Split was an intriguing deep-dive into the way of life and political climate of this Mediterranean city during the 1930’s. After reading the blurb, I thought the murder mystery plot line would take center stage, but this is foremost a historical fiction novel, and it took me a while to acclimatize to the narrative style. Though the characters are interesting and diverse, there are a lot of them, with Slavic or German names unfamiliar to me, and when the author switched points of view, it took me at least a page to pinpoint which character we were following. But the setting was fascinating, the cultural details rich, and although I didn’t feel a strong narrative drive as I’d expect in a murder mystery, I kept reading. Another narrative detail I found unfamiliar was the lack of a clearly defined ‘main character’. About a quarter of the way through, it seemed to me that Split itself was the main character. I don’t know if this was the author’s intent or not, and while I found Split interesting, I didn’t connect with it emotionally like I would with a character who was a person. Overall, I found this novel refreshing, and would recommended to someone looking for a fresh take on a historical murder mystery.

I've read many WWll historical fiction books, but never one set in Croatia. I loved being able to look at this event through a new perspective. Split had been on my travel bucket list for a while, and the imagery in this book was beautiful. The mystery was engaging and kept me hooked the whole time. There was some romance, but not a lot, which I liked in this particular story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction mysteries or is interested in learning more about Croatia.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book for my honest review.

"Split" by Alida Bremer (Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp-Translation) was an interesting historical fiction/murder mystery novel. Full of politics, current events of pre-WWII time at the region, prejudice, as well as romantic and textural depictions of day-to-day living and cuisine at that city. Told in a romantic/nostalgic voice, while painting a vivid picture for the reader. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

'Splt' is a very complex novel, set in 1936, prior to the Second World War, in what was then the oĺd Yugoslavia on the Adriatic Coast.
There are many elements to the story, including descriptions of the customs, culture and poitical landscape. The Germans had begun to integrate, whilst the Jewish refugees found themselves fleeing once again. We are told about secret societies and the rise of communism, stirring tensions and suspicions. All of these elements meander through the novel, with many frequent references to the traditional foods!
The murder of a young man is central to the plot, but somehow any investigation is slow and dragged out until the final chapter because of the many digressions throughout the story, making it hard work at times, added to which there is an overall heavy and oppressive atmosphere accompanying the narrative. This book may appeal to readers of foreign historical fiction. Whilst appreciating that a lot of documented facts have been included in the narrative, I felt the psychology employed, along with its constant diversions left me exhausted! On a positive note, the lavender biscuits sound nice!

This was a really unusual but entertaining and immersive read. It is set in Split over a week of heatwave in July 1936. The reader is directly plunged into the midst of this place in turmoil. The possibility of war is looming over the European continent, and this port on the Adriatic is right in the middle. Mussolini’s government is on their doorstep, and the town is awash with an incongruous mix of refugees fleeing tightening persecution in Hitler’s Germany, but also German filmmakers who are using the city as a backdrop to film Nazi propaganda films. The whole town is on edge.
The townsfolk are divided, still recovering from the Great War and not wanting to face the reality of the events heading their way, and others who have suddenly woken up to the political reality.
Somewhere over in Spain, revolutionary Josip Broz – Tito – is working on the best way to communicate Marxist-Leninist ideas. There are tensions between the ethnically Croats, Serbs, Muslims, and Italians.
The whole book sets the scene wonderfully. Amongst all these comings and goings, one night a body is found wrapped up in some fishing nets. Superintendent Mario Bulat is sent to investigate the crime, but mainly to find an appropriate fisherman or communist on which to pin the blame.
It weaves a wonderful tapestry of a town with one foot in Yugoslavia and one in Italy, on the edge of history that is about to implode.
My only issue with this book, which was to do with my lack of general knowledge, rather than the book itself, is that I was fairly unfamiliar with that corner of the world and some of the historical context (other than the broad-brush strokes) that were coming into play. As a consequence, my reading of the book was interrupted by many, many research tangents which interrupted the flow of the mystery for me. What is a Split Cake? What is the Montreux Convention? What was the free state of Fiume? What were the People’s Olympiads? And so on. So, the 250-page book took me a disproportionate length of time to get through, and I kept losing the thread of the actual mystery and plot.
This didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story for me though, although did mean it wasn't much of a page-turner. It was a little reminiscent of Olivia Manning’s Balkans Trilogy or Sarah Gainham’s Night Falls on the City, in that it had that eery quality, where you know what hand history is about to deal them, but the characters do not.
I really recommend if you are looking for a slice of history set in Croatia.

For me, it is the story of the city of Split, located in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now in Croatia) on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, with its unique charm and character. From the very beginning, this historical fiction transports you into a world of extraordinary events. The reader witnesses the inhabitants' lives who, on the verge of World War II, coexist with spies, fascists, smugglers and communists in relative harmony. In addition, they closely follow the artistic activities of the German Reich film group and the murder investigation. What I liked the most was that the author included historical facts about a place utterly unknown to me and the atmosphere that spreads throughout Split.

Split is an atmospheric mystery set in Croatia just before WWII. There is a heavy political vibe with an ensemble cast of spies, Nazis, socialists, film makers, and travelers weaving in and out of the story which revolves around a murder. I enjoyed the lush settings and rich interplay of characters but got rather hopelessly confused somewhere along the way. A fun and unusual read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

A mystery book set during WWII, which is always a popular setting. This one doesn't have too much romance, and instead has more believability too it, both of which are major positives for me.

This was a very nice read. It was filled with rich characters. The setting was very vivid and it stood out to me, and kept me wanting to read.

It was an entertaining mystery that has detailed history mixed with the story.

If you like historical fiction with a mystery, filled with good characters in a beautiful setting this book is for you. I will recommend tis book.

I’ll be honest— I requested this book because of the cover and fond memories I had vacationing in Split.

Overall, I found the book to be “okay.” Nothing really gripped me, but I liked the ties to WWII and the descriptions of the scenery. It was a quick read, and I would suggest others give it a try.

An interesting mystery rich with history, unique characters and a beautiful setting. This was a fun short mystery and an excellent translation, I was enamoured by the setting and I loved having a peak into an eclectic group of characters. I would highly recommend for an entertaining mystery that has a detailed history/is mixed with WWII in Eastern Europe.