About the Author

Ben Pastor, born in Italy, lived for thirty years in the United States, working as a university professor in Vermont and has since returned to her native country. She is the author of other novels including The Water Thief and The Fire Waker (set in Roman times and published to high acclaim in the US by St. Martin's Press), and is considered one of the most talented writers in the field of historical fiction. In 2008 she won the prestigious Premio Zaragoza for best historical fiction. She writes in English.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: Set in 1937, Pastor's outstanding sixth mystery featuring German investigator Martin Bora (after 2017's The Road to Ithaca) makes effective use of the death of Federico García Lorca, the celebrated poet, during the Spanish Civil War...Pastor does an excellent job of creating a back-story for her lead that fits in well with the previous books. Midwestern Book Review: An expertly crafted mystery by a master of the genre, that is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.95), "The Horseman's Song" is an especially recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. Also very highly recommended for dedicated mystery buffs are the other novels by Ben Pastor that feature the character of Martin Bora. NB Literary Magazine: An accomplished historical thriller set in Spain in 1937. This novel is confidently plotted and the tempo is judged to perfection... a thoughtful intelligent thriller that plays with a historical mystery in a manner respectful of the known facts. Documents released in 2015 appear to verify the claim that the Grenada fascists killed García Lorca in 1936, but his body has never been found. Foreword Reviews: Pastor weaves a poignant, convincing portrait of life during wartime. Bora himself is a compelling protagonist, erudite enough to recite Aristotle to himself while repelling an ambush and innocent enough to fall for a local lass who changes his perspective on love.

"TIN SKY is the best crime novel of the month. Terror and suspicion on the Eastern Front. We hail a bold series set in the Second World War. This fine novel is packed with tense moments and moral ambiguity.' Times "In TIN SKY Pastor effectively melds a well-constructed whodunit with a grim portrayal of the Eastern front." PW Starred Review "A DARK SONG OF BLOOD is historical crime fiction at its best, vividly re-creating the atmosphere of a city occupied by an increasingly desperate army. ' Sunday Times "The historical milieu of these books is grim, but Pastor's character examinations are precise and engrossing.' Kirkus "The tone of LIAR MOON has a flu-like grimness, appropriate the 1943 setting. Pastor is excellent at providing details (silk stockings, movie magazines, cigarettes) that light up the setting." Booklist "Pastor succeeds at painting a memorable picture of Fascist Italy through the lens of ordinary police procedure carried out under extraordinary circumstances."Publishers Weekly "An impressive and intelligent novel." The Times "LUMEN's plot is well crafted, her prose sharp... a disturbing mix of detection and reflection." Publisher's Weekly "And don't miss LUMEN by Ben Pastor. An interesting, original and melancholy tale." Literary Review