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Manuel Vázquez Montalbán

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The Angst-Ridden Executive (A Pepe Carvalho Mystery) Paperback – January 10, 2012

by Manuel Vazquez Montalban (Author), Ed Emery (Translator)

3.6 32 ratings

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Introducing one of crime fiction’s most legendary detectives, and greatest writers, to America

When Antonio Jauma, a director of the multinational conglomerate Petnay, is murdered, his widow seeks out private investigator Pepe Carvalho, who had met and forgotten the playboy executive after their single chance encounter—back when Carvalho still worked for the CIA.

Jauma was a “womanizer,” according to a friend, “of the least pleasant sense,” and the police have decided that the murder is the work of an unhappy pimp. But Carvalho doggedly pursues his own phlegmatic investigation, with time out for his signature book burning (Sartre’s Critique of Dialectical Reasoning; Sholokov’s And Quiet Flows the Don), cooking (leek soup and a freshly-caught steamed turbot), and running with his girlfriend Charo, whose last name he can’t remember.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Melville International Crime
Publication date

January 10, 2012
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.65 x 8.19 inches
ISBN-10

9781612190389
ISBN-13

978-1612190389
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Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
19
Paperback
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Montalbán writes with authority and compassion—a le Carré-like sorrow.” —Publishers Weekly

"If Graham Green, P.G. Wodehouse, Raymond Chandler, and Anthony Bourdain all sat together in front of a typewriter, the result would be Pepe Carvalho." —Crimespree Magazine

"One can only hope for more from this marvellous series." —The Globe and Mail

"[The books in the Pepe Carvalho series] provide a look at post-Franco life in Barcelona and Madrid and are invaluable historical markers of a period in Spanish history." —20-Something Reads

About the Author

Born in Barcelona in 1939, poet, playwright, essayist, and novelist Manuel Vázquez Montalbán was one of Spain’s greatest writers. A well-known gourmand, he also wrote often about food. He is best known for his crime series featuring Pepe Carvalho, which won him international acclaim and numerous awards, including the Planeta Prize and the International Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. He died in 2003 in Hong Kong, on his way home to Barcelona.

Ed Emery has translated Mohamed Choukri, Antonio Negri, and Nobel Prize-winner Dario Fo.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1612190383
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Melville International Crime; Melville House ed. edition (January 10, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781612190389
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1612190389
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.65 x 8.19 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,806,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,227 in Political Fiction (Books)
- #6,788 in Hard-Boiled Mystery
- #8,422 in International Mystery & Crime (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.6 32 ratings

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3.6 out of 5

32 global ratings

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E. K. Green

Review of the Angst-Ridden Executive

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2006

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I discovered M. V. Montalban with this book (thanks to suggestions from Amazon.com based on recent purchases). I found the protagonist delightful and humourous as a private detective. The book is an intelligent read - a mixture of literature, languages, recipes, and a surpise ending; character development well-done. I have purchased and read almost all of Montalban's books after reading this one.

4 people found this helpful

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Joyce

Dated mystery but insightful on time period and Barcelona

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2015

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The Guardian included this title on Top Ten set in Barcelona. It's in the hard boiled detective genre. His Watson is Biscuiter, and both men enjoy cooking. One of my favorite sections describes cooking duck at 1 am. Lots of sex, and some not very pretty. Language may be an issue as it's not PG rated. Graphic descriptions in some cases, but not bad for 35 years on.

One person found this helpful

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Mike Brock

The Angst Ridden Executive.

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2012

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This book which received such a glowing review in the Globe and Mail is a rambling disjointed discourse about cooking which I like and a muddled confused plot. The characters are poorly drawn and the plot jumps around from place to place and character to character with seemingly no relevance. Don't waste your time or money on this stinker.

4 people found this helpful

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Elaine McCarthy

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2012

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Knowing that Andrea Camilleri named his detective Montalbano after the author of this book, I had great hopes. Alas. Pages and pages of trivial dialogue without attributions, scenes that seemed to follow each other without rhyme or reason, and nary a character I could give one tiny little damn about. I gave up, feeling cheated.

4 people found this helpful

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Booker G

Mostly engaging political mystery

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2011

"The Angst-ridden Detective" is another very readable and engaging mystery about the Spaniard Pepe Carvalho, private detective, gourmet of food and attractive women, former communist, and anti-intellectual.

In this book Carvalho finds himself drawn into investigating the death of a corporate executive and fellow countryman he had met briefly in California some years past. The suspects in the crime turn out to be five other men who, with the murdered man, formed a group of leftist students who were active in politics in their university days together.

While the story remains central in "The Angst-ridden Detective," Montalban starts to introduce a political slant. He takes potshots at the communists in Spain as well as the far right Franco lovers in various conversations that Carvalho has with suspects and informants and in Carvalho's own memories and ruminations. Political views and economic issues play a key role in the murder. He also uses confrontations between the police and leftist protesters in the post Franco era as a backdrop to the plot.

Montalban adds a new character in this book: Biscuter, a former criminal that Carvalho has rescued from illegal activities and made his assistant. Biscuter lives in Carvalho's office and cooks for him there, always hoping to make dishes that will suit his gourmet boss. Charo, his prostitute girlfriend, is back. Montalban also draws a rich picture of Barcelona, particularly of Las Ramblas, a market-type pedestrian mall in the central part of the city that Carvalho likes to haunt.

The author also spices up this book with even more descriptions of the food the Carvalho prepares to satisfy his gourmet tastes. There is a description of a roast duck casserole in the book that makes my mouth water.

This is a good mystery to read, but it may not be for the typical mystery reader. The political, cultural, intellectual side of the story may not appeal to that group of readers. Carvalho's sensual appetites as far as women goes is a little off-putting to me--and I don't need some of the more explicit description Montalban provides.

For more mystery series that may entertain you, check out my website describing and reviewing many series (see my Amazon profile for the URL).

One person found this helpful

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Daniel Gunter

Surprised by negative reviews

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2012

I just finished this novel and immediately purchased "The Southern Seas." I thought that "The Angst-Ridden Executive" was great, well worthy of five stars. I will admit that it is not a typical mystery, at least not within the generic sense. Instead, it is a novel that uses some of the trappings of the mystery genre. It does not have the linear narrative drive of the usual mystery. Instead, it traces a widening spiral, investigating Spain during its transition to democracy after Franco's death as well as the intertwining of corporate and political interests. The novel is also a meditation on approaches to life, an issue that it explores in part through the circle of friends of the "angst-ridden executive" as well as the protagonist, Pepe Carvalho. The characters range from near-ascetics to sybarites who justify any means--including murder--of satisfying their desires. The narrative veers around, forcing the reader sometimes to puzzle out who is speaking and what is happening.

In short, Vazquez Montalban was not a Spanish Raymond Chandler--despite the blurbs comparing the two. I have read all of Camilleri's novels featuring Inspector Montalbano (named in honor of Vazquez Montalban). The Montalbano novels are closer in spirit to "The Angst-Ridden Executive," but they are lighter in tone, themselves less angst-ridden than this novel. Some of Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen novels are perhaps closer in tone. "Dead Lagoon" and "Blood Rain" are probably the closest of the Zen novels in tone. (Note that some of Dibdin's Zen novels are very different in tone, with "Cosi Fan Tutti" in particular something of a comic masterpiece.) Another point of comparison may be Chester Himes's "Blind Man with a Pistol."

You will be disappointed if you purchase this novel expecting something along the lines of Richard Stark's (Donald Westlake's) superb Parker novels. This novel is equally superb--but it's simply a different kind of novel. It should appeal more to fans of, say, Cormac McCarthy's "Suttree" than of genre mysteries. But if you like very literate novels flavored with a bit of the detective genre, then this may well appeal to you.

16 people found this helpful

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Carol Linke

I did not enjoy this book

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2017

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I did not enjoy this book. It was difficult to follow and also very raunchy at times. Plus I was looking for a book with more references to locations in Barcelona.

One person found this helpful

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Riley A. Vann

I didn't enjoy this as much as the others in the series

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015

I didn't enjoy this as much as the others in the series. It's focus on post-Franco Spanish politics made it seem especially dated, at least for this American reader.

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Top reviews from other countries

MPK678

This one is exposes corruption at the highest levels and they aren't afraid to put the heavies onto people like Detective Pepe C

Reviewed in Canada on November 23, 2014

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This is the toughest and roughest of the of the first 3 books. This one is exposes corruption at the highest levels and they aren't afraid to put the heavies onto people like Detective Pepe Carvalho. Another examples of 70's post Franco Spain.

DunxE

A novel of its time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

You know, this novel is not so much redolent of Barcelona (though it is based in the city) as it is dripping in post-Franco angst. That makes it a compelling read, particularly if you are interested in what happens to people who are crushed by a Fascist state for a generation.