Newly published Croatian crime novel – Mother of Sorrows by Jurica Pavičić
Calling all fans of crime fiction! This month will see the English-language publication of Mother of Sorrows, the latest novel from Croatian author Jurica Pavičić. The book comes out on 25th June 2026, published as a paperback original by Bitter Lemon Press, and will be priced at £10.99.
Mother of Sorrows is a tale of community and family in Split, set against the backdrop of violent murder. A real page-turner, I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves crime novels or thrillers…and especially so if you are acquainted with Croatia’s second city. (You will recognise many of the locations used in the book) A truly intriguing novel, you will find it hard to put down as the story deepens and more of the central characters is chipped away.
If you’re keen to get your hands on this intriguing novel, Bitter Lemon Press has given Visit Croatia three copies of Mother of Sorrows to give away – read on below to find out how to enter the competition. Otherwise, you can already pre-order a copy on Amazon.
About Mother of Sorrows
The story revolves around the violent murder of a teenage girl, the daughter of a respected doctor, whose body is found by Inspector Zvone in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Split. Shocking the local community, the event deeply affects Katja, her daughter, Ines, and son Mario. Katja has faced tragedy in her life and is now trying her best to keep her family afloat. Ines works the reception desk of a fancy tourist hotel in Split and has her own secrets to keep. Son Mario is drifting in life and doesn’t spend his days doing much of anything.
After this horrific event, each of the family members is forced to confront truths they would rather keep buried. In the gloom of the post-season period, suspicions begin to deepen, and loyalties that normally link close family bonds start to unravel. Mother of Sorrows becomes a devastating exploration of love, guilt, and denial and asks the questions: what are we willing to sacrifice to protect those we love—and what are the consequences when we do?
Mother of Sorrows is written by Jurica Pavičić (born 1965), a Croatian writer, scriptwriter and journalist based in Split. He is the author of seven novels, two collections of short stories and essays. With his work translated into five languages, Red Water (published in 2025) was his first novel to be translated into English and has been shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. The book was also the winner of Le Point European Crime Fiction Prize, one of the Best Books of the Year 2025 (Financial Times) and selected as the Best Crime Fiction of 2025 (The Times/Sunday Times).
Mother of Sorrows has been translated into English by Matt Robinson, a former foreign correspondent with Reuters. Now working as a freelance editor and literary translator, he lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He also translated Red Water for Bitter Lemon Press.
Win a copy of Mother of Sorrows!
Visit Croatia is lucky enough to have three copies of Mother of Sorrows to give away. Simply head over to Visit Croatia on Instagram to find out how to win and to enter the competition. Good luck!
