Review of The Demichellis Case

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Demichellis Case" by Francisco Marín.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In The Demichellis Case by Francisco Marín, an area of the Cap Martinet, a suburb of Ibiza, experienced three robberies in the spring of 2012. The victims of these robberies were all women who had been anesthetized with chloroform. When, on the 3rd of May 2012, a thirty-year-old nurse, Ms. Ana López Demichellis, failed to show up for her shift at work, her sister would later find her dead in her apartment. After Eduardo Ribas was picked up around that area, he confessed to the robberies and the murder of Ana López. Civil Guard's Judicial Police Unit was eager to close up the case. However, when Raúl Ballesteros, a criminal attorney for many years, was called in to defend the accused, he found merely circumstantial evidence against his client. However, the pertinent questions were: why was the Civil Guard's Judicial Police Unit not investigating other suspects? Was Eduardo Ribas guilty of the crimes? Was there some shady plot at work?

The author narrated the story in simple language. The plot unfolded with enough suspense and intrigue. There was little waiting to be done, as the story started at the heart of the plot. The author presented readers with a case to be solved and carried them on a suspenseful journey of piecing together the puzzles he had provided.

The author's collection of characters was a dynamic group of people that surprised with their tenacity. Raúl Ballesteros was a slightly disillusioned attorney whose complacency was confronted by a need to serve justice. Raúl Ballesteros wasn't the usual depiction of a ruthless and cutthroat attorney who defended the underworld of criminals. He was savvy but had an unusual shyness and timidity for characters like his. Nevertheless, he was a lovable character. Unfortunately, his shine was taken by his childhood friend, Paco Marín, for nothing more than the reason that Paco's character presented a romanticized image of the ideal life that many might covet. Álex Zarco, the private investigator that worked on the case, was a homosexual whose character appeared to be a symbol dispelling existing stereotypes and presumptions about homosexuals. There was a vulnerability to the characters in The Demichellis Case, including the supposed villains, that could arouse readers' compassion.

The storytelling contained succinct discussions about life, laws, dreams, sexuality, and even mortality. The most profound insights were into the discussions on domestic violence and the laws that govern the perpetration of violence against women. There were also insights into the inherent weakness in those laws that might not be limited to the laws of the country in which the story was set but might be an underlying issue with many laws of other countries. One of the weaknesses of the laws was the oversight when it came to providing equal protection from violence for the male gender.

The story made an entertaining read. It wasn't as intense as the stories in movies like How to Get Away with Murder, but it carried a similar vibe to the story in the movie Marshall. There was also some amusing character dialogue that added to the fun of reading The Demichellis Case. The book was professionally edited. Fans of legal and crime thrillers would best appreciate it. Even though I expected more intensity, I wouldn't penalize the book for it. Therefore, I'd rate The Demichellis Case five out of five stars.

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The Demichellis Case
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[Oluchi23]

The title of the book is seems to interest me so much with the beautiful pictured on the cover page. I must add it to my bookshelf ASAP

[Elina Tshabalala]

It's quite rare to find a serial perpetrator who admits to a crime almost immediately without giving investigators the run-around. Eduardo admitted guilt too quickly, it's definitely suspicious. Thanks for the review!

[NetMassimo]

A mystery in which the perpetrator is apparently found easily tends to hide twists that are revealed throughout the story. In this case, the author also addresses some issues connected to domestic violence and the laws that are supposed to punish who commits them. Thank you for your great review!