“Do you sometimes hear so many good things about a film or a book that you keep postponing the title, practically certain of disappointment? It was like that this time – I was convinced that ‘Czerwień’ by Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak cannot be that addictive as they say and write… and yet! It’s a crime story with an interesting intrigue, efficiently combining the events of the 1990s and those taking place several years later,” I wrote in February 2020 on Instagram, where I share, among others: thoughts about the books you have read. Then I added:
A book with a full-blooded main character, written “soundly” (really good sentence rhythm) and with “tastes” about the details of the described world, relationships between characters and language that complement the work: it’s great entertainment. I’m looking forward to the next volume in the “Colors of Evil” series.
Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak planned a trilogy, but there are already four “Colors of Evil”
It is not without reason that the first volume of Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s crime series was included in my summary of the best books read in 2020. “Czerwień”, in which we met prosecutor Leopold Bilski and Anna Górska, is a gripping story about two confusingly similar victims. Is it possible that even though 17 years have passed since the first crime, it was committed by the same perpetrator?
And although some people pointed out that the detailed descriptions related to the investigation and various technical details slow down the pace a bit, I bought this style. In “Red”, the author takes us through history, showing it not only from Bilski’s perspective, but also, among others, judge Helena Bogucka, whose daughter is a victim of 1996, and Monika herself. Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak used a similar technique in subsequent volumes. However, in “Czernia”, the prosecutor is sent from Tricity to the provinces. Bilski is sent from Sopot to the prosecutor’s office in Kartuzy. Górska is also sent there due to the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl. In “Biela”, they both work in Sopot again. It begins with a young woman jumping from the window of a tenement house. It appears that she was beaten before her death. In this most promiscuous volume to date, the clues lead to the nightclub community.
Sobczak does not hide the fact that she is attracted to darkness. She is not afraid to write hard, including about sex. Also in “Yellow”, which was unexpectedly released in May this year (“The Colors of Evil” was initially supposed to be a trilogy), he goes into dark corners – both in purely criminal and psychological terms. Once again, we are dealing with a crime that might at first glance look like suicide, but clearly it is not. Bilski, who is definitely more in the foreground than Górska for most of the book this time, will learn his dark secrets by solving the mystery of the death of Błażej Konarski, who runs the seduction school.
Jakub Gierszał became the film prosecutor Bilski. And it’s a hit
It is not without reason that the release of “Yellow” coincided with the premiere of the Netflix series “The Color of Evil: Red”. When the idea for Bilski’s return came to her mind, Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak thought that the noise that might arise in connection with the production was a good time to return. And it’s a very good comeback! The story of Konarski, a sculptor with the gift of synesthesia and a popular Instagram trainer, a car gang, incels, violent relationships and more, is probably her best novel since “Czerwień”, although the writer generally always maintains her level.
And by the way, the film “Czerwień” with Jakub Gierszał and Maja Ostaszewska in the cast is definitely different from the book. During a conversation I had with the writer at the Vivelo book fair, Sobczak said that this was not how she imagined Bilski. “Her” prosecutor is older, more plowed by life. However, she assumed that screenwriters do not adapt the novel, but create a story based on it. Which, paradoxically, will not deprive those who liked the film of the opportunity to experience the novel’s surprises, and vice versa. And whoever gets into it can probably count on a sequel – that’s what I bet after reading “Yellow”. Maybe we’ll see more movies? Netflix should be happy with the first one. Right after its premiere, “Colors of Evil: Red” was the most watched film on the website, not only in Poland.
You can, of course, buy the paper version of Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s books, but then you have to be… patient. It turns out that the magic of (non)television works because the print run is sold out. “The first three parts of this series and the first part of the ‘Limits of Risk’ series – ‘Rustling’, sold out massively. On the one hand, I’m happy that thousands of people wanted to read my novels last week, and on the other… I’m heartbroken, I won’t lie, because at that moment there was a market shortage. The books are already in print and will appear again no later than June 30,” writes the author.
Fortunately, the books are also available in e-reader and listening versions – both on websites where you can buy files and on subscription services. The first audiobook is read by Sebastian Konrad, the next volumes of “The Colors of Evil” were recorded by Marcin Popczyński.
What else do we recommend?
Movie: If you haven’t seen it yet, of course “Colors of Evil: Red” on Netflix. And if you are looking for something much less dark, but also with a book origin, you can watch “Red, White & Royal Blue” on Amazon Prime. I recently watched this romance novel for the second time, the heroes of which are a British prince and the son of the president of the United States, and I came to the conclusion that it is .
Series: For those who prefer true crime to made-up plots, “Cursed: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” is, in my opinion, a must-see. More about the documentary series, the second season of which was released this year on HBO Max.
Book: If not Sobczak, then who? Maybe “Carnival” by Alicja Sinicka? (WAB) Here, as in “The Color of Evil”, some of the chapters are told in the present day, and some of them reveal secrets from 20 years ago. Amelia miraculously survived the “Scream”-like tragedy that took place in 2002 on the island of Czarci Ostrów. Now, however, it turns out that the threat appears again – almost like in the series of films “Defining Destiny”. It is not without reason that I refer to these horror classics, because the author skillfully uses these (and not only these) pop culture elements, transforming them into a gripping thriller.
Music: “Matylda/Łukasiewicz” had to wait a long time for the album – the first single was released many months ago. “Mother” has very interesting lyrics dealing with the themes of transience, death and mourning, plus good music. It’s worth checking out.
Comic book: Do you like Moomins? You probably know the animated series, maybe the books? And comics for adults? Tove Jansson created comic strips for Associated Newspapers from 1953. The first collected volume contains 11 stories, including: “The Robbers”, “Family Life” and “Moomintroll in Love”. So far, Egmont has released four parts.
The players are playing, the fans are cheering, but not everyone is following the European Football Championships taking place in Germany so closely. For those who are looking for other entertainment, every day we recommend something that we have watched, read or listened to, and we think is worth recommending to others. And if you are now in a football frenzy, save these texts for the second half of July, after Euro 2024. Just in time for the holidays. You can find all of them here.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
