Ágnes Mészöly: Drawn Murders* (Prae Kiadó 2022)
After the events in Fox Hill*, Dr. Ágota Szabó, the former star prosecutor, turned her back on her former life with her iron will and with the help of her psychologist. She sold her apartment, broke up with almost all her old friends, quit smoking and gave up her successful job to work in a notary’s office. For four and a half years, managing the unexciting estate matters was just fine for her, but when she meets a young man in boots at the funeral of an old colleague, she drifts into the investigation of the serial killer who terrorizes Budapest, because the colleague was their latest victim. Ágota joins the special team led by Captain Pataki to try to get to the bottom of the case.
The author drew my attention to the book when she signed the Fox Hill for me at the Book Festival. So I quickly bought this so she could sign it too.
In Fox Hill, each chapter had a different narrator, and although in the case of this book it is not the same, you can feel which character we are following. Bogi, Ágota’s high school-age daughter who were only mentioned in the previous novel, play an important role here with the crime technician Domokos, but hardly anyone from the old team appears. In addition to the investigation, the novel presents today’s Hungary: it shows the effect of the virus, the war, the M3 subway renovation… I also particularly like the fact that it does not focus on the killer and the violence (which is unfortunately characteristic of many books and series today), but to the investigation itself. It was interesting to meet the characters again, who are almost alive due to the many dialogues and apt descriptions. I read this book (like the prequel) almost in one sitting. I’m really looking forward to the author’s next mystery!
*my translations
