What do you think?
Rate this book
Josef Slonský Investigations #2
Slaughter and Forgetting
Has a man been hanged for a murder he didn’t commit…?
Prague, Czech Republic
Thirty years ago a young woman was brutally slaughtered in her home.
The police charged and eventually hanged a suspect in what appeared to be an open and shut case.
But when a retired police officer, Edvard Holoubek comes to Lieutenant Josef Slonský with memories that have haunted him for decades, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seemed…
Before Slonský can delve any further Holoubek is deliberately targeted in a hit and run.
It seems someone doesn’t want the truth to come out…
With memories failing and leads running cold Slonský finds himself in a race against time to find the real killer.
SLAUGHTER AND FORGETTING is the second international crime thriller in the detective series featuring Lieutenant Josef Slonský: an atmospheric police procedural full of dark humour.
JOSEF SLONSKÝ INVESTIGATIONS SERIES
BOOK ONE: Lying and Dying
BOOK TWO: Slaughter and Forgetting
BOOK THREE: Coming Soon!
Prague, Czech Republic
Thirty years ago a young woman was brutally slaughtered in her home.
The police charged and eventually hanged a suspect in what appeared to be an open and shut case.
But when a retired police officer, Edvard Holoubek comes to Lieutenant Josef Slonský with memories that have haunted him for decades, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seemed…
Before Slonský can delve any further Holoubek is deliberately targeted in a hit and run.
It seems someone doesn’t want the truth to come out…
With memories failing and leads running cold Slonský finds himself in a race against time to find the real killer.
SLAUGHTER AND FORGETTING is the second international crime thriller in the detective series featuring Lieutenant Josef Slonský: an atmospheric police procedural full of dark humour.
JOSEF SLONSKÝ INVESTIGATIONS SERIES
BOOK ONE: Lying and Dying
BOOK TWO: Slaughter and Forgetting
BOOK THREE: Coming Soon!
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2015
131 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Graham Brack
36 books146 followersGraham Brack trained as a pharmacist but now spends most of his time writing crime fiction. He has been shortlisted three times for the Crime Writers Association's Debut Dagger (2011, 2014 and 2016) without ever winning it. Those three entries involved three different detectives.
The 2011 entry has been published as Lying and Dying by Sapere Books, and has been followed by six more books about Josef Slonský, a Prague policeman.
The 2014 offering has been published as Death in Delft and features Master Mercurius, a seventeenth century university lecturer. The second Mercurius mystery, Untrue till Death followed in August 2020 and the third in the series Dishonour and Obey in October 2020. The fourth, The Noose's Shadow arrived in December 2020 and The Vanishing Children in 2021. The sixth book was The Lying Dutchman (2022) and the seventh was Murder in Maastricht (2023). The latest is The Moers Murders .
Graham is married to Gillian and has two adult children and three granddaughters. He lives in a small village in Northamptonshire.
The 2011 entry has been published as Lying and Dying by Sapere Books, and has been followed by six more books about Josef Slonský, a Prague policeman.
The 2014 offering has been published as Death in Delft and features Master Mercurius, a seventeenth century university lecturer. The second Mercurius mystery, Untrue till Death followed in August 2020 and the third in the series Dishonour and Obey in October 2020. The fourth, The Noose's Shadow arrived in December 2020 and The Vanishing Children in 2021. The sixth book was The Lying Dutchman (2022) and the seventh was Murder in Maastricht (2023). The latest is The Moers Murders .
Graham is married to Gillian and has two adult children and three granddaughters. He lives in a small village in Northamptonshire.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 23, 2019
I found the second book with Lieutenant Josef Slonsky even more entertaining than the first one. The cold case that is reopened after an unexpected visit by a long-retired policeman has a potential which is nicely developed. The efforts to pursuit real murderers of a teenage girl undertaken by Slonsky & his team are rewarded due to the fact that even though Slonsky appears to be relaxed, he knows how to apply his experience when necessary. The plot is interesting, however, I enjoyed Josef's wisdom and his sense of humor most, and that was the best bit for me. The Author seems to be an expert regarding police work in Czechoslovakia, well before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and skillfully weaves the story.
*Many thanks to Graham Brack, Sapere Books and Netgally for providing me with ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
*Many thanks to Graham Brack, Sapere Books and Netgally for providing me with ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
February 20, 2019
4.5★
“‘I wish it had never happened,’ replied Slonský, ‘but your husband made his bed and now he has to lie in it. All we’re doing is turning the sheets down.’”
Another entertaining escapade with the rumpled Czech detective Josef Slonský. He’s close to retirement age and sailing a bit too close to the wind as far his captain’s standards of office hours and attire.
“. . . Slonský erupted into the room with the appearance of a man who had dressed himself by letting his wardrobe topple over onto him.”
Slonský is approached by a retired police officer about something that happened thirty years ago, and it seems a lot of the details don’t add up. People have been transferred, reports may have been altered, and then the old officer is suddenly the target of a hit and run.
There are a lot of Czech and Slovak references which are interesting and help explain motives and the history of what’s been happening behind the scenes. It's a nice change from other series for me.
Much of that revolves around the StB, the Communist plainclothes secret police that were in Czechoslovakia from 1945 to 1990. As with most secret police, nobody wanted to be drawn to their attention. Lie low, stay out of harm’s way.
Slonský maintains his usual pace.
“Since time was of the essence during a murder enquiry he restricted his coffee break to twenty minutes, during which he fortified the inner man with a párek, having been bewitched by the smell of sausage when attempting to walk past the stall.”
It begins to look like the old hit-and-run victim knew what he was talking about, so between his stops for coffee and pastries, Slonský pursues the case, which at one point necessitates an overnight trip on which he needs to take a young woman trainee recently assigned to the department. His captain worries.
“‘That means two hotel rooms.’
‘We could always share, sir, but she may snore.’
‘Slonský! There is no question of your sharing a room, under any circumstances. Do I make myself clear?’
‘Perfectly, sir. Thank you — she’s a fit young woman and I’m not sure I’d be able to fight her off if she jumped on me.’
A tiny smile flickered on Lukas’ face. ‘I think the expression I’m looking for is “in your dreams”, Slonský.’
‘You may be right, sir, though I don’t have those dreams any more.’”
At another time, when he’s educating young Navrátil about Czech women, Navrátil responds with
“‘Sir, you can teach me about a lot of things, but I’m not sure you’re an authority on Czech women. After all, you’ve been divorced a long time.’
‘I haven’t played hockey for thirty years but I still know what a goal looks like.’”
A good mystery that again sees our rumpled detective pointing the finger of suspicion right at the topmost echelons of government and law enforcement. He worries (and I worry) that he will be forced into retirement, due to his unorthodox ways.
But he catches the bad guys in his own, unparalleled fashion, and we know he continues to fight the good fight another day – with a sausage in one hand and a beer in the other, of course!
I look forward to following his exploits and learning more about Eastern Europe, about which I am abysmally ignorant.
Thanks for the preview copy from NetGalley and Sapere Books.
“‘I wish it had never happened,’ replied Slonský, ‘but your husband made his bed and now he has to lie in it. All we’re doing is turning the sheets down.’”
Another entertaining escapade with the rumpled Czech detective Josef Slonský. He’s close to retirement age and sailing a bit too close to the wind as far his captain’s standards of office hours and attire.
“. . . Slonský erupted into the room with the appearance of a man who had dressed himself by letting his wardrobe topple over onto him.”
Slonský is approached by a retired police officer about something that happened thirty years ago, and it seems a lot of the details don’t add up. People have been transferred, reports may have been altered, and then the old officer is suddenly the target of a hit and run.
There are a lot of Czech and Slovak references which are interesting and help explain motives and the history of what’s been happening behind the scenes. It's a nice change from other series for me.
Much of that revolves around the StB, the Communist plainclothes secret police that were in Czechoslovakia from 1945 to 1990. As with most secret police, nobody wanted to be drawn to their attention. Lie low, stay out of harm’s way.
Slonský maintains his usual pace.
“Since time was of the essence during a murder enquiry he restricted his coffee break to twenty minutes, during which he fortified the inner man with a párek, having been bewitched by the smell of sausage when attempting to walk past the stall.”
It begins to look like the old hit-and-run victim knew what he was talking about, so between his stops for coffee and pastries, Slonský pursues the case, which at one point necessitates an overnight trip on which he needs to take a young woman trainee recently assigned to the department. His captain worries.
“‘That means two hotel rooms.’
‘We could always share, sir, but she may snore.’
‘Slonský! There is no question of your sharing a room, under any circumstances. Do I make myself clear?’
‘Perfectly, sir. Thank you — she’s a fit young woman and I’m not sure I’d be able to fight her off if she jumped on me.’
A tiny smile flickered on Lukas’ face. ‘I think the expression I’m looking for is “in your dreams”, Slonský.’
‘You may be right, sir, though I don’t have those dreams any more.’”
At another time, when he’s educating young Navrátil about Czech women, Navrátil responds with
“‘Sir, you can teach me about a lot of things, but I’m not sure you’re an authority on Czech women. After all, you’ve been divorced a long time.’
‘I haven’t played hockey for thirty years but I still know what a goal looks like.’”
A good mystery that again sees our rumpled detective pointing the finger of suspicion right at the topmost echelons of government and law enforcement. He worries (and I worry) that he will be forced into retirement, due to his unorthodox ways.
But he catches the bad guys in his own, unparalleled fashion, and we know he continues to fight the good fight another day – with a sausage in one hand and a beer in the other, of course!
I look forward to following his exploits and learning more about Eastern Europe, about which I am abysmally ignorant.
Thanks for the preview copy from NetGalley and Sapere Books.
July 31, 2019
These books are just so much fun! I had to keep reading bits of this one out loud to anyone who would listen!
Josef Slonsky is back with his strange sense of humour and sarcastic comments. He tries so hard to pretend he does not care but he is a softy underneath and his two young trainees are becoming very aware of this. On the other hand his greatest pleasure is to solve crimes and bring justice down on those who commit them. He takes this very seriously indeed and demonstrates no soft side when dealing with the criminals.
Josef dreams of being able to clean out corruption in the police force and in this second book he aims for another top dog. I enjoyed all the police work as well as watching the way his brain works and trying to keep up with his leaps in understanding. Another beautifully written and totally absorbing book.
Josef Slonsky is back with his strange sense of humour and sarcastic comments. He tries so hard to pretend he does not care but he is a softy underneath and his two young trainees are becoming very aware of this. On the other hand his greatest pleasure is to solve crimes and bring justice down on those who commit them. He takes this very seriously indeed and demonstrates no soft side when dealing with the criminals.
Josef dreams of being able to clean out corruption in the police force and in this second book he aims for another top dog. I enjoyed all the police work as well as watching the way his brain works and trying to keep up with his leaps in understanding. Another beautifully written and totally absorbing book.
February 12, 2020
I wanted something quick, clever and funny to read, and this book fit the bill perfectly.
Not too long after the events of book #1, Officer Kristýna Peiperová has transferred to Prague and is temporarily assigned to Lieutenant Josef Slonský, bringing the number of his trainee detectives to two - a most unusual scenario. Slonský doesn't really mind too much, as long as Peiperová and Officer Navrátil save their mutual attraction for when they are off-duty. The trio are soon immersed in their first case together when a retired police officer pays a call on Slonský to inform him of a miscarriage of justice and to urge him to re-open a case from 30 years ago. Slonský quickly ascertains that there's something in it, so when the elderly informant is killed in a hit and run, the race is on to get to the truth of what happened all those years ago.
If anything, I think I enjoyed this book even more than #1. Probably because I knew the characters and found the crime (and investigation) a little more straightforward and easier to follow. I also liked that Navrátil was allowed to do a bit more on his own, now that he's spent 3-4 months with Slonský, establishing his credentials as a superior detective-in-the-making.
Looking forward to #3.
Not too long after the events of book #1, Officer Kristýna Peiperová has transferred to Prague and is temporarily assigned to Lieutenant Josef Slonský, bringing the number of his trainee detectives to two - a most unusual scenario. Slonský doesn't really mind too much, as long as Peiperová and Officer Navrátil save their mutual attraction for when they are off-duty. The trio are soon immersed in their first case together when a retired police officer pays a call on Slonský to inform him of a miscarriage of justice and to urge him to re-open a case from 30 years ago. Slonský quickly ascertains that there's something in it, so when the elderly informant is killed in a hit and run, the race is on to get to the truth of what happened all those years ago.
If anything, I think I enjoyed this book even more than #1. Probably because I knew the characters and found the crime (and investigation) a little more straightforward and easier to follow. I also liked that Navrátil was allowed to do a bit more on his own, now that he's spent 3-4 months with Slonský, establishing his credentials as a superior detective-in-the-making.
Looking forward to #3.
November 2, 2018
Another entertaining read in this series featuring Det. Josef Slonský, the rumpled sausage-snarfing veteran of the Prague police. In this outing he's asked to look into a 30 year old case that resulted in a man being wrongly convicted & hanged for the murder of a teenage girl. When people connected to the original investigation become victims of violence in present day, it's clear there are those who'd prefer Slonský mind his own business.
The plot is fast paced & clever with plenty of humour courtesy of the MC's witty dialogue. There is a core group of returning characters that play well off each other. The mix of wit & suspense combined with the setting makes this series an entertaining stand out in such a crowded genre. On to book #3.
The plot is fast paced & clever with plenty of humour courtesy of the MC's witty dialogue. There is a core group of returning characters that play well off each other. The mix of wit & suspense combined with the setting makes this series an entertaining stand out in such a crowded genre. On to book #3.
March 20, 2020
‘Vaněček looked good on May Day. He had a chest full of medals and nobody was very clear how he’d got them until we discovered that he sat on one of the committees that decided who got them. Vain man. Had a desk the size of Austria and nothing useful ever came off it…’
Retired detective Holoubek knows his days are numbered, and approaches Lieutenant Josef Slonský of the Prague police, asking him to look into the cold case of Jana Válekova, raped and murdered back in 1976. Holoubek was the investigating officer, until replaced by Vaněček. A man supposedly confessed to the crime and was hanged within days, but Holoubek found out that the hanged man was in prison for theft at the time, and had kept copies of some of the documents. Vaněček had died in suspicious circumstances and when Holoubek is killed in a hit-and-run it becomes obvious that someone does not want the case reopened.
Slonský is still mentoring graduate recruit Jan Navrátil, and now also has Kristýna Peiperová, transferred to Prague, under his wing, and provides the love-interest of the story. Slonský gains permission from Captain Lukas to re-examine the file and to speak to witnesses, with help from the two, the desk sergeant Mucha and his journalist friend Valentin, from the earlier book. As he tells Navrátil:
‘One thing we lead the world in is bureaucracy, and I can’t imagine any clerk in the communist era deciding to throw any paperwork out unless he was specifically told to do so.’
This was a slow burner at first, though the reader is largely spared Slonský’s dietary preferences this time around and the character is more fleshed out when his ex-wife turns up. I especially liked how he solves the sequence of crimes as each cover-up unravels – the reference to Barry Manilow is a classic - and all the minor players get their chance to shine. As always, Slonský’s wit is a stand out.
‘The courts keep asking for evidence. I’ve complained about it, but I get nowhere. And the evidence we get never quite stands up. Witnesses change their minds, exhibits get lost or damaged, people unexpectedly emigrate — you know the sort of thing.’
Verdict: another entertaining read, and I look forward to the next one.
Retired detective Holoubek knows his days are numbered, and approaches Lieutenant Josef Slonský of the Prague police, asking him to look into the cold case of Jana Válekova, raped and murdered back in 1976. Holoubek was the investigating officer, until replaced by Vaněček. A man supposedly confessed to the crime and was hanged within days, but Holoubek found out that the hanged man was in prison for theft at the time, and had kept copies of some of the documents. Vaněček had died in suspicious circumstances and when Holoubek is killed in a hit-and-run it becomes obvious that someone does not want the case reopened.
Slonský is still mentoring graduate recruit Jan Navrátil, and now also has Kristýna Peiperová, transferred to Prague, under his wing, and provides the love-interest of the story. Slonský gains permission from Captain Lukas to re-examine the file and to speak to witnesses, with help from the two, the desk sergeant Mucha and his journalist friend Valentin, from the earlier book. As he tells Navrátil:
‘One thing we lead the world in is bureaucracy, and I can’t imagine any clerk in the communist era deciding to throw any paperwork out unless he was specifically told to do so.’
This was a slow burner at first, though the reader is largely spared Slonský’s dietary preferences this time around and the character is more fleshed out when his ex-wife turns up. I especially liked how he solves the sequence of crimes as each cover-up unravels – the reference to Barry Manilow is a classic - and all the minor players get their chance to shine. As always, Slonský’s wit is a stand out.
‘The courts keep asking for evidence. I’ve complained about it, but I get nowhere. And the evidence we get never quite stands up. Witnesses change their minds, exhibits get lost or damaged, people unexpectedly emigrate — you know the sort of thing.’
Verdict: another entertaining read, and I look forward to the next one.
September 27, 2018
Lt. Josef Slonsky, the laziest policeman in Prague, is back this time looking into a cold case from 30 years ago. A retired policeman comes to Slonsky with an admission ... and a request.
Retired policeman Edvard Holoubek tells Lieutenant Josef Slonský that he knows there was a miscarriage of justice thirty years before, and he'd like to put it right before he dies. A man was hanged for a crime he did not commit.
There's someone who doesn't want the truth to come to the light of day ... and as more bodies fall, Slonsky finds danger is closer to him than could be imagined. And he's not the only one targeted.
Slonksy is a unique character. Having been a detective for 40-some years, the subject of retirement comes up often between him and his supervisor. It's a quick look to see the humor of two unrelenting, stubborn men. Slonsky might be lazy and spend his time in cafes eating and drinking beer, but his mind is like a steel trap... just waiting to find a criminal.
Navratil is his rookie partner, but he's learning a lot from Slonsky. I enjoy how their relationship is growing and how they relate to each other.
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys a classic mystery story with undertones of black comedy. Although 2nd in a series, this one reads well as a stand alone, but I highly recommend starting at the beginning.
This is well-written with finely drawn characters and suspense that will keep the reader riveted to the pages. I look foward to the next in this series.
Many thanks to the author / Sapere Books for the advanced digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
March 10, 2019
Slaughter and Forgetting is the second book in the Josef Slonský Investigations series by British author, Graham Brack. Despite his age, it’s just been established that Lieutenant Slonský won’t be retiring yet, so he gets stuck into a case. Retired cop, Edvard Holoubek draws his attention to a cold case from almost thirty years back, in the bad old days when the StB (security police) struck fear into the hearts of many. Now ninety, Holoubek feels guilty because he knows the wrong man was “tried” and hung for the murder of a teenaged girl back in 1976.
Involving the StB as the case does, Slonský is likely to step on a few toes, so he asks his Captain for the go-ahead: “I would back you to find the killer of Jana Válková if anyone can. You’re an obstinate, insubordinate, disorganised nuisance and the bane of my life much of the time, but you’re also the best detective I’ve got.”
But soon after Holoubek has delivered some pertinent papers to Slonský, he is struck down and killed, after stepping off the tram, by a dark blue VW Multivan. Definitely hit-and-run, so now there are, effectively, two cases. That needs a lot of searching through the archives and files, as well as legwork; luckily, Slonský currently has extra manpower (well, woman power) in the form of Officer Kristýna Peiperová, who is very intelligent as well as being attractive. And as long as he keeps them separated, Navrátil gets some work done instead of gazing besottedly at Peiperová.
And then Slonský’s wife turns up, with a disturbing revelation for Josef, who has believed himself divorced from Věra Slonská for thirty-five years. Handily, a chance remark she makes pings an idea in Slonský’s mind, but before a lot of smart detective work puts the guilty parties safely behind bars, there will be a kidnapping, a rescue, several dramatic arrests and revelations of thirty-year-old (somewhat dis-)organised crime, corruption, cover-ups, rape, torture, drugs, and some interesting cat-burglaries.
Readers by now familiar with Josef Slonský are still repeatedly reminded of his established priorities (food and drink): “Although Slonský had never been one for flattering any authority figure he laid it on with a trowel where the canteen ladies were concerned since, in his view, the canteen was the hub of the Czech police force and it was impossible to detect on an empty stomach; or, indeed, a stomach filled with lettuce, which was more or less the same thing.” The regular cast is again there to be ordered about, insulted, admonished, cajoled and, very occasionally, praised, as the reader gets to know each of them, with all their virtues and their very human flaws, a little better.
The dialogue, as ever, provides plenty of humour, as do some of Slonský’s distinctly irregular methods for getting co-operation and confession. And even when his plan isn’t clear to the reader, let alone to his team, his proven track record and understated brilliance ensure confidence in the result. Still clueless, Navrátil‘s jaw may drop when Slonský casually remarks “I suppose we might as well go and arrest the killers” but the reader can trust that he has it all in hand.
Brack gives the reader an easily believable plot and deftly demonstrates one of the main problems with solving cold cases and seeing justice done: that witnesses and perpetrators grow old, and forget, and die. Some of his word usage gives the story a distinctly Eastern European feel. As there are spoilers for Lying and Dying throughout the story, reading this series in order is advisable. Similarities to Mick Herron’s writing have been mentioned by reviewers and the comparison is indeed a valid one: fans of Herron’s work are in for a delightful treat here too. Readers will be eager for Death on Duty, the third instalment of this brilliant Czech-flavoured crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Sapere Books.
Involving the StB as the case does, Slonský is likely to step on a few toes, so he asks his Captain for the go-ahead: “I would back you to find the killer of Jana Válková if anyone can. You’re an obstinate, insubordinate, disorganised nuisance and the bane of my life much of the time, but you’re also the best detective I’ve got.”
But soon after Holoubek has delivered some pertinent papers to Slonský, he is struck down and killed, after stepping off the tram, by a dark blue VW Multivan. Definitely hit-and-run, so now there are, effectively, two cases. That needs a lot of searching through the archives and files, as well as legwork; luckily, Slonský currently has extra manpower (well, woman power) in the form of Officer Kristýna Peiperová, who is very intelligent as well as being attractive. And as long as he keeps them separated, Navrátil gets some work done instead of gazing besottedly at Peiperová.
And then Slonský’s wife turns up, with a disturbing revelation for Josef, who has believed himself divorced from Věra Slonská for thirty-five years. Handily, a chance remark she makes pings an idea in Slonský’s mind, but before a lot of smart detective work puts the guilty parties safely behind bars, there will be a kidnapping, a rescue, several dramatic arrests and revelations of thirty-year-old (somewhat dis-)organised crime, corruption, cover-ups, rape, torture, drugs, and some interesting cat-burglaries.
Readers by now familiar with Josef Slonský are still repeatedly reminded of his established priorities (food and drink): “Although Slonský had never been one for flattering any authority figure he laid it on with a trowel where the canteen ladies were concerned since, in his view, the canteen was the hub of the Czech police force and it was impossible to detect on an empty stomach; or, indeed, a stomach filled with lettuce, which was more or less the same thing.” The regular cast is again there to be ordered about, insulted, admonished, cajoled and, very occasionally, praised, as the reader gets to know each of them, with all their virtues and their very human flaws, a little better.
The dialogue, as ever, provides plenty of humour, as do some of Slonský’s distinctly irregular methods for getting co-operation and confession. And even when his plan isn’t clear to the reader, let alone to his team, his proven track record and understated brilliance ensure confidence in the result. Still clueless, Navrátil‘s jaw may drop when Slonský casually remarks “I suppose we might as well go and arrest the killers” but the reader can trust that he has it all in hand.
Brack gives the reader an easily believable plot and deftly demonstrates one of the main problems with solving cold cases and seeing justice done: that witnesses and perpetrators grow old, and forget, and die. Some of his word usage gives the story a distinctly Eastern European feel. As there are spoilers for Lying and Dying throughout the story, reading this series in order is advisable. Similarities to Mick Herron’s writing have been mentioned by reviewers and the comparison is indeed a valid one: fans of Herron’s work are in for a delightful treat here too. Readers will be eager for Death on Duty, the third instalment of this brilliant Czech-flavoured crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Sapere Books.
September 25, 2021
Our wily and witty detective, Josef Slonsky, continues to pursue and arrest the bad guys in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The setting is in modern day Prague, but the author inserts a look back into communist society and the era of secret police. Slonsky’s humor and his continual hunt for a good sausage is perfect when you need a break from a heavier read. 3.75 stars.
December 8, 2023
Another string to his bow.
Not sure which series I prefer as both have unique and pleasing stories. From historical murder mysteries to the police procedurals set in the Czech Republic after their time under Communist influence and government.
Here that time gap is bridged by a 30 year old cold case which provides a means to address wrongs and provide a counterpoint to those darker days.
Cold cases are always a difficult investigation especially when they a based so long ago in the past, especially at a time when evidence could be lost as easily as people disappeared.
Being the second in this excellent series we have a dedicated detective team led by an inspiring lieutenant who is generous and funny. Above all he is a good cop and the best detective in the department.
I loved the sense of time passed and how memories can fade and blur. I liked the fact that some memories can slip by in the sense of occasion but for someone who has lost a daughter their recollections may remain in the present and as vivid as ever. The aspect of memory and the difficulty of witnesses of an age where they forget the date, what they had for breakfast or a familiar name. How could you get a conviction when a defence lawyer could embarrass them in court as totally unreliable eyewitnesses. The author shows that in some regards their memories could remain sharp from a traumatic incident many years ago, while muddled by last weekend’s events.
I really enjoy good police procedurals and the meticulous and detailed hard work needed to crack an investigation.
Slaughter and Forgetting is an excellent police procedural.
Not sure which series I prefer as both have unique and pleasing stories. From historical murder mysteries to the police procedurals set in the Czech Republic after their time under Communist influence and government.
Here that time gap is bridged by a 30 year old cold case which provides a means to address wrongs and provide a counterpoint to those darker days.
Cold cases are always a difficult investigation especially when they a based so long ago in the past, especially at a time when evidence could be lost as easily as people disappeared.
Being the second in this excellent series we have a dedicated detective team led by an inspiring lieutenant who is generous and funny. Above all he is a good cop and the best detective in the department.
I loved the sense of time passed and how memories can fade and blur. I liked the fact that some memories can slip by in the sense of occasion but for someone who has lost a daughter their recollections may remain in the present and as vivid as ever. The aspect of memory and the difficulty of witnesses of an age where they forget the date, what they had for breakfast or a familiar name. How could you get a conviction when a defence lawyer could embarrass them in court as totally unreliable eyewitnesses. The author shows that in some regards their memories could remain sharp from a traumatic incident many years ago, while muddled by last weekend’s events.
I really enjoy good police procedurals and the meticulous and detailed hard work needed to crack an investigation.
Slaughter and Forgetting is an excellent police procedural.
April 15, 2020
This second in the Slonsky series takes place in 2006 when a cold case of a brutal killing of a young woman 30 years ago becomes the focus of a retired policeman. I don't recall having read a police procedural centered in Czechoslovakia prior to this discovery and am happy I found this in Kindle Unlimited.
The sarcasm continues and much of the content could be a script for a television series with dialogue leading and some meticulous scene siting in the mix. It is more like a piece of entertainment vs serious reading. The team of Slonsky and Navratil is increased by one with the addition of Officer Peiperova, a female.
The older detective that brings them the cold case becomes a target himself and Slonsky proves he is up for the job. The action comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Kindle Unlimited
The sarcasm continues and much of the content could be a script for a television series with dialogue leading and some meticulous scene siting in the mix. It is more like a piece of entertainment vs serious reading. The team of Slonsky and Navratil is increased by one with the addition of Officer Peiperova, a female.
The older detective that brings them the cold case becomes a target himself and Slonsky proves he is up for the job. The action comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Kindle Unlimited
September 12, 2022
I liked the first book of this series a lot, but didn't remember how much until I read this one, which I liked even more; unfortunately, I can't give it more than 5 stars, or I would. The humor is great, the mysteries are interesting, and the people are likable. I can't believe it's not more popular than it is. It must be that people think a book that takes place in Czechoslovakia can't be that interesting, or maybe it's just too hard to spell.
Lt. Josef Slonský seems like he would not be a very good policeman, but it would be a mistake. It's true that he's been stuck at the same level for years, but that's because he's already where he wants to be. His main worry is being forced to retire, something his captain knows and uses it to yank his chain at the beginning of the book by calling him in to talk about retirement. But he ends up telling him he hopes he won't retire soon because he's needed, and Slonský acts disappointed but is secretly overjoyed.
He seems to spend a lot of time drinking beer and eating sausages or pastry. He believes vegetables are something to be avoided, and fruit drinks are poisonous. But he says you need to keep yourself well fed to do good work, and he does manage to come through, so I guess he's entitled.
This book is about a cold case, a 30 year old murder of a young woman. An old, retired policeman asks Slonský to look into it for him. It happened back when the Communists were in charge, and some things were hard to question. So when a young man was hanged for a crime committed while he was in prison, nobody questioned this. Meanwhile, the real killers were never caught. And apparently, there is still a lot of interest in keeping it that way.
Slonský is advised by his friend, a reporter, not to take the case. If he doesn't solve it, he'll be called to task for wasting time; if he does solve it, the headline will only be that the police took 30 years to solve the murder. But he takes it, and it gets pretty complicated.
There were many laugh-out-loud exchanges throughout this story, along with a bit of reality here and there. The only negative I can think of is that there are not enough books left in the series, although there is another series from this author that I'm hoping will be good.
Lt. Josef Slonský seems like he would not be a very good policeman, but it would be a mistake. It's true that he's been stuck at the same level for years, but that's because he's already where he wants to be. His main worry is being forced to retire, something his captain knows and uses it to yank his chain at the beginning of the book by calling him in to talk about retirement. But he ends up telling him he hopes he won't retire soon because he's needed, and Slonský acts disappointed but is secretly overjoyed.
He seems to spend a lot of time drinking beer and eating sausages or pastry. He believes vegetables are something to be avoided, and fruit drinks are poisonous. But he says you need to keep yourself well fed to do good work, and he does manage to come through, so I guess he's entitled.
This book is about a cold case, a 30 year old murder of a young woman. An old, retired policeman asks Slonský to look into it for him. It happened back when the Communists were in charge, and some things were hard to question. So when a young man was hanged for a crime committed while he was in prison, nobody questioned this. Meanwhile, the real killers were never caught. And apparently, there is still a lot of interest in keeping it that way.
Slonský is advised by his friend, a reporter, not to take the case. If he doesn't solve it, he'll be called to task for wasting time; if he does solve it, the headline will only be that the police took 30 years to solve the murder. But he takes it, and it gets pretty complicated.
There were many laugh-out-loud exchanges throughout this story, along with a bit of reality here and there. The only negative I can think of is that there are not enough books left in the series, although there is another series from this author that I'm hoping will be good.
February 7, 2020
Uncle Josef is getting to be my favorite go-to sleuth! Brack has created a charming cast of characters, most prominently of all, Inspector Slónsky himself, but his getting-less-naíve-by-the-day assistant Navratíl and paramour, Peiperová; Mucha, and of course, the world-weary Captain Lukas are becoming wonderfully familiar to me as well.
This was an even better mystery than the first volume and as an avid mystery reader I appreciated that the elements of the mystery and the various perpetrators came across as authentic and that the story progressed logically and smoothly. Slónsky doesn't have much of a personal life (if you don't count relationships with sausage vendors), but he convinced me that he truly cared about solving the brutal murder of a young woman over thirty years in the past. And he convinced his colleagues as well. But then, we've come to understand that what Slónsky seeks and truly values is justice and having the "right" outcome.
And that's what we got: a terrific mystery with more than one "right outcome."
This was an even better mystery than the first volume and as an avid mystery reader I appreciated that the elements of the mystery and the various perpetrators came across as authentic and that the story progressed logically and smoothly. Slónsky doesn't have much of a personal life (if you don't count relationships with sausage vendors), but he convinced me that he truly cared about solving the brutal murder of a young woman over thirty years in the past. And he convinced his colleagues as well. But then, we've come to understand that what Slónsky seeks and truly values is justice and having the "right" outcome.
And that's what we got: a terrific mystery with more than one "right outcome."
February 1, 2021
Slonsky reminds me of Dalziel (Reginald Hill´s Dalziel and Pascoe series) which is high praise indeed, as I think Dalziel is the best mystery lead EVER.
September 18, 2018
I would like to thank Sapere Books for an advance copy of Slaughter and Forgetting, the second novel to feature Lieutenant Josef Slonsky of the Prague police.
When former detective Edvard Holoubek approaches Slonsky about a thirty year old miscarriage of justice when Lubomir Bartoš was hanged for the murder of Jana Válková. Slonsky isn't hopeful about getting the case reopened until Holoubek is murdered in a hit and run.
I thoroughly enjoyed Slaughter and Forgetting which is a compelling read full of humour, history and mystery. Told in the third person from Slonsky's point of view the novel is laugh out loud funny due to his quirky take on life but it has serious points to make about life in the communist regime and the shadow it still casts and if that isn't enough it also has an absorbing plot with plenty of twists and turns. Being from an older generation I have no problem accepting that many of the communist era scenarios in the novel are not only realistic but very probably watered down although I suspect that younger readers will see it as well imagined fiction to provide more humour (like trade deals with Hungary where toasters are traded for hi-fis) and much of it is comical when not repressive. The plot, when Slonsky's being serious, is clever as Mr Brack deftly mixes the past and present making both relevant. I'm in awe of his ability to pull all the disparate strands together (at one point Slonsky identifies six separate themes to his investigation) into a cohesive, very readable whole. It is full of small hints but I didn't manage to work it out before the denouement.
The novel revolves around Slonsky and what a protagonist he is. Approaching retirement he spent much of his working life in the communist state but the corruption of the regime has left him remarkably honest and idealistic about wanting a police force free from graft and which wants to serve with clean hands. He's placing his hope in his trainees' generation and has high hopes for Navrátil and Peiperová. None of this idealism prevents him from doing his job his way which involves anarchy, dumb insolence, beer, pastries and sausages in large quantities and lest we forget a larger quantity of smarts, nous and experience. He's a fictional colossus.
Slaughter and Forgetting is a great read which I wholeheartedly recommend.
When former detective Edvard Holoubek approaches Slonsky about a thirty year old miscarriage of justice when Lubomir Bartoš was hanged for the murder of Jana Válková. Slonsky isn't hopeful about getting the case reopened until Holoubek is murdered in a hit and run.
I thoroughly enjoyed Slaughter and Forgetting which is a compelling read full of humour, history and mystery. Told in the third person from Slonsky's point of view the novel is laugh out loud funny due to his quirky take on life but it has serious points to make about life in the communist regime and the shadow it still casts and if that isn't enough it also has an absorbing plot with plenty of twists and turns. Being from an older generation I have no problem accepting that many of the communist era scenarios in the novel are not only realistic but very probably watered down although I suspect that younger readers will see it as well imagined fiction to provide more humour (like trade deals with Hungary where toasters are traded for hi-fis) and much of it is comical when not repressive. The plot, when Slonsky's being serious, is clever as Mr Brack deftly mixes the past and present making both relevant. I'm in awe of his ability to pull all the disparate strands together (at one point Slonsky identifies six separate themes to his investigation) into a cohesive, very readable whole. It is full of small hints but I didn't manage to work it out before the denouement.
The novel revolves around Slonsky and what a protagonist he is. Approaching retirement he spent much of his working life in the communist state but the corruption of the regime has left him remarkably honest and idealistic about wanting a police force free from graft and which wants to serve with clean hands. He's placing his hope in his trainees' generation and has high hopes for Navrátil and Peiperová. None of this idealism prevents him from doing his job his way which involves anarchy, dumb insolence, beer, pastries and sausages in large quantities and lest we forget a larger quantity of smarts, nous and experience. He's a fictional colossus.
Slaughter and Forgetting is a great read which I wholeheartedly recommend.
September 14, 2018
Holoubek, ex-police officer, approaches Lt Slonsky concerning a 30 year old case. Where he knows that the man charged and hanged for the crime of the murder of Jana Valkova was innocent. He would like Slonsky to investigate.
Very enjoyable and interesting mystery. A well-written story with well-developed and likeable characters. I look forward to the next in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Very enjoyable and interesting mystery. A well-written story with well-developed and likeable characters. I look forward to the next in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
September 27, 2018
Simply Fabulous. This is a great follow on from the first book in this series ‘Lying and Dying’, which I also really enjoyed. Besides having an interesting plot, it’s the characters that really make this a wonderful book. Graham Brack has a easy and fluid writing style, and I’ll certainly be looking out for anything he writes in the future.
You would think that 90-year-old Edvard Holoubek would be happy to sit at home with his feet up and enjoy retirement. However, the ex-policeman had one case that still played on his mind all these years later. He was sure that an innocent man was hanged for a crime he didn’t commit, and he’d like to find out if he was right. A girl was murdered in her house, and the man convicted and executed for the crime just didn’t fit the bill. Holoubek decided to ask Lieutenant Josef Slonsky to assist with the investigation and see if he can find the real killer or killers. It doesn’t take long for Slonsky long to see that Holoubek was certainly onto something, and there is someone out there that’s not happy about the investigation being opened again. I would definitely recommend this as an excellent series. 5/5 Star rating.
You would think that 90-year-old Edvard Holoubek would be happy to sit at home with his feet up and enjoy retirement. However, the ex-policeman had one case that still played on his mind all these years later. He was sure that an innocent man was hanged for a crime he didn’t commit, and he’d like to find out if he was right. A girl was murdered in her house, and the man convicted and executed for the crime just didn’t fit the bill. Holoubek decided to ask Lieutenant Josef Slonsky to assist with the investigation and see if he can find the real killer or killers. It doesn’t take long for Slonsky long to see that Holoubek was certainly onto something, and there is someone out there that’s not happy about the investigation being opened again. I would definitely recommend this as an excellent series. 5/5 Star rating.
March 23, 2020
Intriguing read. A lot more insight into the past when communism ruled Czech and how the law operated. It's so interesting to see the cops years later and how they have adjusted - good and bad - to the law in a non-communist country. Intriguing mystery, great characters.
October 10, 2018
‘I’ll tell you the story as I knew it. That doesn’t mean that it’s right, just that it’s what I heard or saw.’
Prague, Czech Republic. Edvard Holoubek, an elderly former detective, approaches Lieutenant Josef Slonský about a miscarriage of justice. Thirty years ago, Lubomir Bartoš was hanged for the murder of Jana Válková, a crime that Edvard Holoubek was certain that Lubomir Bartoš did not commit. Holoubek has information which he provides to Slonský. Slonský is not hopeful that he’ll be able to have the case reopened, until Holoubek is murdered in what could be a deliberate hit and run accident.
So, Slonský, his partner Navrátil and a new addition to the team, Peiperova, start to investigate.
Who murdered Jana Válková? Why was Lubomir Bartoš hanged for a murder he could not have committed? Those of us who’ve read the first book in the series just know that Slonský, appropriately fuelled with food and drink, will solve the case. Black humour, witty observations, and dogged investigation are all part of the Slonský style.
‘Always assume that I’m completely ignorant, then make it your job to ensure that I’m not ignorant.’
This is the second book in the Josef Slonský investigations series. I’m enjoying the characters and am finding the cases interesting. We learn a bit more about Slonský’s past in this novel, and both Peiperova and Navrátil are great additions to the team.
‘Actually, those of us who lived through Communism know that the past can be rewritten any number of times but your future depends on things you can’t change.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes. I’ve since bought my own copy, and am looking forward to the third instalment.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Prague, Czech Republic. Edvard Holoubek, an elderly former detective, approaches Lieutenant Josef Slonský about a miscarriage of justice. Thirty years ago, Lubomir Bartoš was hanged for the murder of Jana Válková, a crime that Edvard Holoubek was certain that Lubomir Bartoš did not commit. Holoubek has information which he provides to Slonský. Slonský is not hopeful that he’ll be able to have the case reopened, until Holoubek is murdered in what could be a deliberate hit and run accident.
So, Slonský, his partner Navrátil and a new addition to the team, Peiperova, start to investigate.
Who murdered Jana Válková? Why was Lubomir Bartoš hanged for a murder he could not have committed? Those of us who’ve read the first book in the series just know that Slonský, appropriately fuelled with food and drink, will solve the case. Black humour, witty observations, and dogged investigation are all part of the Slonský style.
‘Always assume that I’m completely ignorant, then make it your job to ensure that I’m not ignorant.’
This is the second book in the Josef Slonský investigations series. I’m enjoying the characters and am finding the cases interesting. We learn a bit more about Slonský’s past in this novel, and both Peiperova and Navrátil are great additions to the team.
‘Actually, those of us who lived through Communism know that the past can be rewritten any number of times but your future depends on things you can’t change.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes. I’ve since bought my own copy, and am looking forward to the third instalment.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
September 19, 2018
Thank you to Sapere books for offering me a chance to read an advanced copy of Slaughter and Forgetting. I have only read one book by the Author before, and was so pleased with the writing that I couldn't wait to read the next in the Lives of Slonsky and Navaratil.
I have so been looking forward to this book being released, and I was not disappointed, it held everything I was hoping for and expecting.
I find that I look forward to Slonsky's general sense of humour and in some respects his old fashion ways, at the same time as he is training recruits and trying to teach them the good of the old ways as the learn to good of the new ways. Very rarely do I find myself being able to enjoy humour whilst reading a Crime/Mystery/Thriller.
Once again Graham Brack has swept us into the seedier realms of post communism in Prague. The story twists and turns, leading you down one lane then swiping the carpet from under you with another turn.
It is so hard to write this review without given away all if not parts of the story. So all I will say is well done and hopefully there will be a next and I can highly recommend this book to anyone who basically likes a good story or just likes reading.
I have so been looking forward to this book being released, and I was not disappointed, it held everything I was hoping for and expecting.
I find that I look forward to Slonsky's general sense of humour and in some respects his old fashion ways, at the same time as he is training recruits and trying to teach them the good of the old ways as the learn to good of the new ways. Very rarely do I find myself being able to enjoy humour whilst reading a Crime/Mystery/Thriller.
Once again Graham Brack has swept us into the seedier realms of post communism in Prague. The story twists and turns, leading you down one lane then swiping the carpet from under you with another turn.
It is so hard to write this review without given away all if not parts of the story. So all I will say is well done and hopefully there will be a next and I can highly recommend this book to anyone who basically likes a good story or just likes reading.
May 4, 2025
If you aren't in the mood for cringy violence you might want to skip this one until a later date. (The violence that disturbed me was --SPOILER ALERT --
In the scheme of things putting off reading SLAUGHTER AND FORGETTING until latter (or even never) doesn't make for a huge narrative gap. I say this as someone who inadvertently read book #3 before #2. There wasn't any jarring transition or discovery.
This is a good series and I'm now on to book #4.
October 8, 2020
People like to read in different ways. For example, my wife who reads far more than I do, will read a series from beginning to end before moving on. That doesnt work for me and I usually vary my books and I will rarely read two books from the same series one after the other. Perhaps after a historical novel , I will look for a modern who-done-it and then perhaps a lighter book. This could explain why my shelf is littlered with part read series.
So there must have been something about the first Graham Brack novel of this Prague based police procedural series that convince me to move straight on to the second. A rare accolade indeed for the author and, I confess to a strong urge to move straight on to the third, but we will see.
As may be expected, this story was easy to get into, as the major players had already been introduced in the first and it wasnt long before we were faced with a particularly gruesome killing from years before. The author balances this nicely with the humour generated by Slonsky and the banter between him and Desk Sergeant Mucha.
I have been trying to think who Slonsky reminds me of. My wife suggests Warren Clark playing DI Dalziel on TV from the Daziel and Pascoe books by Reginald Hill and I can see a likeness but may be I am drawn to the DI Charlie Priest books by the late Stuart Pawson. ( When we read this series we were alway waiting for the stand out laugh that each book had.)
Back to this book, set in the post communist Prague , one has to be reminded of the 60s and 70s policing of London as portrayed by Jack Regan in The Sweeney or Gene Hnt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.
So now the big question is , do I move straight on to number 3?
So there must have been something about the first Graham Brack novel of this Prague based police procedural series that convince me to move straight on to the second. A rare accolade indeed for the author and, I confess to a strong urge to move straight on to the third, but we will see.
As may be expected, this story was easy to get into, as the major players had already been introduced in the first and it wasnt long before we were faced with a particularly gruesome killing from years before. The author balances this nicely with the humour generated by Slonsky and the banter between him and Desk Sergeant Mucha.
I have been trying to think who Slonsky reminds me of. My wife suggests Warren Clark playing DI Dalziel on TV from the Daziel and Pascoe books by Reginald Hill and I can see a likeness but may be I am drawn to the DI Charlie Priest books by the late Stuart Pawson. ( When we read this series we were alway waiting for the stand out laugh that each book had.)
Back to this book, set in the post communist Prague , one has to be reminded of the 60s and 70s policing of London as portrayed by Jack Regan in The Sweeney or Gene Hnt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.
So now the big question is , do I move straight on to number 3?
July 19, 2020
This may not be quite as good as the first one, but it was an enjoyable read anyway. Lieutenant Slonsky is a terrific character, a definite improveent over most of the detectives I've read recently who seem to concentrate more on their own traumatized lives than on crime. The only complaint I have is the rush to romance by Navratil and Peiperova. Give me a break--every book doesn't need romance, especially between colleagues. I read for the mystery, not the off-the-wall hormones.
May 3, 2024
With so many reviews here already, there is not much I can add to it. I learned about Graham Brack when I found Death in Delft and I fell in love with this series.
Slaughter and Forgetting is a real fresh take on police work in a land an time that really is not completely ready for it... except for Josef. Although it sometimes seems he likes to hide his talent, he one of the finest beer-drinking, sausage-eating detectives there is.
Loved this book!
Slaughter and Forgetting is a real fresh take on police work in a land an time that really is not completely ready for it... except for Josef. Although it sometimes seems he likes to hide his talent, he one of the finest beer-drinking, sausage-eating detectives there is.
Loved this book!
January 28, 2024
The second in the series set in Prague and featuring Lieutenant Josef Slonský: the seasoned, sarcastic and food focused policeman. He's cynical but soft centred with his colleagues and friends; but he's implacable when fighting corruption, especially within the police force. I loved it as much, if not more than the first in the series. The humour is great and had me smiling, even laughing at times.
February 3, 2024
As entertaining as book 1 with its sarcasm, a good plot and brilliant characters! Now on to book 3!
April 5, 2020
Josef Slonsky is a bit like Detective Frost but without being sexist and a complete mess. He is witty and sarcastic and clever and those who know him well like him and respect him, even when he annoys them.
Here he takes on not only a cold case but a new underling, Kristyna Peiperova. He still has Navratil and Navratil is in love with Peiperova.
A terrible murder happened thirty years back and someone was framed and hanged for the deed. As we move to the present day it won’t be the only murder Slonsky has to look into connected to the case.
The wit of Slonsky deflects from the horror of the crime and (unlike in the Frost books) his boss and most of his colleagues are pretty decent sorts. All in all an engaging and enjoyable read.
Here he takes on not only a cold case but a new underling, Kristyna Peiperova. He still has Navratil and Navratil is in love with Peiperova.
A terrible murder happened thirty years back and someone was framed and hanged for the deed. As we move to the present day it won’t be the only murder Slonsky has to look into connected to the case.
The wit of Slonsky deflects from the horror of the crime and (unlike in the Frost books) his boss and most of his colleagues are pretty decent sorts. All in all an engaging and enjoyable read.
July 2, 2020
Love this series.
Plot is interesting but what I enjoy the most is the dialogue. So clever and laugh out loud funny, at times. Characters, especially, Slonsky, are so likable. Highly recommend and encourage reading them in order.
Plot is interesting but what I enjoy the most is the dialogue. So clever and laugh out loud funny, at times. Characters, especially, Slonsky, are so likable. Highly recommend and encourage reading them in order.
August 31, 2020
I love this series. Mr. Brack is an excellent writer.
September 27, 2018
Lieutenant Josef Slonsky receives a visit from retired police officer Edvard Holoubek about a case dating back to 1976. A young woman was brutally stabbed in her home and although the suspect hanged for the murder, Holoubek has always believed the man was framed. Although the Czech Republic is no longer under the Communist regime, Slonsky must still tread carefully when reopening this case. Someone wants this cold case to remain closed and will do whatever it takes to keep the truth from coming out.
This is the second book in the Josef Slonsky Investigations series, which is set in Prague, Czech Republic. I love this unique setting and enjoy the equally unique character of Slonsky. I love Slonsky's irreverent sense of humor and quick wit. His one lines remind me of another brilliant detective, Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. Slonsky may give the appearance of caring more about his sausage and beer than his job, but he really cares about crime victims and will fight to get justice for them. Slonsky also loves his country and is happy the dark days of Communism are behind them. As Slonsky talks about what he remembers with his friends and the two young detectives he is mentoring, I learned a lot of about what things were like in Czechoslovakia in the fifties and sixties.
The investigation into what really happened to young Jana Valkova as well as who was behind the framing of an innocent man the subsequent cover-up is intriguing and leads to Slonksy, his partner Navratil, and new officer Peiperova finding themselves in more than one scary situation. There is a bit of a thriller mixed in with this well-written, entertaining police procedural. I was on the edge of my seat when a member of the team is in danger. Mixed in with the investigation of a very vicious murder from the past with a new murder as the unknown person behind the cover-up scrambles to cover his tracks is some lightness. I really enjoy the banter between Slonsky and Navratil, as well as between Slonsky and his boss Captain Lukas. I love the grown Slonsky shows as he realizes he enjoys being a mentor to both Navratil and Peiperova and how he handles the romantic relationship between the two young officers.
I was surprised by how the case concluded and couldn't have guessed the explanation into the complex chain of events that had occurred. Although I had read the first book in the series, this follow-up reads as a standalone. However, readers who start with this one and enjoy it will definitely want to go back and read the excellent debut in the series. I rate "Slaughter and Forgetting" 4.5 stars and highly recommend it to those who like police procedurals or just a good mystery in a setting unfamiliar to many readers. The author's note at the end says there will be a third book coming out soon, and I can't wait!
I received this book through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book in the Josef Slonsky Investigations series, which is set in Prague, Czech Republic. I love this unique setting and enjoy the equally unique character of Slonsky. I love Slonsky's irreverent sense of humor and quick wit. His one lines remind me of another brilliant detective, Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. Slonsky may give the appearance of caring more about his sausage and beer than his job, but he really cares about crime victims and will fight to get justice for them. Slonsky also loves his country and is happy the dark days of Communism are behind them. As Slonsky talks about what he remembers with his friends and the two young detectives he is mentoring, I learned a lot of about what things were like in Czechoslovakia in the fifties and sixties.
The investigation into what really happened to young Jana Valkova as well as who was behind the framing of an innocent man the subsequent cover-up is intriguing and leads to Slonksy, his partner Navratil, and new officer Peiperova finding themselves in more than one scary situation. There is a bit of a thriller mixed in with this well-written, entertaining police procedural. I was on the edge of my seat when a member of the team is in danger. Mixed in with the investigation of a very vicious murder from the past with a new murder as the unknown person behind the cover-up scrambles to cover his tracks is some lightness. I really enjoy the banter between Slonsky and Navratil, as well as between Slonsky and his boss Captain Lukas. I love the grown Slonsky shows as he realizes he enjoys being a mentor to both Navratil and Peiperova and how he handles the romantic relationship between the two young officers.
I was surprised by how the case concluded and couldn't have guessed the explanation into the complex chain of events that had occurred. Although I had read the first book in the series, this follow-up reads as a standalone. However, readers who start with this one and enjoy it will definitely want to go back and read the excellent debut in the series. I rate "Slaughter and Forgetting" 4.5 stars and highly recommend it to those who like police procedurals or just a good mystery in a setting unfamiliar to many readers. The author's note at the end says there will be a third book coming out soon, and I can't wait!
I received this book through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews