The Small Boat of Great Sorrows: A Novel (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)

This sequel is not quite as good as the original Petric novel, Lie in the Dark, but is still a highly worthwhile read.

After reading Lie In the Dark, which, while provocative and informative, struggled with continuity toward an implausible ending, I approached Small Boat of Great Sorrows with some reservations. With few pages left, no resolution of any of the problems facing the hero had been addressed. Then the author, like pulling a a rabbit out of a hat, has Vlado exit stage left, leaving the problems behind and presumably left to the reader's imagination. The exit was implausible, abrupt, and disappointing.Small Boat of Great Sorrows was a more polished and complete work. Vlado, no longer alone but with family, becomes a more complete person. The flow of the book is consistent and the action is plausible throughout. The use of various nationalities in conflict, and a glimpse of the entanglement of EU powers in the Balkan genocidal conflict, added to the value of the story. The gradual unveiling of Vlado's family history (there is more than one version) moves smoothly along with no distraction from the action but as a support to it.The contrasting descriptions of Sarajevo before and after the Dayton Accords, set out in both books, increased my respect for that diplomatic effort. The author draws out the value of normalcy in daily life by focusing attention on Vlado's daughter, Sonja, who came to Germany at the onset of the siege in Sarajevo and, at age 9, had never known Bosnia's anguish. Should the family return to Bosnia? Despite the problems attending the life of a refugee in Germany, were these problems minor compared to what might lay ahead in a region still simmering with ancient feuds?Mr. Fesperman regained my trust with this effort and I look forward to more of his work.

After reading Fesperman's first book in this series, Lie in the Dark, I was excited and with the lubrication of a scotch or two downloaded all of the Vlado Petric novels to my Kindle (it is too darn easy). And though I enjoyed this second entry it was not as compelling or gritty as the first. In fact it was a bit clumsy with the "digging up the past" metaphors beginning with a Nazi bunker. And the chase prompted by the plot was more of a travelogue that was not very thrilling for a thriller.Still Vlado is an interesting character and his wife and daughter have added some additional grip. That is why I stay optimistic that the subsequent efforts will improve because Fesperman has now coughed up the foundation to move forward with these characters. He remains at his best writing about the absurdities and contradictions of the former Yugoslavia and also when he slags the UN for its ineffectiveness. I remain loyal but guarded as I move to the next one.

I never knew there would be a follow-up book for detective Vlado Petric that I read ten years ago. Just as good.

personal reading

HO Hum

At the end of Dan Fesperman's "Lie in the Dark", we left Bosnian Inspector Vlado Petric being smuggled on a flight from Sarajevo to Berlin. The novel's sequel, "The Small Boat of Great Sorrows", picks up a few years later. Living in the German capital with his wife and daughter, Vlado is working as a construction worker when an American named Calvin Pine recruits him for a mission for The Hague. The War Crimes Tribunal needs his assistance on a case that will take him back to his homeland.It's not until Vlado and Calvin reach the Netherlands that Petric is fully informed about the case. The French are going to be taking down General Andric, a Serb soldier who was responsible for the massacre in Srebrenica. Meanwhile, Vlado and another team from The Hague will be hunting down Pero Matek, a Bosnian soldier who fought with the Croatian Ustasha and massacred many people at a death camp during World War II. Matek is now in his seventies, hiding out in Bosnia, and Vlado is the man for the job.Unfortunately, the case is one of mirrors: nothing is as it seems. Fairly quickly, Vlado finds himself woven into the case in both a personal and professional manner. Things begin to fall apart, and he isn't sure who to trust or what the truth may actually be. Somehow, the two criminals are linked both to each other and to some dubious diplomatic work that took place in Italy following World War II. And it's up to Vlado and Calvin to figure out the connection and save themselves.Overall, "The Small Boat of Great Sorrows" is an excellent novel, but I felt that it wasn't nearly as vivid as its predecessor. There were a ton of main characters, and at times I struggled not only to figure out who was who but also to keep up with the pace and plot. There are a lot of things happening in this one, and while it makes for a fast read, I didn't feel that I digested the book nearly as much as I did the one before. If you haven't read "Lie in the Dark", you will probably want to do so before you dig into this novel, as it references many people, places, and events from before. It's a solid follow-up, just not as good as the original.

"The Small Boat of Great Sorrows" was my first encounter with Dan Fesperman and I found it a great read. Fesperman knows the context in which he has set this thriller - war torn Bosnia attempting to make peace a workable reality, aided or frustrated by international agencies and former militia and warlords - extremely well and the detail he provides is convincing and compelling. There is also a moving personal dynamic as former Bosnian cop and current Berlin construction worker, Vlado Petric, wrestles with complicated relationships from his past and new future. The story is clever and draws on Yugoslavia's complicated legacy from WWII. Although his writing is a little laboured at times, Fesperman gives his readers an evocative and chilling account of the complexities of life and politics in the war torn countries of the Balkans

Wonderful!

A fantastic read. Well written.

デビュー作 Lie in the Dark で活躍したサラエボ警察の刑事「ヴラド・ぺトリック」は紛争を避けて疎開させた妻子のいるベルリンに移り日雇い仕事をしていた。そこに諜報機関のアメリカ人「パイン」が現れて第二次大戦後の戦犯追及の仕事に誘った。それに乗ったヴラドは再び懐かしいサラエボに戻り人脈を辿って動き回ったが、子供のころから尊敬していた父親が戦争犯罪に加担していたのではないかという資料に出くわして、追う者と追われるものの板挟みとなって苦悩する。多くの人物が現れては消え、さしてややこしい筋書きでもなくミステリとしては星３つ程度と思うが、作者のバルカン地方の歴史についての知識は深く、１９世紀の民族紛争から第二次世界大戦、そしてボスニア紛争にかかわる戦争犯罪を背景とした物語はなかなか目にする機会がない。その背景への蘊蓄はデビュー作より抑えた筆運びとなっているが、それだけに本書だけを読むとバルカンの紛争経緯に疎い日本人にとっては消化不良の感が否めない。まず前作Lie in the Darkを読んでから本書に手をお出しになることを薦める。いささかとっつきにくい作者だったが「面白かったな」というより「なるほどバルカンの人たちはそういう時代を生きてきたのか」と読んで損したとは思えない連作である。

I thought this was an improvement on Fesperman's previous book, Lie in the Dark, that also features the Bosnian detective, Vlado Petric.I found this one more involving, and more fascinating, dealing with the Balkan conflict, WWII, a weary investigator and a naive American dipolomat.Too many thrillers have the same old characters, but Petric adds something new to the genre, and placing it in such a volatile environment, not often written about, sets it apart from the rest.Well paced and well thought out.(More Vlado Petric please, Mr Fesperman!)

Well written, you relate to the characters and resent reasons to put the book down.will follow Dan Fesperman from now on.