This was a Goodreads giveaway. I struggled to be interested in the characters and premise of this book. I was very excited to read it as I love a good thriller, but this did not do it for me. I had a lot of difficulty finishing it in the end, constantly putting it down to read other books, which usually is a good indicator of how I feel about what I'm reading. I found the characters to not be believable and I wasn't really invested in what was happening to them. ( )

gay-cops, thriller, 21st-century, crime-fiction, suspense, Spain, Spanish-literature, noir, detective, intrigue, kidnapping, Madrid, law-enforcement, forensic-consultant, reclusive, adrenaline rush, PTSD, extortion, gruesome, serial-murder, investigations, unputdownable*****

Translated into English from the Spanish of Spain.
Twisty, alarming, fast-paced, and thoroughly addictive. The publisher's blurb covers the very basics, and no need to repeat, and spoilers are just wrong. Did I mention addictive addictive?!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you.

#AntoniaScottNo1 #TranslatedIntoEnglish ( )

Fast paced and suspenseful mystery thriller set in Spain.

First in a trilogy featuring the brainiac Antonia Scott, a young woman whose intelligence makes her able to solve some of the most difficult murder cases, who teams up with a disgraced police officer, Jon Gutierrez, from Bilbao. Together they are meant to work behind the scenes on an investigation involving the discovery of a savagely murdered teenaged boy from a very wealthy family. Then the daughter of a billionaire is nabbed. The cases appear to be linked. The clock is ticking and these two must figure out who and why.

The action was rapid and the chapters were short. Lots of time hops and backstory. Interesting details that many nerds will love. Despite it being a bit choppy, the narrative came together leaving some unanswered questions. The partnership between the two main characters is interesting and definitely has a lot of potential for added depth especially in their personal lives. I’m interested to see where the story goes next and plan to read the second in the series shortly.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. ( )

Antonia Scott was crafted into the woman she is today. Through intense and inhuman training she has become most intelligent person in the world. A covert police force created her to help them fight crime but it's come at a price...it's cost her the people she love. Enter dishonered Police Inspector, Jon Gutierrez, who has been blackmailed into bringing Scott back to work to find a heinous criminal mastermind.

Antonia and Jon were endearing characters. The location for the final scene was very interesting and if I'm ever in Barcelona I need to find it. The plot moved fairly quickly and the ending was satisfying - but only because I knew this was a series.

FYI There is a gruesome bomb scene described in minute detail so be warned if that's not your thing.

I'm looking foward to reading the next installment. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

Antonia Scott was once part of an elite but secret European Union crime-fighting unit, Red Queen, devoted to foiling master criminals until a personal trauma made her quit. Disgraced police officer Jon Gutierrez is offered a way of redeeming himself…get Scott to come back to Red Queen and his suspension will disappear. Easier said than done. Needless to say, he was successful but his involvement with Scott doesn’t end there. They are assigned to investigate the murder of the son of a prominent Madrid family, a murder and investigation that must stay out of the public eye.

The murderer has left no trace and clues are virtually non-existent. To make matters worse, the daughter of the wealthiest man in the world has been kidnapped and her father is given 5 days to meet the kidnapper’s ‘impossible’ demand. Scott and Gutierrez believe the same person is behind both crimes and time is ticking away.

More thriller than mystery police procedural, Gomez-Jurado humanizes both Scott and Gutierrez by providing snippets of their history in the form of flashbacks as they bond and learn to rely on each other. In addition, you get to learn a little of the history of Spain, including information about the underground aqueducts.

The action is non-stop as are the twists and turns, both wrong turns and right ones. I will admit that I had to suspend belief occasionally, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. Taking place in the warm Spanish summer, this is a big change from the cold desolate climate of my Scandinavian noir favorites.

The author lightens the drama with some intermittent chuckle-inducing humor.

The next book in the series, Black Wolf, will be translated into English in 2024 and White Knight has not yet been translated. ( )