales made some sucking noises and the dogs immediately fell silent and the dogs immediately fell silent and began to pace restlessly up and down the cage."
And a plethora of needed commas are missing.
A book represents the author's commitment to the reader and vice-versa, the acceptance on trust of an invitation to form a bond. When there are copy-editing errors like these, that bond is frayed and that trust is eroded.
September 17, 2020
I listened to the audio book and there were multiple times when i screamed "what" to my phone. There are a few pov in the book and I wasn't sure how they would tie together or if they would tie together but each narrator did a good job building the picture of Barcelona in the summer of 1909. It starts out with a simple story line: Famous English explore is killed in a terrorist bombing and the widow has questions about a bank transfer so a private detective is hired. Barcelona though is in chaos, different groups are demanding change, here we have Esperanza Claremunt who is a young anarchist. There is also a monster in the city attacking people. Carr did a good job tying on the story lines together.
November 14, 2020
A private investigator is hired by a woman in England to go to Barcelona to verify that her husband is dead and who he gave money to before he died. The investigator goes to the morgue and verifies that the fingerprints match the ones given to him by the family attorney. He then asks around to find out what happened at the cafe that was bombed that killed the woman's husband. There is much unrest in Barcelona at this time and he gets caught in the middle...
August 3, 2020
I enjoyed the historical aspects. I know next to nothing about Spain’s history and this glimpse into the post empire period was useful. Still, the action, detective, wrap it up at the end with plausible surprises continues to hold me back with Detective fiction. Ultimately the format often leaves me empty. I did enjoy much of the journey.
August 3, 2025
I found it difficult to keep track of the characters in this novel. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't really get a feel for any of them. Perhaps it was because I was also straining to track the unfamiliar historical events that were the backdrop of the tale. I also found several grammatical errors which distracted me.
January 30, 2021
I started out loving reading about Barcelona (a city I've been to!) in the pre-WW1 days. It was interesting to learn more about the chaos Spain was in...but it got dark, the mystery plot got really entagled and I found myself just wanting to know how it ended, not enjoying the book itself.
August 29, 2024
As I am not at all knowledgeable about Spain’s history this made it harder for me to read. Definitely not a fast read until the last 100 or so pages. Interesting how the author brought the two storylines together.
May 21, 2020
5/21/2020 3.5 stars rounded up. Full review tk at CriminalElement.com.
June 24, 2020
Standard mystery fare but in an unusual time and place: pre-WWI Barcelona. Too much detail of Barcelona streets and places but interesting history of early 20th Century Barcelona.
July 15, 2020
fragmented storytelling detracted from plot
July 27, 2020
Great characters and story. Historically very interesting. I really liked the main character, who would be great in a series.
January 4, 2021
Interesting mix of turn of the century politics in Barcelona and murders that may or may not be part of them. Enjoyed the descriptions of the city having been there and loved it.
December 28, 2021
OK read
August 20, 2024
no more for me
December 19, 2020
Nazi eugenics, anarchists, and an epileptic detective with PTSD. Shockingly, not as strange or thrilling as it sounds, especially based on the blurb, but still a satisfying listen.
First, a note on the narration. The narrator was very good, but often fell into some intense vocal fry. Which isn't my favorite sound ever, but you do kind of get used to it.
The story was slow, but solid. The plot was interesting enough (I'm not a huge fan of stuff set in this time period, but it was so atmospheric and the setting so well drawn that I was sucked in, anyway), and the main character was bland but relatable, and quite likable, even. The secondary characters were hit or miss in terms of development, and I feel like the other hero of the story, the female anarchist (and her brother, who served as little more than a plot device, which was not cool) got short changed a bit.
The ending was satisfying. A little anticlimactic, maybe, but that actually suited the tone of the book. There was this underlying theme of fighting against the inevitable, and knowing that bad things are coming, but still not giving up. It was less inspirational and more of a bit of sad realism. I appreciated that.
This is a case where you can judge a book by its cover, at least a little. The grey, dreary, fog covering the city also permeates the story.
It was good, but I think the reader has to be in a certain mindframe to get the most out of it. I listened at work, which probably was not the best choice, but I still enjoyed it.
Oh, also, I love that Gaudí made an appearance :)
First, a note on the narration. The narrator was very good, but often fell into some intense vocal fry. Which isn't my favorite sound ever, but you do kind of get used to it.
The story was slow, but solid. The plot was interesting enough (I'm not a huge fan of stuff set in this time period, but it was so atmospheric and the setting so well drawn that I was sucked in, anyway), and the main character was bland but relatable, and quite likable, even. The secondary characters were hit or miss in terms of development, and I feel like the other hero of the story, the female anarchist (and her brother, who served as little more than a plot device, which was not cool) got short changed a bit.
The ending was satisfying. A little anticlimactic, maybe, but that actually suited the tone of the book. There was this underlying theme of fighting against the inevitable, and knowing that bad things are coming, but still not giving up. It was less inspirational and more of a bit of sad realism. I appreciated that.
This is a case where you can judge a book by its cover, at least a little. The grey, dreary, fog covering the city also permeates the story.
It was good, but I think the reader has to be in a certain mindframe to get the most out of it. I listened at work, which probably was not the best choice, but I still enjoyed it.
Oh, also, I love that Gaudí made an appearance :)
June 13, 2020
Okay read
Interesting premise, significant period of Catalan history, pretty obvious construction, somewhat wooden characters. Might not have finished but decent enough pandemic reading.
Interesting premise, significant period of Catalan history, pretty obvious construction, somewhat wooden characters. Might not have finished but decent enough pandemic reading.
December 1, 2020
Stopped reading. I didn't find the story interesting at all.
October 31, 2025
Engrossing, compelling, entertainingly improbable mystery-turned-adventure set in Barcelona during the 1909 Setmana Trágica.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews