Book Review of Mother of Sorrows by Jurica Pavicic (trans Matt Robinson

 

Name of Book: Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa in original)

Author: Jurica Pavicic 

ISBN: 978-1-916725-31-7

Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press

Type of book: Psychological thriller, secrets, murder, Croatia, 2020s, siblings, family ties, loyalty, blood, discovery, choices, post communism  

Year it was published: 2026 (2022 originally)

Summary:

A masterful psychological mystery novel about the unbearable weight of maternal love, and the silences that shape a nation. In the quiet aftermath of Split's tourist season, the city is shaken by the brutal murder of 17-year-old Viktorija.

As the investigation unfolds, suspicion falls on Mario, a withdrawn young man whose mother, Katja, and sister, Ines, grapple with the possibility of his guilt. Katja's maternal instincts drive her to shield her son at all costs, while Ines is torn between loyalty and a quest for truth. Through the perspectives of Katja, Ines, and the diligent yet overlooked detective Zvone, Mother of Sorrows delves into the complexities of familial bonds, moral dilemmas, and the shadows of Croatia's past. Jurica Pavičić crafts a haunting narrative that intertwines personal tragedy with societal critique, painting a portrait of a nation still healing from its historical wounds.

Characters:

The main characters are Ines, Katja and Zvone. Ines is perhaps the dominant voice in the book, a dominant and responsible sister who works in a hotel to support her mother and brother. She is also torn between "doing the right thing" and family loyalty and is trying to deal with a mess that her life ultimately became. Katja is Ines' mother who is very loyal to her family and will do what she can to protect her children, in particular her son Mario. She and Ines often take the position of ostriches in fear, that is its better not to know.  I really feel as if I couldn't understand Zvone in the book, or perhaps his purpose to the story? I know that he is a detective who is forced to take care of his father and also tends to be at loggerheads with some of his co-workers. He is perhaps more interested in justice rather than the person's humanity, in my opinion or my reading of him. 

Theme:

Secrets are devastating

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative from Ines's, Katja's and Zvone's points of view. The story begins with when Ines and her brother Mario are children and she thought she had lost him in a beach, only to discover that he wasn't lost after all. Next section begins with Katja, Ines' mother in setting up a scene on what happened almost twenty years after that event, with them living in semi-poverty, with Ines working in a hotel and Mario being a restless man. (I really feel that Zvone was very under-utilized in the novel.) and then the psychological drama begins of what happens when secrets come into play. This book is more of a psychological drama rather than an actual mystery, which was definitely a cool read. (Again, very similar to JOURNEY TO THE MIDNIGHT SUN) 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

N/A

Opinion:

In an odd way reading MOTHER OF SORROWS was reverse to reading CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, in that while in CRIME AND PUNISHMENT the reader lives inside Raskolnikov's head and watches the effects of murder affect him, in this one we see the psychology of those who know the killer, that of the mother and sister as well as a police officer (very similar to JOURNEY TO THE MIDNIGHT SUN, a Japanese crime thriller) Having said that, its actually an enjoyable read, although I really did want to know whether or not the character has killed along with why it was done. There is a sense of entrapment in living with that type of secret and one really hopes that the characters made peace with themselves. 

This was given for review

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)