Hard Currency: A Post-Communist Mystery

by Steven Owad

Warsaw, 1992. Three years have passed since the end of communism. For former democracy activist Julian Krol, there are no dragons left to slay. But new evils are taking root. Julian's estranged sister Krystyna has been murdered, and to find her killer Julian will have to face the dark side of the new world order: a mushrooming drug trade, a feckless police force, rampant corruption. Poland might now be free, but for many communists-turned-capitalists, it's a free-for-all.

263 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2012

About the author

Steven lives in Calgary, Canada, where he works as an editor. His novels have won praise in publications such as Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Mystery Scene, and his stage plays have been produced in theaters throughout North America.

Reviews

[Steven Owad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owad’s Micro-Review #50

To mark the milestone of our 50th review, we present the best novel ever written. This earth-shattering work is unrivalled in every way imaginable. Thomas Pynchon wrote in the New York Times Book Review, “Any author who reads Owad’s work and doesn’t retreat to the distant shores of reclusiveness should be ashamed of themselves. None of us will ever reach these heights of brilliance.” Margaret Atwood in The Atlantic: “It’s like, when you think of it, this dude has WORDS!” Haruki Murakami in conversation with the BBC: “I wish this novel were a religion so I could join it.”

But don’t take their word for it. Louise Gluck, Olga Tokarczuk and seventeen other Nobel laureates have gone on a hunger strike until all countries of the world replace the lyrics in their national anthems with the opening lines from this novel. Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, proposes a binding resolution to this effect. In this reviewer’s humble opinion, this ALMOST gives Owad’s novel the respect it deserves. A more appropriate gesture would be worldwide cult-like prayers of thanks for the divine fabulousness of this work of heavenly splendor—to put it mildly. June 24, 2021

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard Currency

by Steven Owad



Opening sentence: Between the train station and the shoe factory stood reminders of why Julian had brought Krystyna here: a butcher shop without meat; a line of people outside a bakery that wouldn’t open for an hour; bottles in gutters; listless men lolling on park benches, the morning hours grinding by in slow motion.

This is the ‘before’ of Poland – in 1983, still in the grip of Communism – a brief, evocative scene establishing both the repressive political climate and Julian Krol’s love for his little sister. A few pages and nine years later, Poland is celebrating its post-Solidarnos economic and political freedom, and Julian has lost touch with Krystyna. When told she is dead, an apparent suicide, he cannot reconcile what he hears about her tawdry life in prostitution with the intelligent, ambitious girl she had been. Setting out to learn how she came to that end, he stirs up an unexpected hornet’s nest of political corruption and economic game-playing that threatens him and everyone he comes in contact with.

Julian draws on his journalistic resources to trace a translation job Krystyna was doing on the side, one that required her knowledge of languages and dialects stretching all the way to Pakistan. His determination to discover who was behind that job attracts the attention of both the official police and ugly enforcers from several criminal classes. Interspersed with the present action are Julian’s memories of Krystyna, of his political agitation that got her flagged by the State as a potential enemy, of their final parting of the ways three years earlier. By the time the reader has all that history in place, the present is a grim one indeed for Julian and several associates of both his and Krystyna’s. The rest of the novel is an almost McInnes-like scramble through hills and towns, even underground, to avoid harm and reach the truth.

Landscapes and city streets come to life with equal strength. Characters, whether heroic or villainous or occasionally both, are well drawn, deeply credible in their roles and in their movement through the tumultuous post-Communist country as it struggles to find its feet. This author lived and worked in Poland during the early years of freedom from Communism, and paints a vivid picture of the old, the new, and the old wearing a new Armani suit.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An occasionally square thriller about a former solidarity activist turned newspaper reporter (sort of) whose sister dies under mysterious circumstances. It's a little old school, the way the book has a hard-on for print journalism, and noble harded cops and all the rest. But even taken it with a squinty, jaundiced eye, there's some fun to be had here-- Owad feels comfortable enough to jump around and follow whatever character he feels the need to to tell his story, and it's a pretty good little story-- the reveal of what the baddies were up to might not be entirely reasonable, and one character, of the Alfons, seemed sort of implausibly wicked and omnipotent. But this also hits a kind of ridiculously satisfying number of things every American tourist to Poland sees that it's hard not to enjoy it.

[Rob Riffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and really enjoyed it. Julian Krol was a very likeable character and I would actually love to see what happens next.

It takes place shortly after the fall of Communism in Russia and was a great read. Julian sets out to find the truth behind the death of his sister who he had not seen in 3 years. He runs into his share of mishap and shady characters and gets roughed up in the process.

I found myself hooked and reading it every night. My wife even had to yell at me a few times to put down my book because she was trying to talk to me. Can't wait to see if the adventures of Julian Krol continue into present day. I could see him uncovering some great mischief through his skills as a reporter. great read!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

My most anticipated book to read for 2012!

Finally I got to read it! I come from a Polish heritage but have never been to Poland so I found the references of particular interest. There were so many characters, the story line kept me guessing right until the very end.

The book was not filled with violence by any means but, there was one scene in particular where I actually flinched and closed my eyes, it was so well written that I could visualize it perfectly.

Bring on the next crime novel, Mr. Owad.

[Rebecca Plaza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adult mystery, haven't read in long time. Okay for telling about a time and place I knew.