Another case for Commissioner Výrová, a favourite of Czech readers and TV audiences.

Crime/Detective, Literary fiction

In this fourth volume, Chief Commissioner Marie Výrová, “the Great Owl”, is investigating a night-time burglary in a zoo, which has resulted in the murder of a caretaker and the theft of three North American bears. However, the commissioner’s opponent is stronger than she has reckoned on. In 2016, Jan Hřebejk’s television adaptation came first in the iDNES.cz readers’ poll for best television film and mini-series. The subsequent novelized version, however, offers a different ending to the case. Once again the author demonstrates his narrative qualities and ability to realistically portray his characters, as well as his knowledge of his native Olomouc and the town of Šternberk, where the plot takes place. Five Dead Dogs is also a detective novel which is socially aware: illegal dog fights, corrupt police officers…

Michal Sýkora (1971) is a novelist. He made his debut in 2012 with the detective novel Případ pro exorcistu (A Case for an Exorcist), where Chief Commissioner Marie Výrová first appears. This was followed by two further instalments, Modré stíny (Blue Shadows, 2013) and Ještě není konec (It’s Not Over Yet, 2016). Sýkora’s novels became the basis for a successful television series, which is being broadcast by Czech Television under the title Detektivové od Nejsvětější Trojice (Detectives from the Holy Trinity). He also wrote another Marie Výrová case solely for television called Živé terče (Live Targets).