Water eyes
Water eyes is a crime novel written by the late Galician author and screenwriter Domingo Villar. The work —the first work of the writer— was published in 2006 by the publishing house Siruela Policiaca. At first it was only published in its original language; however, the acceptance of the reading public got the book translated into Spanish by Domingo himself, and in various languages by other publishers.
Water eyes is in charge of introducing detectives Leo Caldas and Rafael Estévez, leading characters who appear in later works by Domingo Villar. It is, therefore, the first volume of an almost anthological series that is very well accomplished. through which —and thanks to the various events that occur— it is possible to notice a profound change in the psychology of the police officers and a growth in Villar's narrative.
Synopsis of Water eyes
The death of the artist
The musician Luis Reigosa spends a usual night in May in his apartment in the Torre de Toralla, in Vigo. The ordinary gives way to the unusual when, suddenly, someone attacks the saxophonist while he is resting in his bed. The perpetrator injects formalin into the noble areas of the man, which causes him a slow and painful death. Luis is found by his housekeeper. The upset woman, clumsily, cleans up the scene and erases the few clues left by the killer.
Later, the detective couple Leo Caldas and Rafael Estévez is informed of the crime and goes to the house of the deceased. Arriving, the horrible picture greets them; men can't find a clue Help them draw conclusions.
To find the whereabouts of the person who killed the saxophonist, both Caldas and Estevez they are forced to visit the common places that Regiosa used to. This takes them to the jazz bars and the most symbolic stages of Vigo.
Main characters
Leo Caldas
Caldas is a full-fledged Galician —or, at least, the most faithful stereotype of what is thought of the population of Vigo—: He is quiet, thoughtful, meticulous... Leo takes his time to break down the cases in in which he participates, and always answers one question with another, which gives the novel a certain humorous tinge. The detective also enjoys great intuition that, more than anything else, is exacerbated by his penchant for observation.
The detective He has a tight relationship with his father., of those that are neither bad nor good, but, more than anything, cold. This fact, Perhaps it is due to the death of Caldas' mother. Leo also maintains a reluctant participation in the radio program Onda Vigo Patrol in the airwaves, work that takes precedence over his cautious and silent personality, especially when he has to face his host, Santiago Losada.
Rafael This time
estevez is a man of Aragonese origin which He doesn't get along very well with the Galician community. The detective is daring, reckless, of strong bearing and complexion, who constantly competes with his companion. However, the ambivalence of his personalities allows both of them to have another perspective on the situations to be dealt with.
Rafael tends to lose his head very easily, and resorts to violence whenever things do not go the way he would likeno. This causes his teammate —for not always having the ability to keep Estevez's behavior at bay— to be criticized and threatened by Soto, the team commissioner.
Setting
En Water eyes, Domingo Villar's pen describes Vigo as one more character in his work. The town and its political and social structure are part of both the plot and the experiences of its characters. The taboo of homosexuality and the mistreatment of the figure of women are very current, and reflect the dark part of the culture that reigned in Spain in the first decade of the 2000s. Likewise, art and music are emphasized.
The alleys and the nightlife are also great protagonists in this black novel. The bars, the jazz and the climate of Vigo surround the plot, and give it a somber air that projects the most representative characteristics of the police genre. In addition, the investigation is simmering. Villar allows the reader to play with various ideas about who is responsible for the crime and his motivations for carrying it out.
Narrative structure and style
Water eyes It's a short crime novel. with a length that could barely reach 200 pages. The chapters that compose it are brief, and they are headed by a word and its meaning according to the dictionary. Usually, these terms appear at some point within the text.
At the same time, the narrative style is simple. The book is full of dialogue, which gives the work a lightness that can be very easy to follow for any type of reader.
About the author, Domingo Villar Vázquez
Sunday Villar
Domingo Villar Vazquez was born in 1971, in Vigo, Spain. He was a sports commentator, film scriptwriter and Galician writer, best known in the publishing world for the positive reviews of his second book, The beach of the drowned (2009), which received a film adaptation directed by Gerardo Herrero in 2014. The film featured performances by Marta Larralde, Carlos Blanco, Antonio Garrido and Carmelo Gómez.
During his career as an author, Domingo dedicated himself, above all, to literary creation in the crime novel genre. His books have received various awards over the years, such as the Antón Losada Diéguez Award (2010). Villar was also the winner of the Book of the Year award from the Galician Booksellers Federation (2010) and the XXV National Prize Live Narrative Culture (2016).
Regrettably, Sunday Villar passed away at the age of 51 on May 18, 2022, due to a stroke. However, his work is still alive, and has been translated into a variety of languages that allow it to be read by many people around the world.
Other books by Domingo Villar
- The last ship (2019);
- Some complete stories (2021)