Starred review from December 16, 2024
Themes of death, violence, and injustice are woven through these 11 subtle yet thrilling tales from Batacan, several of which feature Father Augusto Saenz, the hero of her novel Smaller and Smaller Circles. A Jesuit priest and professor of forensic anthropology who occasionally assists the Manila police, Saenz is asked in “No. 1 Pencil” to interview a young woman who might be involved in her stepmother’s death. “Comforter of the Afflicted” finds him investigating a violent killing only to discover a woman’s hidden life as a savior to female abuse victims. Elsewhere, Batacan delivers crime stories that shade into domestic drama or speculative fiction. “Accidents Happen” revolves around the supposed death of a powerful politician’s son, the explanation for which is more complicated than it initially appears. Other entries feature a sentient knife and vengeful ghosts. Impressively, these tales feel both firmly tethered to their Philippines setting and universal in their portrayal of how violence haunts people’s lives. This excellent and elliptical collection will stay with readers long after they turn the final page. Agents: Jayapriya Vasudevan and Helen Mangham, Jacaranda Literary.
February 15, 2025
Eleven tales of shady shenanigans set in the Philippines. Batacan's collection is rooted in violence and crimes of all varieties, but is not singularly focused on them. Many of the stories are astute character studies wrapped in illicit activity. The sardonically noir "Harvest"--which begins with an arresting sentence: "They're very easy, white men"--follows an equivocal woman's perspective on the brutal aftermath of a bar seduction. An illuminating sense of place runs through the entire collection. Elderly forensic anthropologist Father Augusto "Gus" Saenz, the Jesuit sleuth in Batacan's award-winning debut novel, Smaller and Smaller Circles (2002), appears in two stories, unraveling a twisty murder plot involving a young musical genius in "No. 1 Pencil" and probing a more straightforward case of domestic violence in "Comforter of the Afflicted." "The Gyutou" cheekily follows the odyssey of a chef's knife until it lands in the hands of a distressed woman named Samantha, with violent results. "Promises To Keep" tracks a doomed romance that begins in the Philippines but travels to Europe for its bracing conclusion. In the complex title story, the kidnapping and possible murder of an influential politician's son is a MacGuffin for a large-scale portrait of his wealthy parents, their employees, and the isolated boy himself. Batacan never writes the same story twice. An engrossing collection.
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