Paul S Bradley blames his Andalusian Mystery Series on ironed squid. Otherwise, he'd still be stuck in London failing at this, that, and the other. As discerning diners know, calamares a la plancha should translate as grilled squid. Then he noticed bad translations everywhere. He quit the rat race, moved to Nerja, Spain and helped the owner of this gastronomic gaff prepare his menu so that foreigners understood he was offering food, not laundry services. During the following thirty years, this tiny translation evolved into a lifestyle magazine for the Costa del Sol, along with guidebooks and travelogues in English, German and Spanish. He's lectured about Living in Spain and bullfighting but is keen to emphasize that he never dressed in a tight, fancy suit or waved a pink cape at anyone; especially if they weighed 600 kilos and carried a sharp pair of horns. He has also appeared on local radio and TV, but extremely briefly. More recently, educated groups of posh American and Canadian Alumni have enjoyed his tour director services apart from the terrible jokes and occasional temporarily misplaced client. Paul's books blend his unique taste of Spain with intriguing fictional mysteries. Learn more at paulbradley.eu where lovers of Spain can sign up for free short stories, blogs, and videos.
Longlisted in 2019 Millenium Book awards by BookViral The BookViral Review: The Andalusian Mystery Series continues and this time Bradley has truly excelled himself as DI Prado, Phillip Armitage and the gorgeous Amanda find themselves in another maelstrom of murder and misdirection. As with book one in his series Bradley is quick to immerse us in his Spanish settings whilst effortlessly capturing the cultural nuances of a country he has clearly come to love. Writing in lean evocative prose his narrative is filled with organic action that creates a compelling picture of the characters around which his story revolves. It's easy to wax lyrical on a book that's well written and Darkness in Ronda is unquestionably so but where Bradley truly distinguishes himself this time around is in his superb exploration of Spanish-style bullfighting, known as a corrida de toros. From the Tercio de Varas to the Tercio de Banderillas and the Tercio de Muerte, he gives us powerful visceral images where Matadors dance with their deadly prey and the outcome is all but certain. These pages alone are reason enough to pick up a copy but Bradley has also mastered the art of crafting tension filled multi-layered plots where the ultimate name of the game is murder. And with Prado doggedly trying to resolve the mystery surrounding Malcolm Crown along with the shocking copycat murder of a much loved Romero, armchair sleuths will find their appetites well and truly sated. There's an old adage that authors should write what they know about and few are better qualified to write novels based upon their own field of expertise than Paul S Bradley. In his debut release Darkness In Malaga, he delivered a corker of a read and set high expectations for future releases. A Darkness In Ronda has decidedly exceeded those expectations and is unreservedly recommended.