‘The Stolen’ by T. S. Learner

Published by Sphere,
27 March 2014.
ISBN: 978075155058

Switzerland, 1982.  Matthias von Holindt has enough to cope with: the loss of his wife, his rebellious punk daughter and his father’s threat to stop the funding for his science research when he’s near to making a breakthrough with major implications for the arms industry.  Then a gipsy dies outside his family’s watch showroom, and he becomes caught up in the search for a Nazi-stolen statuette of the gipsy saint, Sara la Kali.

This crime novel moved smoothly between emotional family discoveries, Nazi theft, Roma history, science and thriller-style incidents.  The story begins with a 1943 prologue, in which the statuette is stolen from the gypsies, and the Roma theme gives a twist to the ‘stolen artefacts’ theme.  It is central to the narrative, with the author giving us both the conjectured history of the Roma people, and, through the story, a good deal of information about the modern tribes.  It was told in the third person, with Matthias as the main focus – a very likeable character, whose moral dilemma as he discovers his father’s involvement in laundering stolen Nazi artefacts is believably conveyed.  His daughter Liliane’s exploits give a change of narrator, and we also follow the police and main villains, which adds tension.  There are a number of twists to the narrative (I don’t want to spoil them) and the strands link together to make a harmonious whole.  The Zurich background moved from super-rich to seedy, and the 1980s background had me remembering forgotten details of that era. 

An enjoyable page-turner, lifted out of the ordinary by the Roma involvement.

------

Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

T S Learner.  Playwright and novelist T.S. Learner was born in the UK but has lived in Australia for many years and now divides her time between London, California and Sydney.

http://www.tslearner.co.uk/

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  Marsali also does a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.