I was able to read an excerpt of this book as an ARC from the publisher. It is translated from German, and as such it is a bit hard to get into. The topic is interesting, and the main character seems to have some promise, but it was not my favorite. Again I was only able to read an excerpt and not the entire book. #sponsored

Set in the vibrant city of Split, Croatia, during the tumultuous period of early-20th-century Europe, Alida Bremer's "Split" is a murder mystery that unfolds against the backdrop of the impending 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.

Split—a city with a rich tapestry of cultures including remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, along with Croats, Czechs, Italians, Russians, Germans, and others conducting bustling trade in its port—sets the stage for a complex web of political intrigue. Against this backdrop, the stabbing of a man entangled in fishing nets at the port sets off a chain of events, with various factions—fascist, anti-fascist, and others—vying for power, alongside a backdrop of Jewish refugees seeking sanctuary.

"Split"'s narrative is richly populated with a diverse cast of characters, distinguished by an extensive list at the beginning, crucial for navigating the plot. Brown's vivid descriptions bring the city to life, immersing readers in its atmospheric setting—the tang of salt air, the sights and sounds of the bustling harbor, and tantalizing descriptions of local cuisine. However, despite its meticulous attention to historical detail, the novel suffers from an excess of backstory and unnecessary minutiae, which detracts from the pacing and suspense. The translation from German occasionally feels stiff, with moments of jarring prose. While the novel's thorough research is evident, it would have benefited from tighter editing to maintain momentum and sustain the mystery at its core.

Despite these minor flaws, "Split" was still an enjoyable and worthwhile read, and fans of well-researched historical novels are sure to devour this tale.

The setting in the Yugoslavian coastal town of Split just before WWII was what attracted me to this novel, together with the gorgeous cover. As one of the first events was the discovery of a dead body, I assumed it was going to be a murder mystery, but that really isn’t the main focus. In fact, in spite of making copious notes, I have no recollection whatsoever of what happened at the end of the novel. I do know that I really enjoyed it once I was hooked, but it wasn’t the people or the mystery that intrigued me, it was the complexity of the city itself in its historical setting. And that is probably the thing that other readers may not enjoy.

In fact, I can imagine the author researching Split in 1936 and finding out all sorts of information about the unusual people who were really there at the time. Or facts such as the heatwave making the atmosphere more febrile than normal and details such as (look away now, animal lovers) cats which died dessicating quickly and their bones turning to dust. There are so many fascinating things to discover, surely that will make a good novel? The answer is ‘no, not really.’ There are too many characters and factions for comfortable reading in such a limited space. It is very cinematic . If it was a relaxed six-part Netflix series, there are enough subplots and side characters to make it really engaging, but in its current form, it just doesn’t gel, sadly.

My thanks to the author, translator, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Split and give my unbiased opinion. Sorry to take so long to uphold my side of the bargain! I will be adding more detail on my blog; soon, I hope.

Split is an excellent historical murder mystery novel. Bremer does a great job of creating a vivid and atmospheric setting, and the plot is well-paced and suspenseful. The characters are also well-developed and believable. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction and murder mysteries.

A good read for a history/geography lesson but a bad read for an entertaining plot. I got so lost in the massive cast of characters and the story felt all over the place. Maybe something was lost in translation but I was left confused and unsatisfied with the ending.

I was hoping for a bit more from this murder mystery novel set along the Adriatic coast. While engaging at times, “Split” stalled for me several times & I struggled to embrace the characters & their storylines. I think if parts of the book had been cut, it would not have felt like it drug so much for me in the middle. Glad the mystery of the story was wrapped up with clarity, but I found the culmination to fall a bit flat.

The year the covid fiasco began, my family had a big tripped planned to Croatia, with Split on the itinerary. Needless to say, the trip got canceled and we were all disappointed.

When I came across the novel, I was immediately interested. If I couldn’t visit Split, I could at least read about it. The story covers Split during the time before World War II and there seems to be an abundance of differing political views. Then suddenly a dead man turns up in a fishing net.

A police investigation ensues and readers will meet nearly every resident in the village. That is to say, there are many characters in the story and it was difficult to keep track of them. Add to that, each person had their own political opinions and prejudices towards other people.

Amidst all this, the Germans were entering their village and many of the people felt there were spies from just about every corner of the world living among them.

I must admit, I found the book less than enjoyable, hard to follow and hopefully not representative of Split today.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for allowing me to read a copy of the book.

Split by Alida Bremer
1936 Split: Europe is taut with tension over the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, unrest in Spain, Communism... It's basically a powder keg waiting to explode. They've barely recovered from the previous war, and now they're bracing for another one. With the setting of Croatia (part of Yugoslavia at that time) and the film aspect, it's definitely different from many novels set in that time period.

Split is part historical fiction, and part murder mystery. The historical aspect made me curious to learn more about Croatia, about which I previously knew little.

There are a LOT of characters to keep track of! The translation is so well done, I wouldn't have guessed that English wasn't the original language. The vivid description of the seaside location and the diverse cultural population kept it interesting.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, but looking for something a little different than usual.

I like this book because it talked about different subjects in the small town and how everybody was doing their business. And how the Germans were there and people really didn't like them. They were supposed to be movie project going on. They talked about different things in Before WAR2. And how the jews had to go through this different places to get out of germany. It was interesting how the town reacted to the murder. And everybody was like going w What went wrong. Everybody seemed to be involved in this.. This was like a murder mystery and a crime all rolled into one. Everybody was suspicious of everybody in the town after this happened. One guy wife died he was very lonely and he was trying to get along. I like how the author talked about different subjects in this book as well. Especially when she bought up a religion and how it was tied in this book in certain ways. I can see how this was across. Roads between germany and italy and how things were changing so fast. You also have the communist there as well. She tied this book really well together. And everything seemed to come out well in the end.

I enjoy reading translated fiction. I thIf ink reading literature that was meant for the audience of another country is a great way to experience a culture I may never get to visit. Case in point, with Split it is set in 1930s Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia no longer exists and while it did exist in my lifetime, I know very little about the kingdom (I didn't realize it was kingdom until I read this novel). Alida Bremer is from Split, Croatia so she provides an insider perspective to the novel.

Given the location and time period, I thought this would be WWII historical fiction. And there is a lot of discussion of the German Reich, but Split is actually a murder mystery. While the murder is the event that the rest of the plot revolves around sometimes it takes a back seat to the political discussion. It isn't like the typical murder mystery. We only get snippets of the police investigation. Instead, we see the corruption and political intrigue of the day.

With some people in Yugoslavia identifying more as Italian there is of course quite a bit of talk about fascism and Mussolini. Germany uses the Adriatic coast as the backdrop for many of their "movies" (aka propaganda). So the German Reich gets some mention. Communism and Free Masons are pretty predominant. From other novels I've read, communism was a big concern during this time but Free Masons have never been mentioned so I found that aspect of the novel interesting.

It is a murder mystery, but I felt like it was more of a cultural survey as we saw daily life. So in a lot of ways, it is a slice-of-life novel. Given the title, that makes sense as it does seem like the point of the novel is to showcase the town during this period of time.

Split is a fishing town and I liked the fishing and ocean imagery used. At times it was almost poetic. I was not crazy about the dream sequence. I also had trouble with the structure of the story. It jumps around among the characters and sometimes it makes the story feel disjointed and a little difficult to follow.

If you enjoy reading translated fiction to learn about a place, person, or period of time, then this book is worth your time.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/01/split-by-alida-bremer-review.html

The list of characters at the beginning is long and set a negative vibe to start the book. There was 30+ characters listed. How am I suppose to keep those straight? I ended up feeling very disconnected to the story. It’s very superficial, I didn’t feel any deep connection to the characters or their motives.

Nazis, spies, romance, and murder collide in prewar eastern Europe in a mesmerizing historical novel by the award-winning author of Oliva’s Garden.

It’s 1936. The seaside-resort village of Split on the Adriatic coast bustles. The tourist spots are booming, passenger steamers dot the harbor, and Jewish émigrés have found tenuous refuge from persecution. But as war in Europe looms, Split is also a nest of spies, fascists, and smugglers—and now, a locale suspiciously scouted by a German Reich film crew. Then one summer morning it becomes the scene of a murder investigation when a corpse is found entangled in fishing nets in the port.

I am an avid reader of WWII historic fiction and enjoy visiting different parts of the world through my reading. This allows me to see what was happening in that part of the world as the planet was embroiled in the chaos and horrors of the time. This is the first story I have read from Croatia and the references and insights to the various attitudes and ethnicities of the time were fascinating. It was as if, through the many and varied characters, I was able to form a framework of the attitudes of hope and fear that were prevalent in the day. Observing the reaction to a murder in the small village and the reaction to it carried me along and held me to the end; it made me not only think, but also feel.

Happy almost pub day to Alida Bremer and Split, her newest historical fiction novel with a mystery twist!

I generally really love historical fiction and mysteries so I was super excited to dig into this one. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and writing style. I did enjoy the setting and insight to political feelings of 1936 Croatia.

Split hits shelves January 1st, 2024. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy.

This was a great historical fiction novel focused on character development and storylines. Full of many random facts and rich in culture, this left me wanting more in terms of a mystery. The writing however was truly beautiful and descriptive.
Thanks to @netgalley and #amazoncrossing #amazonpublishing for the ARC

Split by Alida Bremer is a highly original, unconventional and entrancing novel which takes place in incomparable Split, Croatia in 1936. There is a pervasive feeling of unease amongst locals and some believe war is inevitable. A German Reich film crew is creating a hubbub of sorts and tourists are blissfully unaware of political undercurrents.

Murder puts people on edge. Crime superintendent Mario Bulat tries to piece together bits of information to capture a killer. Meanwhile, the reader is privy to spies, daily life in Split such as mending fishing nets, and romance.

My favourite aspects are the unusual setting, history and cultural details. I live in Croatia part time and adore Split. The scrumptious foods, names, Italian influence and heat described are so relatable and accurate! The author captured the relaxed way of life, too. The murder, though fascinating, is secondary to the all-sensory experience of Split in my view. Though we live in a completely different era, some things don't change. I felt Croatia reading it (though it helps to live here). The writing itself is refreshingly unique and kept me guessing.

Hankering for something different? Do add this to your list. Also be sure to read the author's notes.

My sincere thank you to AmazonCrossing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engrossing novel.

Readers who look at this book’s title may think that Split refers to a breakup in a romantic way. Here it does not. Split is a fictional place, a resort on the Adriatic. In this historical novel, it is a place full of intrigue, murder and even romance.

Readers who enjoy movies like Casablanca may well enjoy this novel. Turn the pages as spies, emigres, smugglers and others spend time in Split. 

Note that the book has a helpful list of characters. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for this title. All opinions are my own.

I was intrigued by the time and the area, but there were just too many characters to keep up with. I ended each chapter feeling more confused instead of more invested in the story because there were too many characters to keep track of what was going on.

1936 Split, Croatia, Yugoslavia is teeming with individuals of various ethnicities and political proclivities. Having come off the Great War and seemingly heading toward another, there are Croats, Serbs, Italians, Mulims, Jews, refugees, locals who smuggle them, Fascist supporters of Mussolini, Communists, Nazis, a German film crew making Nazi propaganda. Josip Broz, known as Tito, is preparing from abroad for his eventual ascension as leader of the country.

During one hot week, a murder is committed and it is up to Superintendent Mario Bulat to sort through all the possible suspects to find the guilty party. As he searches, the reader is introduced to various residents of Split as well as their political leanings.

This translated historical fiction/mystery is not a typical read. The former Yugoslavia was a mingling of various southern Slavic peoples and that mixture is realistically portrayed. The mystery takes a back seat to all the political machinations going on at that time. There are a lot of historical facts noted and those unfamiliar with them may find themselves Googling for more information.

There are a lot of characters and they are all listed and described in a preface to the chapters. I thought I might lose track of who was who, but there was enough repetition of main players that I caught on to who was who quickly.

The writing is beautifully descriptive and detailed, portraying the charm and allure of the city, as well as its people and its cuisine. This book is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.

I didn't love this book. On one hand it was interesting because it was on an area of the world I don't know much about but on the other hand I found it slow and hard to follow. It isn't a book I would read again.