Reyes Calderons Lola MacHor Series

the long version

In spite of the fact that detective fiction has been the most popular genre utilized by Spanish authors over the last thirty or so years, the female detective has appeared in such works on relatively rare occasions. Less frequent are Spanish female authors of detective fiction who employ a female detective as their main character. One author who has broken this stereotype is Reyes Calderón, with her female juez de instrucción (examining magistrate), originally created because the author was convinced that one popular, female, main character detective that did exist was simply 2a man who was wearing a skirt3 (interview with author). With the creation of her Basque character who, over the series, evolves from law-school professor to member of the Spanish Supreme Court, Calderón is able to 2design a normal woman who confronts abnormal situations3 (interview with author). Through such, Reyes Calderón aptly portrays both how far Spanish women have come since the days/restrictions of the Franco dictatorship but yet how remnants of conservative thought still pervade their mindset. She thus uses the most popular of genres to make a myriad of cultural observations concerning her native country and the women of 2her generation.3 This book focuses on the female detective in Hispanic literature; the Lola MacHor Series, where via the main character Lola, Calderón is conducting a cultural studies experiment/explanation of modern-day Spain; concomitant issues of characterization and Calderón{u2019}s debt to Naturalism; Spanish novel writing and narrative style; and the pervading conservative/feminist dichotomy as it transpires in Spanish social commentary and moralizing. -- From publisher's website.