Lead Review (Red Water)

• Book: Red Water
• Location: Croatia
• Author: Jurica Pavičic, Matt Robinson (Translator)

Review Author: tripfiction

The story opens in 1989 in fictional Misto on the Dalmatian Coast, just a few years before the Bosnian War 1992-94 which afflicted the whole region; it then stretches across the war years and the aftermath into the later 2010s. At the heart of the story is a missing 17 year woman, Silva, twin to Mate and daughter of Vesna and Jakov. Theirs is an average family, with nothing seemingly untoward and after a simple night out at the beach, Silva simply disappears.

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Of course searches are carried out to determine her fate but there is no sign of her. The boy, with whom she seemed to be making out, is the prime suspect, much to the chagrin of her family and actual boyfriend (who was away that evening). He is arrested on suspicion of her murder but soon released, although the stain of potential guilt dogs his life going forward.

Chapters detail how each character involved is affected, how the strain of the disappearance puts pressure on the parents. How her twin brother, Mate, is driven to keep looking, and even heads off to Barcelona in pursuit of a possible sighting of his sister there. Frustration with the police investigation abounds. As the war kicks in, the focus on her whereabouts subsides but the lingering ‘not knowing’ eats away. The belief that she is still alive is a central tenet but as time passes, the inevitable depression around loss starts to infiltrate and further up-end psychological balance.

This is a very well crafted novel, perhaps a little ponderous at times but this device mirrors the passing of time affecting the central characters as the ripple effect of her disappearance contaminates every dragging day. It is beautifully translated by Matt Robinson.

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