In Jason Webster's second novel, A Death in Valencia, Detective Max Cámara deals with a murdered paella chef and a kidnapped abortionist while his world literally falls in around him--his apartment complex collapses, killing his young neighbor and her toddler son.
With no where to live and no family to speak of, Cámara forces himself to focus on his job in order to counter the pull of depression and self-loathing creeping into his life. But the politics enveloping both the murder and the kidnapping may prove to be more than Cámara can battle.
Set in Spain, Webster's plot, with its themes of corruption in construction and the moral debate surrounding abortion, could be easily relocated to almost any developed nation. Webster carefully dances around the abortion controversy, forcing his protagonist to struggle with both perspectives. The relevance of such themes will help readers easily identify with Cámara's plight and cheer him on despite his flaws and shortcomings.
Cámara's likability is also enhanced by his relationship with his partner Paco Torres. Cámara is technically Torres's superior, but their interactions take on a brotherly air of easy banter, support and respect.
Readers new to the series may find Cámara's relationship history a little harder to follow, but this lack of knowledge doesn't disturb the overall flow of A Death in Valencia. Spanish words and phrases throughout, though, seem like language lessons, as every occurrence is translated into English. Eliminating what couldn't be interpreted from context would have removed significant diversion from the plot. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts