by Dolores Redondo (Author)
A killer at large in a remote Basque Country valley , a detective to rival Clarice Starling, myth versus reality, masterful storytelling - the Spanish bestseller that has taken Europe by storm. The naked body of a teenage girl is found on the banks of the River Baztan. Less than 24 hours after this discovery, a link is made to the murder of another girl the month before. Is this the work of a ritualistic killer or of the Invisible Guardian, the Basajaun, a creature of Basque mythology? 30-year-old Inspector Amaia Salazar heads an investigation which will take her back to Elizondo, the village in the heart of Basque country where she was born, and to which she had hoped never to return. A place of mists, rain and forests. A place of unresolved conflicts, of a dark secret that scarred her childhood and which will come back to torment her. Torn between the rational, procedural part of her job and local myths and superstitions, Amaia Salazar has to fight off the demons of her past in order to confront the reality of a serial killer at loose in a region steeped in the history of the Spanish Inquisition.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Publisher: Harper
Published: 28 Jan 2016
ISBN 10: 0007525354
ISBN 13: 9780007525355
Prizes: Shortlisted for CWA International Dagger 2015.
`Myth and reality blend in this sophisticated and razor-sharp thriller ... gritty, fascinating and compelling' Steve Berry
`Combines singular characters and an eerily atmospheric setting' Sunday Times
this is a well-written book for those eager to explore a little-known area of Spain, and should appeal to fans of Fred Vargas and James Oswald. The supernatural elements are handled with a light touch, and shouldn't put off more cynical readers, Crime Fiction Lover
An intriguing read - compelling and often dark' Liz Loves Books blog
`Well-written and engaging' Raven Crime Reads blog
`Has so many facets to it that it becomes utterly compelling'
Publishing Perspectives
`An engrossing psychological thriller' Publishers Weekly
`Exciting ... the level of sustained uncertainty is magnificently realized' Library Journal
Dolores Redondo was born in Donostia-San Sebastian in 1969. She studied Law and Gastronomy. She began writing short stories and children's stories and in 2009 published her first novel, The Privileges of the Angel. The Invisible Guardian, first volume of the Baztan Trilogy, was published in Spain in 2013, with rights sold in thirty languages. She currently lives and writes in the Ribera Navarra.