Vrelec življenja by Avgust Demšar (Založba Pivec)

Vitalni upokojenec Martin Vrenko se odpravi na rehabilitacijo v toplice. Tam sreča živopisno družbo;  izjemno klepetavi opravljivki, milijonarja, družino z narcisoidnim patriarhom na čelu, celo bivšo punco sreča. Kako je svet majhen! No, pa saj vemo da je Slovenija Dolina Šentflorjanska.

Vrenko se ukvarja s terapijami, sudokujem, da čas hitreje mine pa še kakšno pokadi. Pridruži se mu žena Mojca, ki v savni odkrije mrtveca in Vrenko takoj posumi na umor. Družinski člani umrlega in vodstvo zdravilišča pa se z njim ne strinjajo. A Vrenko ne odneha, smrti želi priti do dna.

Vrelec življenja žal ni na nivoju, kot smo ga vajeni iz drugih Demšarjevih del. Zgodba je predvidljiva, kratka, kar skuša avtor na silo podaljšati z raznimi tehnikalijami iz kriminalističnega sveta, tudi liki niso preveč globoki in detajlno opisani. Demšar se sicer ukvarja s starimi travmami in družinskimi odnosi, a žal vse skupaj ostane pri osnovah. Tudi žena Mojca ostaja v senci.

Gre za res lahkotno kriminalko, ravno pravšnjo za branje ob bazenu v toplicah, ko človek ni povsem z glavo pri branju.

3/5

English version

Vital, retired Martin Vrenko, heads to a spa for rehabilitation. There, he encounters a colorful cast: exceptionally chatty gossips, a millionaire, a family led by a narcissistic patriarch, and even an ex-girlfriend. What a small world! 

Vrenko occupies himself with therapies, sudoku to pass the time faster, and the occasional smoke. His wife Mojca joins him, discovering a corpse in the sauna, which immediately arouses Vrenko's suspicions of murder. The deceased's family and spa management disagree with him. But Vrenko persists, determined to get to the bottom of the death.

Unfortunately, Vrelec življenja doesn't reach the level of Demšar's other works. The plot is predictable and brief, which the author artificially stretches with various forensic techniques; the characters also lack depth and detailed portrayal. Demšar touches on old traumas and family dynamics, but it all remains superficial. Even Mojca stays in the background.

This is a truly light crime novel, perfect for poolside reading at a spa when one's not fully focused.