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Book review: On Guard by Karl Vadaszffy

I received a copy of Karl Vadaszffy’s new book On Guard to review after enjoying a previous book, The Missing. I’m a big fan of the crime genre, and if a book covers relationships, history and an activity I know nothing about, it’s great to learn something new without having to study it specifically.


On Guard is set in the fencing world. I don’t know much about fencing, and not that much about the world wars, so through the novel I now feel a lot closer to these worlds and events.

Detective Michael Varga, the main character, is really likeable – he doesn’t do anything during the book to put me off like so many other characters do. His relationship with his father, a Hungarian fencing maestro, is strained and pressured, but there’s still the strong familial bond that draws them together.

Michael sets out to investigate who from his father’s past is killing off women in his fencing club.  The pace is good, and you can almost feel that you’re in the setting with them, through the fencing bouts or undertaking the search back to the past.

It’s interesting to ponder who’s on the shortlist for the murders, and the tally adds up. I really enjoyed the book – likeable characters, everyday life and habits mixed with the glamour and history of past success and trauma, definitely makes it a book I’d be happy to pick up and read again.

You can buy the book from Amazon in Kindle or paperback format.

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Disclosure: I received a copy of the book to review.  All words and opinions are my own.

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