The Invisible Guardian
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
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.
Shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger
The body of a teenage girl has been found on the banks of the River Baztán – the second in a month. Soon rumours are flying in the village of Elizondo. Is this the work of a serial killer, or something even more sinister?
Inspector Amaia Salazar leads the investigation, returning to the Basque country where she was born. Shrouded in mist and surrounded by forest, it conceals a terrible secret from Amaia’s childhood that has come back to haunt her.
Facing the superstitions of the village, Amaia must fight the demons of her past in order to catch the killer. But what is the dark presence she senses lurking in the shadows?
Reviews
‘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
About the author
Dolores Redondo was born in Donostia-San Sebastián 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 Baztán Trilogy, was published in Spain in 2013, with rights sold in thirty languages. She currently lives and writes in the Ribera Navarra.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Spanish author Redondo's assured first novel takes Insp. Amaia Salazar from Pamplona to Elizondo, in Basque country, where she grew up, to head a team investigating a serial killer. The killer strangles his young female victims, carefully arranges their hands and hair, and places a txantxigorri, a traditional cake of the region, on their torsos. Having been in Elizondo only 48 hours in the five years since her marriage, and already troubled by the horrors she has seen in her work, Amaia finds that returning to Elizondo has resurrected terrifying, long-repressed memories. She's further handicapped by an insubordinate colleague, Insp. Fermin Montes, who resents her being in charge. Despite deep skepticism, Amaia is forced to consider whether a basajaun, a small, human-like creature believed by the locals to live in the woods, may have been responsible for the murders rather than a ritual killer. Already an international bestseller, this engrossing psychological thriller will impress American readers as well.
