“A masterpiece!” Libération
“As inspiring as the Swedes Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Pavičić brilliantly resorts to the noir novel to accompany ordinary lives caught in the collapse of communism, the rise of nationalism and the shock of wars.” Le Monde
“The city of Split is more than a setting, almost a character. A tourist mirage in the summer, the Croatian port is confronted, out of season, with the aftermath of war, deindustrialisation, and all kinds of depravity. Beyond the family drama and the police investigation, the metamorphosis of Croatia interests Pavičić.” Telerama
“Another very different setting is offered by Jurica Pavičić’s excellent Red Water, a work that won a number of French prizes in 2021-2. 17-year-old Silva Vela disappears from her small Croatian hometown in 1989 after a party followed by sex. Her murder is suspected and this is skilfully traced through the complex dynamics of her hometown. Unexpectedly, her departure by bus from Split is eventually revealed which leads her twin brother, Mate, on a long search for her, one that by 2017 has thrown up many unexpected turns and shone a light on place, people and change, not least a seaside of wind and a deceptive opening from a world mentally closed but assailed by time. Ethnic tension, drugs, greed for land, and police rivalries all play a role, as does chance. The story is stretched through the transformative changes of revolution and war from 1989, with characters thrown together or apart by the changes and then seeking their way in the new-old society. Very ably written, for example, in Adrijan’s account of the ultimately explosive invasion of Bosnia in 1995, or of Gorki, a well-connected policeman turned agent for Irish land speculators, as in 2004, he comes up against the determination of the elderly to retain family plots. More memorable for its psychological insights, moral weight, and Tolstoyian quality (without the length). This is the only one of his nine novels I have read. His work deserves translation.” The Critic
“A brilliant cocktail of mystery and recent history, compellingly told".--Kirkus
"The mysterious disappearance of a young woman shadows several people in her life for decades. Pavičić’s award-winning novel, first published in Croatia in 2017, unfolds like a true-crime story, with precise attention to timelines and small details. In “Part 1: Silva Disappears,” 17-year-old Silva Vela vanishes from the village of Misto on a September morning in 1989, with the crisis presented through the viewpoints of her mother, Vesna, father, Jakov, and twin brother, Mate. The police are brought in, suspects are questioned, and Jakov hires a private detective, all to no avail. "Part 2: Diverging Paths," covering the next 20 years, expands its perspective to include several other characters, including two of the original suspects in Silva’s disappearance. Adrijan Lekaj, who was arrested, served in the tragic Bosnian War, continues to wonder about Silva, and has a strange, random encounter with fellow suspect Mario Cvitković. As family members soldier on, the sweet sadness of remembering Silva hovers. Mate marries, Vesna approaches the end of her teaching career, but “they never found her.” Gorki, the young policeman who moved away after being originally assigned to the case, returns to Misto and finds it much changed. Silva’s disappearance is a lens or metaphor for the nation’s recent dark history. In Part 3, “Silva Returns.” Exactly how is left for the reader to discover. "Part 4: Red Water” offers a final twist on the story through a new character and a poignant look back at Croatia’s last 30 years.”----Kirkus Reviews
“Pavičić superimpose a family drama and an outstanding, skilful historical fresco, while never, not even for a second, sacrificing the suspense of a good crime novel... Remarkable book.” Le Figaro
