Broken Voices is the first English-language book on Korea's rich folksong heritage, and the first major study of the effects of Japanese colonialism on the intangible heritage of its former colony. Folksongs and other music traditions continue to be prominent in South Korea, which today is better known for its technological prowess and the Korean Wave of popular entertainment. In 2009, many Koreans reacted with dismay when China officially recognized the folksong Arirang, commonly regarded as the national folksong in North and South Korea, as part of its national intangible cultural heritage. They were vindicated when versions from both sides of the DMZ were included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity a few years later. At least on a national level, folksongs thus carry significant political importance. But what are these Korean folksongs about, and who has passed them on over the years, and how? Broken Voices describes how the major repertoires were transmitted and performed in and around Seoul. It sheds light on the training and performance of professional entertainment groups and singers, including kisaeng, the entertainment girls often described as Korean geisha. Personal stories of noted singers describe how the colonial period, the media, the Korean War, and personal networks have affected work opportunities and the standardization of genres. As the object of resentment (and competition) and a source of creative inspiration, the image of Japan has long affected the way in which Koreans interpret their own culture. Roald Maliangkay describes how an elaborate system of heritage management was first established in modern Korea and for what purposes. His analysis uncovers that folksong traditions have changed significantly since their official designation; one major change being gender representation and its effect on sound and performance. Ultimately, Broken Voices raises an important issue of cultural preservation-traditions that fail to attract practitioners and audiences are unsustainable, so compromises may be unwelcome, but imperative.

In the third book of the Andalusian Mystery Series, DI Leon Prado with translators, American videographer Amanda Salisbury, and ex-British soldier Phillip Armitage, continue their hunt for an elusive criminal mastermind and investigate an intriguing new case in the world of Flamenco. Salome Mendosa was adopted as a baby and knows nothing of her roots. Her idyllic life as one of Spain's top Flamenco dancers is turned upside down when she is invited to a lawyer's office in the ancient town of Velez-Malaga to receive information concerning her birth family. Desperate but nervous to learn of her heritage, she begs Amanda Salisbury, her former college roommate, to accompany her. Salome's ancestors were not as angelic as she'd wished for. A poisonous legend concerning her late grandfather leads them on a dangerous journey back to the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, pits them against the local gypsy community, and seriously strains their relationship.