Krkavčí súd (slovensky) – Neuer Václav (2026)

This Slovak-language crime novel begins in late autumn, when a desperate homeless man breaks into an abandoned garden hut in a former allotment colony in search of shelter. What he finds there leaves him stunned. His discovery sets the police machinery in motion. Who are the two bound dead men in the cellar, and who tortured them so brutally before their deaths? Chief Inspector Peter Ledecký of the homicide department of the Bratislava police directorate seeks the answers with his closest colleagues. The experienced detective must devote all his time and energy to catching the perpetrator, despite facing serious problems in his personal life. A few days after the discovery in the hut, a high-ranking boss of the criminal underworld is shot in a nightclub. The boss escapes unharmed, but his bodyguard dies. After years, is another underworld war threatening the city? Will more gangsters die? The homicide detectives appear to have their hands full this season. Cases are multiplying, their clearance rate is falling alarmingly and senior officials are becoming nervous. Jakub Koreis, a police officer from the third district, fills the department’s last vacant position. The ambitious young man makes an unmistakable impression from the very first moment. Will he be the reinforcement the department has been hoping for? Krkavčí súd is a contemporary crime story. Drawing on his long experience, the author realistically portrays not only the atmosphere of the criminal underworld in the present-day capital, but also the homicide department, other police workplaces and the everyday work of detectives investigating the most serious crimes. He also gives readers a glimpse into their private lives, showing how the two sides of their existence affect each other. The story is a straightforward account of a crime, yet its main character, Chief Inspector Ledecký, also reflects on some of the social problems of the present day during the investigation. As in life, however, he finds answers to only a few of the questions.