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The Broom of God John Bragg 9780996452908 Books

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THE BROOM OF GOD is a finalist for the Mountain Fiction Award at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. Patagonia. Chile. A world famous mountaineer is found murdered in basecamp near an unexplored group of mountains on the edge of the Patagonian Icecap. Inspector Juan Antonio Paz is sent from the capital city of Santiago to investigate, an investigation that will pit him against the wild landscape of Patagonia, the tumultuous and violent political history of Chile, and the dark secrets of an isolated village. And will test him in ways he never knew possible. Patagonia a land of myth, of soaring granite towers, tremendous glaciers, vast lakes, of rugged beauty and hidden cruelty, and a wind so strong it is called the Broom of God.

The Broom of God John Bragg 9780996452908 Books

The first big surprise for me in John Bragg's The Broom of God was that the climbing part, a scary "epic," as climbers would call it, turned so quickly into a page-turner of a murder mystery in which climbing was just one of many factors driving the action. From gaucho culture to the remembered atrocities buried in the politics and history of Chile and Argentina to the harsh Patagonia storms, suspense is maintained throughout as a variety of carefully drawn characters - the police, the investigators, a mayor and several reclusive loners - weave a narrative via personalities that, like the four American climbers, each have their own ambitions, flaws and secrets. The result is a gripping who-done-it that never lets up.
On this expedition, the dangers spring up, as real dangers often do, as much from the conflicting motivations and relative maturities of the climbers as from the difficulties of the climbing itself. On their "warm up" climb, bad choices are made, a couple of team members crack under pressure and fatigue, and the group is lucky to get down without a serious accident. Then on the real climb they had come from America to do, which would have been a plum first ascent, for some reason the leader turns back early, goes down alone and winds up dead, not due to a climbing accident, but murdered with his own ice axe. Shocking and bizarre as that turn of events is, especially to climbers, Bragg is careful to follow only the natural paths of the characters he creates, neither overstating nor understating what drives them, such that the reader never feels that actions or events are strained or out of place, no matter how bizarre they are.
Following the evidence and dispassionately observing the potential suspects is the chief investigator, Juan Antonio Paz. A "true detective" character with his own strengths and flaws, Paz quickly delves into the personalities and histories of the climbers prior to joining the expedition and discovers that this is no ordinary group of friends who came to do a significant first ascent, although it could have been that. But from the murdered leader of the team to the hidden motives of each of the climbers for joining the expedition, it soon is clear to Paz that he can't rule any of them out as a suspect. Nor, it seems, as we learn from each of their often separate and perhaps intentionally secret interactions with the locals, can Paz rule all of them out, either. This all makes for a fascinating read that is hard to put down as the ways this murder could have been committed are fleshed out, including, as perhaps appropriate for climbers bent on first ascents, an impossible scenario or two.
One thing that didn't surprise me is the careful attention to phrasing and sequencing that is always just right for what needs to be revealed at the moment, resulting in an unhurried style of narration that is extraordinarily easy to read in spite of the sometimes technical or otherwise unfamiliar subject matter that must be covered, ranging from ice cave digging to geology to environmental politics to mining. That even on this first novel, Bragg managed to muster these skills did not surprise me because he always had a justified reputation for patience and persistence when working out details on difficult climbs and first ascents, a number of which I had the privilege of joining him on in the 1970s.
The climb Kansas City, for example, is a massive overhang in the Shawangunks of New York that Bragg did the first free ascent of in 1973. It is a fifteen-foot roof that certainly looked impossible to me then and, I believe, also looked impossible to everyone else climbing in the Gunks at the time. But Bragg, sensing that he had the unique combination of body and mind to do it, came back to it over and over and worked and worked on it, with me and others belaying him, until he thought he might finally have the sequence in mind that could put it all together. He did. And in late fall he led it with me belaying and then following to clean the gear (entirely on aid in my case) as the first snowflakes of that year swirled around us. I believed in '73 that Kansas City might well have been the hardest climb in the country, and was certainly one that I would never be able to do.
This book, it seems to me, is another instance where Bragg has sensed his unique advantage, to tell a gripping tale of Patagonia in this case, and worked and worked on it until it came together. Whether you are a climber or a lover of murder mysteries or just adventure novels, you will enjoy The Broom of God.
But more than that, Patagonia in Bragg's portrayal has a life of its own, a place with its own creation myth where the constant wind that gives the book its title blows life, drama and challenge into the personal, political and cultural divisions that tangle in its domain, all of which become tools to move the plot along. But like any life, elements of Patagonia are aging, too. So from the receding glaciers to the damming of its rivers to provide electricity to far away cities, to the fading economics of the gaucho's way of life, and even to the strange ulterior motives of the climbers, Bragg brings the reader vividly close to a place and modes of adventure for which he has great love, but that are fading away. While all of this makes for a fast-paced thriller as the characters are revealed in the search for the killer, the same detailed portrayal of people and places and histories driving plot leaves the reader wanting more of these characters after it is over, which in my case made for a very enjoyable second read of this exciting book.
The second big surprise for me was that the finale was so deeply moving the second time around, for reasons having nothing to do with the climbing or the murder mystery, that I had to admit I was on a whole new plane of experience than I thought I was on, and had probably been on that plane during the whole time I thought I was only reading a murder mystery. Bragg's portrayal of this heroic place, its people and culture, their living and dying, evoke an emotional response that makes the mystery all the more compelling even as it takes the book far beyond its category.

Product details Paperback 412 pages Publisher Backroad Press (September 2, 2015) Language English ISBN-10 0996452907

Tags : The Broom of God [John Bragg] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. THE BROOM OF GOD is a finalist for the Mountain Fiction Award at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. Patagonia. Chile. A world famous mountaineer is found murdered in basecamp near an unexplored group of mountains on the edge of the Patagonian Icecap. Inspector Juan Antonio Paz is sent from the capital city of Santiago to investigate,John Bragg,The Broom of God,Backroad Press,0996452907,Mystery; Patagonia; Climbing,FICTION Mystery & Detective International Mystery & Crime
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The Broom of God John Bragg 9780996452908 Books Reviews

A compelling read, an absorbing murder mystery intricately plotted, diverse and interesting characters, a wonderful evocation of a people, a place, and the way the tragic and brutal history of Chile has shaped the lives of the characters and the country. I liked the self-doubting but dogged and principled Inspector Juan Antonio Paz, and the way the author powerfully evokes the harshly beautiful land and wild weather of Patagonia. A terrific adventure.
set in the unforgiving terrain of Patagonia, John Bragg weaves a wonderful cast of local characters in a who done it mystery involving three American climbers. Not just for climbing enthusiasts,the novel explores the rugged terrain, characters and politics of Patagonia. the book is engaging and delightful as the mystery unfolds and evolves. The rugged landscape is always in the background as are the local customs and people. a couple of twists and turns and the ending delivers.
This is a very fine book with many dimensions of fascination. A compelling, can't-put-it-down plot, and even more important, well-developed characters whose humanity you come to care about as the story unfolds. The author's love for, and deep knowledge of, Patagonia are clear in his images of the environment and in his evocation of the culture. This is a book written by a man whose own maturity shines through his writing, evidence of a life well lived. The world he creates here is a wonderful place to visit.
John Bragg’s The Broom of God is an engaging, contemporary tale of murder, mystery and mayhem in the wilds of Patagonia. Beginning with the killing of an American mountain climber, the story quickly expands into a complicated investigation by Chilean authorities and brings in local characters, Patagonian culture and geography and even the darker aspects of Chile’s chilling history. The pace quickens, the plot thickens, and the story gets resolved with surprising twists and turns. Bragg’s characters are fully formed and make for a fascinating read from beginning to end.
I loved this book. John Bragg obviously has a strong sense of, and love for, Patagonia, and this comes through in the book. It starts with the murder of a climber, and knowing that Bragg is an avid climber I expected there to be a lot of climbing detail in the book, but fortunately there is very little. Instead, the main character is Inspector Paz, who is sent from Santiago to solve the murder. This allows Bragg to explore themes of place, of history, of injustice, and of the brutal events after the CIA sponsored installation of the dictator Pinochet on September 11, 1973. But the book is not heavy-handed in any way. Instead, the exploration flows naturally from the easy unfolding of the story. And not only is the book evocative of the way of life in this remote part of Chile, but it’s also a great whodunit.
This is a very good story--weaving together the history of Patagonia, the political drama of Chile under Pinochet and afterwards, the rugged and resourceful people of Patagonia, the terrain and weather that dominates southern Chile and a strong cast of characters including a team of gringo climbers--all elements of an engrossing murder mystery. A very good read.
Decent characters. Competent writing. Good sense of place. Enjoyed it while on a trekking vacation to many of the places mentioned. But the plot threads do not weave together for a satisfying conclusion. Alas.
The first big surprise for me in John Bragg's The Broom of God was that the climbing part, a scary "epic," as climbers would call it, turned so quickly into a page-turner of a murder mystery in which climbing was just one of many factors driving the action. From gaucho culture to the remembered atrocities buried in the politics and history of Chile and Argentina to the harsh Patagonia storms, suspense is maintained throughout as a variety of carefully drawn characters - the police, the investigators, a mayor and several reclusive loners - weave a narrative via personalities that, like the four American climbers, each have their own ambitions, flaws and secrets. The result is a gripping who-done-it that never lets up.
On this expedition, the dangers spring up, as real dangers often do, as much from the conflicting motivations and relative maturities of the climbers as from the difficulties of the climbing itself. On their "warm up" climb, bad choices are made, a couple of team members crack under pressure and fatigue, and the group is lucky to get down without a serious accident. Then on the real climb they had come from America to do, which would have been a plum first ascent, for some reason the leader turns back early, goes down alone and winds up dead, not due to a climbing accident, but murdered with his own ice axe. Shocking and bizarre as that turn of events is, especially to climbers, Bragg is careful to follow only the natural paths of the characters he creates, neither overstating nor understating what drives them, such that the reader never feels that actions or events are strained or out of place, no matter how bizarre they are.
Following the evidence and dispassionately observing the potential suspects is the chief investigator, Juan Antonio Paz. A "true detective" character with his own strengths and flaws, Paz quickly delves into the personalities and histories of the climbers prior to joining the expedition and discovers that this is no ordinary group of friends who came to do a significant first ascent, although it could have been that. But from the murdered leader of the team to the hidden motives of each of the climbers for joining the expedition, it soon is clear to Paz that he can't rule any of them out as a suspect. Nor, it seems, as we learn from each of their often separate and perhaps intentionally secret interactions with the locals, can Paz rule all of them out, either. This all makes for a fascinating read that is hard to put down as the ways this murder could have been committed are fleshed out, including, as perhaps appropriate for climbers bent on first ascents, an impossible scenario or two.
One thing that didn't surprise me is the careful attention to phrasing and sequencing that is always just right for what needs to be revealed at the moment, resulting in an unhurried style of narration that is extraordinarily easy to read in spite of the sometimes technical or otherwise unfamiliar subject matter that must be covered, ranging from ice cave digging to geology to environmental politics to mining. That even on this first novel, Bragg managed to muster these skills did not surprise me because he always had a justified reputation for patience and persistence when working out details on difficult climbs and first ascents, a number of which I had the privilege of joining him on in the 1970s.
The climb Kansas City, for example, is a massive overhang in the Shawangunks of New York that Bragg did the first free ascent of in 1973. It is a fifteen-foot roof that certainly looked impossible to me then and, I believe, also looked impossible to everyone else climbing in the Gunks at the time. But Bragg, sensing that he had the unique combination of body and mind to do it, came back to it over and over and worked and worked on it, with me and others belaying him, until he thought he might finally have the sequence in mind that could put it all together. He did. And in late fall he led it with me belaying and then following to clean the gear (entirely on aid in my case) as the first snowflakes of that year swirled around us. I believed in '73 that Kansas City might well have been the hardest climb in the country, and was certainly one that I would never be able to do.
This book, it seems to me, is another instance where Bragg has sensed his unique advantage, to tell a gripping tale of Patagonia in this case, and worked and worked on it until it came together. Whether you are a climber or a lover of murder mysteries or just adventure novels, you will enjoy The Broom of God.
But more than that, Patagonia in Bragg's portrayal has a life of its own, a place with its own creation myth where the constant wind that gives the book its title blows life, drama and challenge into the personal, political and cultural divisions that tangle in its domain, all of which become tools to move the plot along. But like any life, elements of Patagonia are aging, too. So from the receding glaciers to the damming of its rivers to provide electricity to far away cities, to the fading economics of the gaucho's way of life, and even to the strange ulterior motives of the climbers, Bragg brings the reader vividly close to a place and modes of adventure for which he has great love, but that are fading away. While all of this makes for a fast-paced thriller as the characters are revealed in the search for the killer, the same detailed portrayal of people and places and histories driving plot leaves the reader wanting more of these characters after it is over, which in my case made for a very enjoyable second read of this exciting book.
The second big surprise for me was that the finale was so deeply moving the second time around, for reasons having nothing to do with the climbing or the murder mystery, that I had to admit I was on a whole new plane of experience than I thought I was on, and had probably been on that plane during the whole time I thought I was only reading a murder mystery. Bragg's portrayal of this heroic place, its people and culture, their living and dying, evoke an emotional response that makes the mystery all the more compelling even as it takes the book far beyond its category.