The Emperor of Seville by Matthew Carr – Review
The 2nd Bernardo de Mendoza mystery, after The Devils of Cardona.
A gripping murder mystery that paints a picture of sixteenth century Spain, the financial world of the time, criminality, culture, religion, empire and conflict.
The story begins in South America, high in the Cerro Rico, Rich Mountains, of Peru in 1586. Captain Barragan witnesses the smelting of the precious metal he will soon be transporting back to Spain. He has one task before returning to Seville. He slits the throat of his Spanish prisoner, dead men tell no tales!
In Valladolid, licentiate Bernardo de Mendoza is heading to the central law courts only to find that the case has been dropped. His journey is not wasted however, the chief constable summons him to the Trade Fair, an important banker has been murdered. Sandro Grandoni was a Genoese from Seville. His servants were murdered before his throat was stuffed with silver coin choking him to death. The assassins appear to have escaped to Seville before tha alarm could be raised. When King Philip II hears of the crime, there are rumours linking him to the banker suggesting he would lend the monarchy money. To scotch these rumours Philip orders Mendoza to go to Seville to pursue the case.
Elegantly and clearly laid out for the reader there follows a complex story. There are missing letters of exchange that allow traders to transfer sums of cash without carrying large amounts of money across borders, the Armada is being built for the invasion of England, the war in Flanders rages and a shipment of treasure is on route from the colonies. With such high stakes, murder is inevitable. Mendoza will be tested as never before if he is to be able to find justice in a cesspit of conspiracy and crime.
Mendoza is a humanist, rare for his time, he is also a scholar and former soldier, and a brilliant conduit for readers to have eyes on the period. The reimagining of the city is pungent and vivid. On the way to Seville Mendoza befriends Cervantes, the two men have know war and what it is to be hostages of the Moors, they bond. This is one strand of the novel that makes it more than a simple murder mystery. It is also refreshing to have a financial crime as the focus of a mystery. There is plenty of action for the lover of the thriller and clever plotting and character for depth.
Dedicated readers of historical fiction may be familiar with stories of Spain, of the plunder of South America, of the rivalry with England, even of the war in Flanders from a British perspective. However, the insight into Spanish politics and culture, the city of Seville and the economics of the time is eye opening and fascinating and it is expertly, deeply ingrained in a thrilling tale of greed, revenge and murder.
If you visit Matt Carr’s Platform page here you will see his article on sixteenth century Seville and crime ‘Law and Order in Sixteenth Century Seville’, the backdrop to this story.
Carr is an experienced journalist and has written non-fiction, including Infernal Machine, 2015, on the history of Global Terrorism.
I would be happy to read more Mendoza, bring it on.
The Emperor of Seville is available now.
Reviewer paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime.