A Thousand Cuts

‘A Thousand Cuts’ Reviews

THE SUNDAY TIMES – 12th February 2017

The long-term impact of conflict is central to A Thousand Cuts (Bloomsbury £12.99), the latest in Thomas Mogford’s fine series of crime novels set in Gibraltar. His protagonist, Spike Sanguinetti, is an introspective lawyer whose habit of helping waifs and strays means his practice isn’t exactly thriving. In the new book, he takes on a particularly unappealing client, an alcoholic accused of harassing a local GP, and is reluctantly drawn into investigating the man’s troubled history. It seems to be connected with an incident in 1940, when a bomb was planted in the Rock’s naval dockyard and two British servicemen died in the blast.

A young Spaniard, who was known to have connections with supporters of Franco and Hitler, was tried and hanged. Sanguinetti begins to think the man was framed but his inquiries are interrupted by a series of brutal murders, one of them targeting the owner of his favourite restaurant. Gibraltar is a small place and Sanguinetti finds himself with a number of elderly suspects, including a close friend of his family. This is a traditional and thoroughly satisfying crime novel. Joan Smith

SHOTS MAG – 14th February 2017

This is the fifth of Thomas Mogford’s mysteries based in Gibraltar and featuring the lawyer Spike Sanguinetti. The story and the central character come bearing a certain amount of baggage from previous books but A Thousand Cuts stands easily and readably by itself.

A prologue set in April 1940 details an act of sabotage in the Gibraltar Dockyard and the death of two Navy personnel. For this crime a Spanish dockyard worker is hanged. Many years later Spike acts as defence lawyer for the dead man’s son, Christopher Massetti, who’s up on a charge of harassing a Gibraltar GP.

Massetti is a far from ideal client. Alcoholic and monosyllabic, he starts off by literally attacking Spike. All the same, Sanguinetti feels a reluctant responsibility for this seemingly incapable old man and gets caught up in the quest to get to the truth of the crime which resulted in the execution of his father. Along the way the lawyer finds himself unwillingly embroiled in a serious conflict of interest – and more important of emotion – between his oldest friend and his pregnant partner, Jessica, who happens to be a member of the Rock’s police force. What begins as a minor harassment case escalates to a couple of apparently meaningless murders. It’s not giving too much away to say that everything is tied back to that initial act of sabotage in a wartime dockyard.

As a setting Gibraltar, with its population of 30,000 is somewhere in size between Miss Marple’s St Mary Mead and a proper throbbing metropolis. Yet it’s surprising what mileage Thomas Mogford can get out of this limited yet curiously exotic background, with its odd mixture of British and Spanish, together with a dash of Africa. The wartime seeds of A Thousand Cuts are genuinely interesting, showing the tensions between the Gibraltarians and British servicemen, to say nothing of the ever-present threat of spies and saboteurs crossing over from Franco’s not-so-neutral Spain. The mystery is important but doesn’t overshadow the human elements and you’ll find yourself caught up in the quiet drama of Spike’s family life and even in the details of his prospective move. Recommended. Philip Gooden

THE OXFORD TIMES – 23rd February 2017

Richard Jones gets stuck into the latest in a series featuring a maverick lawyer in Gibraltar.
A deadly explosion in Gibraltar’s dry dockyard was never going to divert attention from the Battle of Britain and the few defending the many in their balletic aerial battles witnessed by a never-say-die generation. But this seemingly innocuous blip on the Second World War radar comes back to haunt the dying embers of this generation on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula. Having had his sojourn to Corfu ruined by marijuana dealing mafiosi, Spike returns in the fifth instalment of the Sanguinetti mysteries with thoughts of belated domesticity. But he is soon embroiled in a series of unexplained murders whose victims have links back to the socio-political melting pot of cross-border collaboration between fascist sympathizers and misguided locals. Recently released MI5 papers give the plot added legitimacy and cast a spotlight on the seemingly dispensable status of the inhabitants of this former Moorish outpost to the overall war effort. Oxford-educated Thomas Mogford continues to develop Sanguinetti as an emotionally flawed personality, whose black and white approach in his professional life does not always translate into emotional characteristics best suited to the longevity of his personal relationships. Jessica is his long-suffering partner whose feminine touch brings out a more sensitive Spike, but as the body count increases, and the prime suspect tests deep-seated family loyalties, his professional and personal lives inevitably become compromised. The pace and syntax of the plot leaves you piecing together the clues in a virtual jigsaw that moves you from the dark days of the monochrome 1940’s to the gaming-inspired technology of the 21st century, but it’s the common thread of death and injustice that truly adds the colour to Sanguinetti’s investigation. The final act is more Shakespearean tragedy than contemporary climax, but this juxtaposition of the old and new is a TV adaptation waiting to happen.

GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER – 27th February 2017

There is always a faint tingling of the spine when, having read a book I have been meaning to get around to for ages, I immediately pick up a newly-published one which covers similar territory and themes. I am not, I hasten to say, implying any form of plagiarism, merely flagging up a curious coincidence, in fact the double coincidence which I experienced last month. Far better known as an actor than a writer, (Sir) Anthony Quayle wrote two thrillers based on his personal wartime experiences: Eight Hours From England (1945), which drew on his time as an undercover SOE (Special Operations Executive) agent in Albania in 1942, and On Such A Night (1947) which was clearly inspired by his service as an Aide to the Governor of Gibraltar in 1943. On Such A Night is set on an ‘island fortress’ in the Mediterranean called Pelleria which bears a remarkable resemblance to Gibraltar during WWII (even down to the same street names) and at one point involves an explosion in the naval dockyards there. Having finally got around to reading it, I then turned to the new novel by Thomas Mogford, A Thousand Cuts, out now from Bloomsbury, which is set on Gibraltar in the present day but which has a back story dating to the wartime period and involves and explosion in a naval dockyard. There the similarities end (Mogford is a much better writer for one thing, though probably a worse actor), and I have always had a sneaking admiration for Spike Sanguinetti, Mogford’s lawyer hero who is Gibraltar-based but familiar with all the islands and ports washed by the Mediterranean. A Thousand Cuts begins as a court room mystery, with Spike defending a particularly unpleasant character, and develops into an intriguing thriller centred on the fate of Spanish spy executed by the British in 1940 and as a bonus we get the ongoing story of Spike’s family and a wonderful sense of life on ‘the Rock’ which can be both an island paradise and the most claustrophobic example of a Little England. The whole series is highly recommended and this latest shows Mogford at his cleverest. Mike Ripley

CRIME REVIEW – 29th April 2017

Spike Sanguinetti and his partner Peter run a small law firm in Gibraltar; Peter is keen to attract lucrative corporate work but Spike still does the odd criminal case. He is asked to defend Massetti, a man in court on assault charges. The accusation is withdrawn, but when a few days later the alcoholic Massetti is discharged from hospital, it seems Spike is the only one available to see him home.

While there, he finds newspaper cuttings relating to Massetti’s father, executed in 1940 following sabotage at the dockyard in which two British naval officers were killed. Those behind the action saw themselves as making ‘Mil Cortes’, a thousand cuts, small acts of resistance to British domination. Two people somehow involved with the group are well-known to Spike: Marcela, a local restaurant owner, and Sir Anthony Stanford-Trench, who acted as a surrogate father to Spike and whose son Drew was a childhood friend.

Spike does more research but has only partially uncovered the history when a series of shocking deaths suggest that someone is trying to eliminate anyone left alive from the time of the dockyard sabotage. Massetti is the obvious culprit, but CCTV shows him crossing the border to Spain, giving him an alibi. A diary anonymously sent to Spike suggests another with much to conceal: Sir Anthony. Spike has some difficult choices to make.

This, the fifth adventure for Sanguinetti, takes place entirely within Gibraltar. The Rock continues to appeal as a backdrop for events; a unique and exotic mix of races, language and culture with a substantial dollop of prosaic England thrown in. Spike as usual finds it difficult to resist the appeals made to his good nature, and gets into a good deal of trouble, but has the right stuff to carry him through. He comes across as a man with perhaps too much of a conscience for his own good.

Spike starts the book living in a poky flat with his eccentric father Rufus, his policewoman fiancée Jessica, and their adopted son Charlie. Jessica is pregnant and home life is as good as it gets for Spike, although they need larger accommodation – nothing they look at feels suitable – and he seems to carry a permanent sense of guilt about the lack of time he spends with his family.

As with previous books in the series, Thomas Mogford blends a number of plot lines together to make a book full of action. Spike’s unravelling of the wartime story, his cynicism about Drew and his political ambitions, his suspicions about his business partner and his concerns about his family are all woven into a compelling tale. The tension builds steadily to a great climax, making it very difficult to put down. Chris Roberts

BOOKLIST –May 2017

Bloomsbury, hardcover, $29.00.

The melancholy that has been hanging heavily on lawyer Spike Sanguinetti’s shoulders through four episodes in Mogford’s richly atmospheric, Gibraltar-set series appears to be lifting. He is engaged to policewoman Jessica Navarro, who is pregnant with the couple’s child, and while Spike is concerned about balancing his new responsibilities as husband and father with his ongoing role as caregiver to his own father, he is determined to look toward a happier future. Until the past intrudes again, this time in the form of an unsolved murder stretching back to 1940. Jumping between the present and wartime Gibraltar, Mogford unspools an intricate tale concerning Gibraltarian nationalists struggling to free themselves of British domination, even as the Nazis turn their eyes toward the strategic advantages of occupying a peninsula that almost bridges Europe and Africa. Throughout the series, Mogford has explored the multicultural tensions that define contemporary Gibraltar, and this time he ups the ante by adding a fascinating historical layer to that ambiguity-drenched cultural stew. Sanguinetti, naturally, feels caught in the middle as the riptide of present and past threaten to engulf him and those he loves. An essential international crime series.— Bill Ott

CRIME TIME MAGAZINE–July 2017

It is April 1940 and a bomb has been detonated in the Dockyards of Gibraltar. This surprise attack on the British results in the death of two Navy servicemen. The ensuing investigation finds a Spanish dockyard worker guilty of the crime and he is executed by hanging for their murder. In present day Gibraltar Christopher Massetti, who is the son of the hanged man, is being represented by lawyer Spike Sanguinetti after he has been charged with harassment against a local GP. Although Massetti appears to be an unsympathetic individual with a history of alcoholism and violence Spike feels an obligation to provide him with a fair chance of a defence in court. He also becomes increasingly interested in his father’s case and the murky circumstances surrounding it. As events progress Spike finds himself confronting dangerous information about his oldest friend Drew Stanford-Trench and his father Sir Anthony Stanford-Trench. The situation soon escalates following a couple of murders and everything appears to be linked to the events of April 1940. The British have always had something of a fascination with Gibraltar. During the Second World War Prime Minister Winston Churchill was said to have even been distracted from the Battle of Arnhem by the fact that Gibraltar’s ape population was in decline and that tradition stated that should the apes ever vanish from the Rock British rule would end. He gave strict instructions that action should be taken to ensure this never happened, although he gave no indication as to how this might be achieved. This is the fifth book in Thomas Mogford’s Spike Sanguinetti series and as ever Mogford does an impressive job of evoking the fascinating history and peculiar romance of its setting. From the apes living on the Rock itself, to its winding and sometimes seedy streets and the idiosyncratic local language of yanito, Mogford details a colourful and atmospheric backdrop to his crime thriller. Gibraltar’s war-time history is explored and the sometimes-strained relationship between its citizens and the British skilfully depicted. The combined influences of Spain, North Africa and the many peoples who have arrived at its shores all help to create an unusual and compelling backdrop for the story. Whilst the scale of Gibraltar’s history is often impressive Mogford is also equally skilled at exploring the minutiae of personal lives, family ties and relationships. As part of the overall story arc of the series Spike is to become a father and move into a new house at Catalan Bay and even this low-key aspect of the story is handled with a deft sensitivity by Mogford. Both intellectual and at times visceral in its impact A Thousand Cuts is another welcome addition to an extremely enjoyable and compelling series. Giles Morgan

A Thousand Cuts by Thomas Mogford Bloomsbury, £12.99, 9781408868508

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW–July 24th 2017

A Thousand Cuts
Thomas Mogford
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781632868459, $29.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Back in 1940, a bomb exploded killing two British soldiers patrolling the Gibraltar dockyards. A Spaniard was executed for the crime, yet protests his innocence to the very last. In the present day, Spike Sanguinetti finds himself defending the violent and alcoholic Christopher Massetti in a harassment case brought against him by the wealthy and respected Dr. Eloise Capurro. Yet the case isn’t as cut-and-dried as it first seems and Massetti walks free. Only days later, Dr. Capurro leaps to her death from a blazing house fire before Sanguinetti’s very eyes. Sanguinetti spots someone else watching, someone hiding in the shadows. Massetti. The further Sanguinetti investigates, the more secrets buried deep in Gibraltar’s past he uncovers, and they lead him to the doors of some of the most powerful people in town. People dangerously close to his own life and fragile happiness. Loyalties are tested to the very limit. “A Thousand Cuts” is another riveting novel from Thomas Mogford and showcases his genuine flair for originality and the creation of memorable characters embedded in a compelling story. While very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that “A Thousand Cuts” is also available in a digital book format ($6.15).

CRIMINAL ELEMENT– August 25th 2017

A Thousand Cuts by Thomas Mogford is the fifth Spike Sanguinetti novel, where a fatal explosion in the past and a series of brutal murders in the present question whether justice is being served for betrayals long hidden.

A Thousand Cuts, the fifth entry in Thomas Mogford’s Spike Sanguinetti series, offers readers a nuanced, multilayered narrative that shifts constantly while somehow retaining an overall balance between its elements. Coming in at a little over 350 pages, A Thousand Cuts is a satisfying read that offers something for fans of legal thrillers, history buffs, straight crime lovers, and mysteries.

Back in 1940, a bomb went off in Gibraltar, killing two British soldiers who were patrolling the dockyards that night. After a short investigation, a Spaniard was executed for the crime. Although the man spent time with the wrong crowd, he claimed to be innocent until his execution.

Fast-forward to the present day when Spike Sanguinetti is thrown into the defense of Christopher Massetti, a quiet man who’s also a violent alcoholic. Massetti has been charged with harassing Dr. Eloise Capurro and her recently deceased husband. From the start, the case is not what it seems. Dr. Capurro is either confused or lying, and whatever brought Massetti to visit Capurro’s husband at the hospital before his death is a mystery. The case ends shockingly fast, and Massetti walks free. But days later, Capurro is dead, and the real trouble begins. What follows is a tense story of hidden agendas, family secrets, and murder that also serves as an exploration of Gibraltar’s culture and history.

The first thing that stands out about this novel is the balancing act Mogford performs from cover to cover. There is plenty of drama but also a lot of action. There are passages dominated by dialogue but also high-octane explosions, a fire, and physical violence. The characters live private lives full of home and work minutiae, but they also participate in public life and have to perform in it depending on their role and status. There are hearsay and rumor but also official documents and memos. There are views of the highest echelons of Gibraltarian society, but the author also shows the lives of regular folks. Lastly, this is a story of the present but also one with deep roots in a past that—much like the history of the place—is constantly brought up in the narrative. The result is a novel that manages to simultaneously occupy a plethora of spaces while never losing sight of the darkness that lies at the core of the plot, the thing that set everything in motion:

Spike turned over the last document of the file, registering the twist of disgust in his gut as he stared down at the thick sheaf of A3 papers. So that was how it was done, he thought. That was how you orchestrated an execution.

Mogford is a talented storyteller, and this is most obvious in the way he shifts gears within the pages of A Thousand Cuts. Spike has a family life and a business life as well as the complications and responsibilities that come with and from the Massetti case, and the author manages all of them without allowing one to overpower the others. Everything that’s going on in the story receives the same amount of attention.

In fact, this attention to detail could arguably be considered the novel’s only drawback; describing in luxurious detail the meals consumed by the characters is probably unnecessary and does nothing to move the narrative forward. However, because the places in which these characters meet and discuss their problems are often restaurants, even the gastronomical descriptions fit in nicely with the rest of the story.

The last element that makes A Thousand Cuts an enjoyable read is the prose itself. From crisp dialogue and historical lessons to fast-paced action sequences and even moments of great violence, this is a novel that changes continuously. A great example comes early on when—after the case is apparently over and Spike is at a fancy event—Capurro plummets to her death during a devastating fire in Old Town:

The speed with which she fell was extraordinary, as though a guy rope had yanked her down towards earth. The crowd fell silent, and somehow the noise of the flames seem to quieten too, so that they all heard the hollow, sickening crump as she struck the pavement.

A Thousand Cuts is engrossing and vividly told. When it comes to international crime, we usually hear about great novels from the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, but this series from Gibraltar—which even uses the local language—is as good as anything coming from those places. Anyone looking for a tale of passionate agendas that ignore the passage of time should give this one a chance—just like anyone who’s looking to be entertained while they try to pull the truth from behind a very dark, fatal secret. Gabino Iglesias

THE OLIVE PRESS MAGAZINE –August 5th 2018

The fifth crime thriller in the series starring Spike Sanguinetti as a Gibby legal eagle willing to risk everything to protect his client. This time, a routine court case takes a sinister turn when he uncovers a WW2 conspiracy implicating some of Gibraltar’s most influential families. Lawyer-turned journalist Mogford has done his research, providing insight into life on the Rock past and present. And, for extra realism, his fictitious characters have genuine Gibraltarian surnames! The Guardian called it ‘shrewd and atmospheric Mediterranean noir’. Belinda Beckett