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Borja and Eduard #2
Atajo al paraiso
Una popular escritora ha sido asesinada en Barcelona tras recibir un premio literario. El sospechoso del crimen es el finalista del premio, Amadeu Cabestany, un hermetico escritor de culto. Pero Cabestany tiene una el dia del crimen fue atracado por un traductor desesperado. Los excentricos gemelos Fernandez, que ya conocimos en Un crimen imperfecto (2008), seran contratados para resolver un caso que cada vez parece complicarse mas.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Teresa Solana
46 books22 followersTeresa Solana lives in Barcelona. Born in 1962, she studied philosophy and worked as a literary translator and essayist. She has written several novels kept quietly in her drawer. A Not So Perfect Crime, her first published title, won the 2007 Brigada 21 Prize for the best Catalan mystery novel.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 27, 2025
An interesting idea as a plot, which brings some empathy for the Faria family, the style is easy and clear, but after the first quarter the book loses consistency. The Martinez twins do act sometimes like "The dumb and the dumber" being robbed and constrained to the statue game, obsessed with fashion and noble descent (especially Borja...) and somehow clumsy.
The final picks up the rating, excepting the final chapter, which (if you ask for my humble opinion) would better do not exist...
The final picks up the rating, excepting the final chapter, which (if you ask for my humble opinion) would better do not exist...
July 17, 2026
The second in the Teresa Solano series about two twin brothers working as private detectives.
This book is set in the world of publishing and is a cutting satire of the pretensions of the aforementioned community and the snobbery and back stabbing.
A best selling author is murdered on the night of winning a literary award; the runner up is accused of her murder and his publisher employs Edgard and Borja to prove his innocence.
Full of mishaps and comedic moments - and there is some dark humour for sure - the hapless duo find themselves challenged to find the killer and stop an innocent man being imprisoned .
Sharp, entertaining and with a fast moving plot
This book is set in the world of publishing and is a cutting satire of the pretensions of the aforementioned community and the snobbery and back stabbing.
A best selling author is murdered on the night of winning a literary award; the runner up is accused of her murder and his publisher employs Edgard and Borja to prove his innocence.
Full of mishaps and comedic moments - and there is some dark humour for sure - the hapless duo find themselves challenged to find the killer and stop an innocent man being imprisoned .
Sharp, entertaining and with a fast moving plot
April 13, 2013
In book number two of Solana's series to feature the twin brothers Borja and Eduard, for the most part I stayed highly entertained by this author's imagination and her writing. I say "for the most part" because while the brothers are fun, and while I looked forward to seeing how they'd pull the murderer out of their respective hats, the story is also punctuated by a couple of rather ridiculous set pieces (one involving a near orgy due to overpowering canapes) and the narrative sort of meanders a bit before the brothers do their usual stuff in trying to bring the killer to justice. I did enjoy Solana's usual pokes at Barcelona society, and here she adds another object of satire, centering around the literary world. While I had a good time reading it, I have to say that I liked the first book a little bit better -- it had much more of a crime-fiction feel to it than this one, the ending of which just left me just sort of flat.
Ernest Fabia, translator and family man, has a serious problem. His bank has just called and gives him two weeks to come up with the four months of payment he owes on his mortgage. He was one of the multitudes caught up in the dreaded real estate bubble, and after a car accident, a new baby and unforeseen expenses with his older child, Ernest is in a world of financial hurt. The dreaded Final Notice that he's read x number of times is all he can think about, and he decides to take matters into his own hands -- he decides he'll rob someone rich to make up for the money shortfall. His randomly-picked victim turns out to be Amadeu Cabestany, an author who has left a party at the Ritz hotel after not winning a literary prize he'd been hoping for. Ernest robs him, leaving him 10 euros for cabfare, and when Amadeu returns to the hotel, he is placed under arrest for the murder of Marina Dolç, his rival for and winner of the award. It's obvious that Amadeu is not guilty but he had been overheard in a heated rant against Marina and to the police, that's motive enough. But convinced he is innocent, Amadeu's agent hires Borja and Eduard to clear his name and get him out of jail. In the meantime, Ernest, who is basically a good man, is afraid to read the papers, so has no idea that Amadeu's been arrested, and to take his mind off his troubles, heads off to a retreat where he can concentrate on his translation work. He and the taxi driver who returned Amadeu to the hotel are the only alibi witnesses; the taxi driver's not talking because he's just out of prison himself and driving the cab with no license and Ernest is away trying not to think about what he's done. The brothers take the case, along with a retired cop for help, but with very little to go by in the way of alibi, it's going to be tough for Amadeu to be exonerated.
This story kind of moves all over the place, with much less emphasis on the crime and its solution than in the previous series installment. It's not as tight as it could have been, and the author spends way too much time setting up one of the big gags in this book which I thought was kind of ridiculous anyway, the runaway rumor that Amadeu is not only a murderer, but a cannibal as well. Borja and Eduard are gone from the story for a long time which was a bit frustrating while I waited for them to return to get down to business solving the crime. And then there's the ending and the solution to the crime ... I can guess at what happened, but really, after leading me all the way to the end, making me wait for the story to resume while the silly, even farcical set pieces played out, I think I deserved more of a why. I have to say that my feelings are mixed about this book -- it's a "meh" for me.
I wouldn't let my less than excited reaction put anyone off if considering the book or the series -- it's still fun, the brothers are perfectly paired, the satire is very well executed, and it has received some sterling ratings. I'll be moving on to the next book, The Sound of One Hand Killing (which is supposed to hit the US May 13th but nah nah, I have a UK copy already), which should say something positive about this author and especially her quirky protagonists. I'd recommend it to those who've started the series and wonder about continuing -- yes, by all means do!
Ernest Fabia, translator and family man, has a serious problem. His bank has just called and gives him two weeks to come up with the four months of payment he owes on his mortgage. He was one of the multitudes caught up in the dreaded real estate bubble, and after a car accident, a new baby and unforeseen expenses with his older child, Ernest is in a world of financial hurt. The dreaded Final Notice that he's read x number of times is all he can think about, and he decides to take matters into his own hands -- he decides he'll rob someone rich to make up for the money shortfall. His randomly-picked victim turns out to be Amadeu Cabestany, an author who has left a party at the Ritz hotel after not winning a literary prize he'd been hoping for. Ernest robs him, leaving him 10 euros for cabfare, and when Amadeu returns to the hotel, he is placed under arrest for the murder of Marina Dolç, his rival for and winner of the award. It's obvious that Amadeu is not guilty but he had been overheard in a heated rant against Marina and to the police, that's motive enough. But convinced he is innocent, Amadeu's agent hires Borja and Eduard to clear his name and get him out of jail. In the meantime, Ernest, who is basically a good man, is afraid to read the papers, so has no idea that Amadeu's been arrested, and to take his mind off his troubles, heads off to a retreat where he can concentrate on his translation work. He and the taxi driver who returned Amadeu to the hotel are the only alibi witnesses; the taxi driver's not talking because he's just out of prison himself and driving the cab with no license and Ernest is away trying not to think about what he's done. The brothers take the case, along with a retired cop for help, but with very little to go by in the way of alibi, it's going to be tough for Amadeu to be exonerated.
This story kind of moves all over the place, with much less emphasis on the crime and its solution than in the previous series installment. It's not as tight as it could have been, and the author spends way too much time setting up one of the big gags in this book which I thought was kind of ridiculous anyway, the runaway rumor that Amadeu is not only a murderer, but a cannibal as well. Borja and Eduard are gone from the story for a long time which was a bit frustrating while I waited for them to return to get down to business solving the crime. And then there's the ending and the solution to the crime ... I can guess at what happened, but really, after leading me all the way to the end, making me wait for the story to resume while the silly, even farcical set pieces played out, I think I deserved more of a why. I have to say that my feelings are mixed about this book -- it's a "meh" for me.
I wouldn't let my less than excited reaction put anyone off if considering the book or the series -- it's still fun, the brothers are perfectly paired, the satire is very well executed, and it has received some sterling ratings. I'll be moving on to the next book, The Sound of One Hand Killing (which is supposed to hit the US May 13th but nah nah, I have a UK copy already), which should say something positive about this author and especially her quirky protagonists. I'd recommend it to those who've started the series and wonder about continuing -- yes, by all means do!
July 23, 2015
Private investigators Eduard and Borja infiltrate the upper echelons of Barcelona's publishing world in order to investigate a famous author's murder that is eerily similar to the heroine's murder in her award-winning novel.
Second in the series - loved the first book and this was not a disappointment.
Some cutting satire of the literary scene in Barcelona - not far from the mark, I suspect.
On top of the local color and the very funny two non-detectives, a locked room mystery somewhat that is fun to follow.
Second in the series - loved the first book and this was not a disappointment.
Some cutting satire of the literary scene in Barcelona - not far from the mark, I suspect.
On top of the local color and the very funny two non-detectives, a locked room mystery somewhat that is fun to follow.
April 25, 2014
Was it horrible writing or a horrible translation? Either way, I have read very few books like this Catalanian mystery-- I'm inclined to think it was more an effect of horrible translation- words missing, weird turns of phrase, multiple languages and strange mixtures of tense in a single sentence... Frankly I'm shocked I finished it.
April 30, 2012
If the author ever changes her translator I might read another of her books.
December 26, 2023
"În cele din urmă, pe la patru dimineaţa, am reuşit sa cad în braţele lui Morfeu, dar în noaptea aceea nu l-am visat pe Dali, nici pe Xavier Cugat, nici pe vreunul dintre acele personaje ilustre care fuseseră și ele cazate la Ritz. I-am visat pe părinţii noştri, care au murit acum mai bine de treizeci de ani și nu au îmbătrânit niciodată. Acum, in
fotografi, ei sunt deja mai tineri decât noi. M-am întristat gândindu-mă că, într-o bună zi, și noi vom deveni o fotorafie pe care, la inceput, cineva o va privi din când în când și care, până la urmă, va rămâne uitată pe fundul vreunui sertar, îngropată sub alte teancuri de hârtii inutile. Am hotărât să mă scol, să mă bag sub duș și să-l las să
curgă. Asta-i inconvenientul pe care il are invocarea fantomelor. Care, mai devreme sau mai târziu, sfârşesc prin a-și face apariția."
fotografi, ei sunt deja mai tineri decât noi. M-am întristat gândindu-mă că, într-o bună zi, și noi vom deveni o fotorafie pe care, la inceput, cineva o va privi din când în când și care, până la urmă, va rămâne uitată pe fundul vreunui sertar, îngropată sub alte teancuri de hârtii inutile. Am hotărât să mă scol, să mă bag sub duș și să-l las să
curgă. Asta-i inconvenientul pe care il are invocarea fantomelor. Care, mai devreme sau mai târziu, sfârşesc prin a-și face apariția."
May 16, 2021
"De obicei, îmi place să citespuți nnoaptea, înainte să adorm, ți, spre deosebire de fratele meu, nu citesc doar romane polițiste. Se înțelege că mie romanele îmi iau, ca să le citesc, cel puțin o lună sau chiar două, dacă au mai mult de trei sute de pagini sau dacă se transmit partide ale Ligii Campionilor la televizor, dar acum Borja avea pretenția să citesc dintr-un foc romanul ăla greu de digerat și, pe deasupra, să fac și însemnări.”
October 1, 2021
You would think that a book about murder and intrigue in the literary world would thrill an avid reader, but this fell as flat as a pancake. These characters could not have been more bland. This got me thinking that the story would have been more exciting if it were about bakers, gardners or any other profession except authors. I chuck this mishap to the poor writing not to the possibility that authors killing one another might bore readers to death.
October 13, 2020
an interesting story about the catalan wrapped around a murder mystery.
December 30, 2021
The mystery was not great, but the characters were such fun, and the translation was excellent.
July 26, 2022
M'ha agradat més que el primer, ja que es centra en diversos personatges, moments còmics, absurds i inesperats.
February 19, 2023
2,5. Cuando el humor llega a lo absurdo me aburre. Aún así, no se trata de todo el libro, son dos episodios puntuales.
June 1, 2024
Weak follow to No. 1 in the series. Wordy with painful dialogue. Appeal of Barcelona not enough to elevate the clumsy writing.
June 20, 2025
Interesante e ingenioso pero con un final más simple que uno mata de habas
July 14, 2026
Molt divertit i irònic
May 28, 2011
This is the second in a series of mysteries set in Barcelona featuring two brothers with a quasi-detective business. It's an entertaining story, but the main interest of the book for me was the view of Catalonian culture which is, if the book is to be believed, rather inward-looking and absurdly isolated even from the culture of Spain. In one scene, in a room full of educated people, only two were able to speak Spanish. Is this possible? I had always assumed that Spanish would be widely spoken in Catalonia.
March 23, 2014
This is a wicked delight of a book. Featuring the twin non-detectives of Barcelona, the author, a translator in her own right let's loose a delicious stew on thinly veiled insult and sheer pandemonium on the literary cultural society of Catalonia. If you love books, writing, acid writing and very twisted humour you will love this mystery around the murder of a writer of trash historical romances.
July 30, 2020
mi-a placut, chiar mai mult ca romanul de debut. deja se vede o mai mare atentie la intriga, la conturarea personajelor.
teresa solana scrie bine si e o lectura pkacuta. un intermezzo intre romane serioase sau profunde.
teresa solana scrie bine si e o lectura pkacuta. un intermezzo intre romane serioase sau profunde.
March 12, 2011
Fun read. Longer review on http://www.readallday.org (can be seen on my blog page here on goodreads).
January 30, 2026
Reread it at my parents' house while waiting for some medical tests and it was perfect: satire, funny but also quite a bit of insight into a time of economic crisis in Spain.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews