District VIII

This is wonderful crime fiction set in Budapest, Hungary, featuring Gypsy Detective Balthazar 'Tazi' Kovacs, a member of the Budapest Murder Squad. Kovacs's Roma background brings him a partial ostracism from his family and the Roma, although the fierce bonds of family and blood are unbreakable, particularly given the way the Roma face endemic prejudice from society and the police. Balthazar is sent a photograph of a dead migrant man from an unknown source. When he arrives at the scene, the body has disappeared, although he manages to retrieve a sim card as evidence. He is warned off by the brutal and unaccountable Gendarmerie, a recently formed force reporting solely to the Prime Minister and his elite circle. This story portrays the complex Hungarian social and political history from the persecution of the Jews and Roma, Nazism and Communism, to the secret police and intense surveillance, all of which inform the present. Sandor Takacs, the Head of the Murder Squad, sanctions Kovacs to investigate, but off the books, given the political dangers.

There is a migrant crisis at Keleti Station as Western Europe closes its borders to the refugees. The politics of fear becomes poisonous as the corrupt political parties take advantage and the violent MNF, the Hungarian National Front, go on the rampage. Kovacs is sent a message when he is badly beaten up to stop looking into the death. He joins forces with his ex-girlfriend, Eniko, a journalist. Human trafficking is a growing problem as is the selling of passports, ISIS involvement brings unwelcome attention to the current government from the British and American security services. The various competing criminal elements have been profiting from the refugee crisis, and this includes Balthazar's brother, Gaspar, who proves to be a valuable source of information. As the story progresses, the involvement of the state intelligence agency becomes apparent, so too does the dirty politics whilst Eniko and Balthazar find themselves in grave danger as they get closer to the truth.

Lebor has written a tense and thrilling novel that reveals the state of contemporary Hungary, influenced heavily by its geographical proximity to troubled states and its own history. He creates an interesting and complicated protagonist in Kovacs, the double outsider, who gives us unique insight into how the Roma are treated and insights into the Roma community and culture. The corrupt government that behind the scenes swindles the European Community is portrayed through the actions of the PM and the difficulties that the Justice Minister finds herself in. The overwhelming strengths of this book lie in Balthazar and the author's expert knowledge of Hungary. A wonderful and atmospheric read that I highly recommend. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.