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Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite
Jerold Last’s Tapas and Treachery is an intriguing and well-crafted cozy murder mystery set in Spain. Roger Bowman is a private detective in Los Angeles with considerable experience in solving complex murder cases. He is hired by a prestigious law firm representing an international cruise ship line to solve the murder of an American passenger, Grant Fogarty, in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is one of the holiest Catholic shrines in the world, attracting pilgrims and tourists from around the world. Roger and his associate, private detective Shasta Weber, travel there to investigate the murder. Only the barest facts are known about the case: the location where Grant Fogarty’s body was found. The pace, action, suspense, and twists and turns grow steadily.
I enjoyed reading Tapas and Treachery very much for the remarkable detectives, Roger Bowman and Shasta Weber, and for its web of a murder mystery. I particularly liked how Roger’s and Shasta’s different backgrounds and experiences are interwoven into the story. I liked their resourcefulness, how they bring together their knowledge of different contacts and information sources. While Roger has more experience in murder investigations, Shasta was an espionage agent before joining Roger’s agency as a detective. The well-crafted prose and dialogue made the narrative stand out for me. I could picture Roger and Shasta searching for clues, suspects, motives, and an elusive killer. I liked the different perspective that Shasta brings to their investigation, and the give-and-take of their discussions. I enjoyed the conversations between the two detectives as they sifted through all kinds of information, what was relevant, and what could be relevant. The descriptions of Santiago, the diversity of the local people, neighborhoods, cafes, and restaurants with their delicious menus, made the characters and the story spring vividly to life. The suspense and tension build throughout the plot, first through small clues and then as more critical clues begin to emerge. I highly recommend Jerold Last’s Tapas and Treachery to fans of murder mysteries with international intrigue and suspense.
