Rakova djeca

"The Children of Cancer" is a notable crime novel by one of the most prolific and widely read contemporary Croatian writers, Pavle Pavličić. In this tense and skillfully structured work, the author once again places his recognizable investigative duo at the center of the plot — journalist and crime editor Ivo Remetin and his longtime friend, police inspector Šoštar. The plot begins with an unusual and seemingly unrelated sequence of events in Zagreb. Remetin unexpectedly becomes involved in the investigation when he notices suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of three completely different people who are connected only by one tragic fact — all three were suffering from advanced cancer. It seems pointless to direct a crime against people who are already dying, but the investigative pair soon realizes that behind the crime lies a deeper, darker motive and a carefully developed plan of the perpetrator. Through the recognizable atmosphere of Zagreb streets, hospital corridors and newspaper offices, Pavličić builds a slow but extremely tense rhythm of the investigation in which ethical issues, human suffering, autocracies and the limits of morality are questioned. Written in the author's recognizable style - characterized by fluent storytelling, polished dialogues and refined psychological characterization of the characters - the novel "Rakova djeca" represents a superb example of Croatian urban crime fiction that successfully combines the dynamics of the genre with a deeper insight into human nature.