I love husband and wife detective stories, so I eagerly picked up "The Empty coffin." However, my hopes were soon dashed. Vera Sloan is portrayed as a bored housewife who decides to help her marriage by becoming her policeman husband's detecting partner. From this unrealistic beginning, the plot proceeds. When the story centers on Sam Sloan and the police department, it's enjoyable. But Vera is such a nagging, temper-tantrum throwing shrew that I found it hard to keep in sight that she did have a point about her husband working far too much. Add a precocious child who spouts wisdom far beyond her years to the mix and I found myself gritting my teeth. I don't know how long it has been since the author has been around small children, but the dialogue wasn't at all realistic for a child.
As I said, I wanted to like this story... but I just couldn't.

As a high school student, I find this book to be quite simplistic and not as helpful as other Spanish texts. It goes as far at some points as to insult my intelligence. I would strongly suggest another Spanish program.

The author is a researcher at the University of Belgrade, and seems unable to extricate himself from the intellectual constraints of his position. The first half of the book deals with 'self-management' and the bureaucratization of the Communist Party: valid themes, no doubt, but hardly key elements of an explanation of the war. When he finally turns to the break-up of Yugoslavia, he begins with a grossly Serb-nationalist account of the Kosovo question; thereafter all blame is placed on Slovenes, Croats, etc.