Pasodoble [Kindle Edition]

When I finished this book, I felt as if I had just been to Spain.
The writer obviously knows it very well, -not the tourist, holiday Spain so much as the 'real'place.
The cover of the book drew me in to start with. It places you into the story from the very beginning, in the high, hot, arid hills above the town, where a body has been found.
I found the characters well drawn and believable. Inspector Moreno is a man who loves his food and drink, but whose surface indolence conceals an intelligence and understanding of his country and the people in it. The ex-pat community
is well described without indulging in stereotypes, and I did wonder if the writer might have put a bit of himself in the character of Rick?
He is investigating a death, and initially conceals what he thinks is the man's obvious identity. Because he has to work partly within the British Community and his English is not fluent, he enlists the help of the owner of a local bar, (Rick) a Briton who has immersed himself in his adopted country. They work well together, and I hope this is the first of several books featuring them. Their investigation takes them into the world of failed property dealings, migrant workers, and people trafficking. Few people are what they initially seem to be. I'm not going to give away the plot, but the ending wasn't predictable.
The food in particular plays a big part in the book. (when I had to stop reading to make a meal, I just had to make a Spanish-type omelette) So does the landscape. Yet the writing style flows on and I never once got irritated by extraneous description, or excessive dialogue, which often happens in a debut novel. In fact it was a delight to read a straight-to-kindle novel which had been well proof-read and edited from start to finish.

This is a really great first novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the Spanish countryside, customs and food, and found the glimpse into expat life in Spain both eye-opening and very entertaining. Detective Moreno is a highly believable, deeply flawed yet likeable character. His devil-may-care attitude adds a fun dimension to the story, as he blunders through his investigations misleading, offending and confusing everyone around him. The plot twists and turns throughout the book and the surprise ending doesn't disappoint. Part crime fiction, part travelogue with great characters and acerbic wit, Pasodoble is a jolly good read and comes highly recommended.

It is obvious that Martin Cross has researched his subjects well, describing them in a quirky, sometimes floridesque way. I am sure he has some link with Las Alpujarras, Spain and he obviously loves his food, as those joint passions seem to be the selvedges that contain the threads of crime, sex and intrigue between their broadloom width.
This is not a run of the mill crime novel written by some bored expat on the patio of his Hacienda while sipping cheap plonk and listening to Radio 4 online. Cross has created a book which reads as from an accomplished writer, with a pacey, well told story and a surprising ending to what could so easily have been an unoriginal crime pulp novel.
It's hard to take a well worn theme and produce something that is indeed novel, but with Pasadoble, Cross has pulled it off at what appears to be his first attempt.

It's rare that I'll finish reading a book in just a couple of sittings but that's exactly what happened with this one. Genuinely hard to put down, it maintains its pace with believable, likeable characters. I wolfed this book down like a tramp eating chips, or perhaps some other mouth-watering, deliciously-described dish. I'm left wanting more Inspector Moreno and can also see myself booking a holiday in Alpujarra before too long.

First of all, I live in Las Alpujarras, in one of the villages mentioned in Martin Cross's excellent detective novel, so I know whereof I speak. I loved the book's cover, which realistically portrays the action at the beginning of the story.

The plot is intriguing, with twist and double twist that keep the reader engrossed right to the end. The main character, Moreno, is probably the laziest, greediest and most endearing policeman I've come across in many years of reading detective novels. Even the sex scenes, while most realistic given the man involved, have a comedic element about them that will strike a chord with many middle-aged men who may have dreams about the opposite sex only to find the reality does not quite live up to expectations. But, hey, any sex is better than none, or so Moreno might surmise.

The mixture of the local Spanish population and police, Northern European (particularly British) ex-pats - many with something to hide, dodgy Romanian builders and people traffickers all add to a rich Spanish paella of characters that offer a banquet of different flavours and colours, much like the dishes described in the novel as Moreno moves from bar to restaurant, sampling Spanish beers, wines, tapas and meals with a relentless fortitude that would defeat most epicureans.

Las Alpujarras play a major part in this story, with the area beautifully described in all its scenic glory, but without ignoring its sometimes seedy underbelly.

The only criticism I have of the book is that maybe the author's personal views of the ex-pat community (many of which I share) seemed to creep into the story from time to time, leaving a slightly sour taste.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to Moreno's next case.