We were a little disappointed last year by Independence, the second book in the Terra Alta series by Spanish writer Javier Cercas. But the latter is back in force with Bluebeard’s Castle. A thrilling thriller, from start to finish.
We find the friendly Barcelona policeman Melchor Marín in 2035, now retired. His daughter, Cosette, has grown up. The teenager went on vacation to the island of Mallorca, but did not return as planned. Is an argument between them the cause? In any case, police searches are launched and he himself, worried, leaves to conduct his own investigation. An anonymous email puts him on a track. He trembles with fear. At the suggestion of this person, he meets a man who advises him to go to the house of a famous businessman who is vacationing in the Balearic island.
The thriller makes you both want to visit Majorca and not go there! Melchor Marín’s investigation leads to chilling revelations, corruption and deviance on the menu. We never tire of this mix of lightness, depth, humanity and suspense that makes Javier Cercas an exceptional novelist. The suspense grows over the pages and when there are only 40 left, we are downright oppressed by the turn of events. A very successful third volume of Terra Alta. A book on solidarity, love and impunity, which will interest fans of well-crafted thrillers.
Bluebeard’s Castle
Javier Cercas
South Acts
352 pages