Babel was the last Brock and Kolla novel I had in my TBR stash. I was quite sad about this, as Maitland writes fantastic British crime novels from the perspective of detectives David Brock and Kathy Kolla. I’ve read the majority now (completely out of order) and I can confidently say that they are the best British police crime series I’ve read. The characters are believable, the crimes interesting (yet plausible) and I haven’t been able to guess the killer 100 pages in.In summary, this book takes place shortly after Silvermeadow (but you don’t need to have read this for the novel to make sense). Kathy has been attacked personally and is thinking of leaving the police. Brock has just been put on a new case- the murder of a university lecturer on his way to a lecture. The initial evidence points to a fundamentalist religious group, yet not is all it seems at the university.Written pre-September 11, 2001, I felt this book dealt sensitively with the Muslim faith. There are no stereotypes or messages pressed on the reader and I felt I learned more about the faith.Babel is slightly different to the other Maitlands I’ve read in which a lot of time is spent trying to figure out the motive for murder after the murderer has been discovered. This is unusual but no less gripping. The plot twists and turns and just as you think it’s finished, there’s a twist which is plausible given the previous events.I’m not usually a big crime fan but I highly recommend the Brock/Kolla series. They’re a bit like The Bill before it got entangled in the character’s lives (and the shaky camerawork). You do hear a bit about Brock and Kolla’s personal lives, but I think this would be less than a chapter in the whole book. The focus is on the crime and the police’s role.http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
I love Barry Maitland and this series. Very thoughtful. He does have a note that this was written before 9/11.He gives full portrayals of the Muslims in the book.He had me fooled. I didn't figure it out until after Brock did. Although at that point it seemed like this was almost the only solution left. And, yet, he still had a few twists and turns to puzzle me. I'd started The Verge Practice but was having trouble getting into it. Why? Because I had missed the book following Silvermeadow, Babel. I did have a little trouble remembering what had happened to Kathy in the last book, it having been a number of years since I read it; and this is a major storyline here, at least in the beginning. She thinks about leaving Brock and the team. I'd forgotten how much I was missing Barry Maitland and his stories. Good thing I have several more of his to go through. I've always thought that The Marx Sisters was the best; but this was very good, too. And it is on kindle now.
As always, I enjoyed Maitland's work. One of my favorite things about his books is that they each enter pretty fully into an aspect of life I wouldn't know about...art, religion, mall security, etc. I enjoyed this book more for its focus on academics than radical Muslims, but it kept my interest all the same.I do have a qualm that I think is mentioned in other reviews. Leon Desai shows up again and everything Kathy says, and his thought that "if he had been stronger they would have been very hap
—Anna
I wasn't sure what I expected with this novel, but it was great!! It kept my attention; I couldn't put it down until I finished it. First of all the racial tension and international feel of London was clearly portrayed in the novel. There were different types of Muslims (Shia & Sunni) from different countries (Pakistan, Lebanon, etc.)involved in the tale. The author tackled the idea of honor-killing and racism. On the other side, the mystery involved philosophy vs. genetic science. At one point in the novel, it seems to be that the suspects are Muslim and then at another point, professors and a center for genetic research. Very well crafted together for a surprise ending. I really like the police work of Brock and Kolla as well. It is nice to see how their minds work, but also how they struggle with events that have happened in their lives. It makes them more realistic. I will definitely read more by this author!
—Julie
In Babel, Barry Maitland's sixth entry in the Kathy and Brock mystery series, Sergeant Kathy Kolla's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder incurred during the horrific ending to the previous book, Silvermeadow. Indeed, Kathy's state of mind remains so fragile that she's contemplating giving up her police career.Amidst her angst, a masked gunman fatally shoots an academic at the fictional University of Central London East as he's on his way to deliver what was promised to be a controversial lecture. Why was philosophy professor Max Springer killed in broad daylight? Does the murder have anything to do with Islamic terrorism, as some have hinted? Or with a secretive gene-research lab on campus that Springer had been reviling? Or does the cause of Springer's death lay in yet another quarter? As with all of his books, Maitland sets a fast pace for Babel and loads the novel with surprises. I never saw the end coming nor even once suspected the true culprit. Babel makes for a great read for all, although those familiarized with the cause of Kathy's trauma from having read Silvermeadow will enjoy the novel much, much more.Again, special thanks to my Goodreads friend, Magda, from Down Under who pointed me to Aussie writer Barry Maitland.
—Ivonne Rovira
