Sunday, July 10, 2016

Rage by Zygmunt Miłoszewski

28498701When two award winners in literature joined forces, you can expect sparks to fly and the best that they have to offer. Both are new to me, and it was an exciting experience discovering the two of them in one book – one as the author and the other as its translator. Zygmunt Miloszewski is a crime writer and award-winning author who is a house-hold name back in Poland. And Antonia Lloyd-Jones is no stranger to literature either. He is the winner of the 2014 Paszport Polityka prize for literature, and rendered Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski from its original Polish into English.

Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski is a mystery suspense thriller with richly drawn characters planted all over the story. What strikes me immediately was the thrust of the plot which revolved around the domestic life of the main protagonist, Teodor Szacki, and his professional duty which irreversibly impacted his relationship with his daughter as well as his girlfriend who do not see eye to eye. On the surface, they are leading a normal life but beneath it was an altogether different story. To make matter worse, his assistant turns out to be someone who finds it difficult to follow orders. And it was in this normality and the boredom of small-town that a bone full of mystery arrived. Szacki has to apply all his wits, expertise and resources to solve the mystery.

Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski is a well-written and well-conceived story, certainly the result of a painstaking research. Though I was a tad disappointed with the surprising ending, I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish. Atmospheric, intriguing and suspenseful, author Miloszewski crafted a story that keeps me guessing till the end. The flowing narrative and almost impeccable description of the setting coupled with the superb characterization makes for a good read. Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski is an intelligent and absorbing novel which will leave you asking more from this celebrated Polish author.

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