The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo #GuestReview

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 Amala Salazar heads an investigation which will take her back to Elizondo, the village in the heart of the Basque country where she was born,  and to which he had hoped never to return. A place of mists, rains 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, Amala 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. 

The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo was published in paperback by Harper on 28 January 2016.

I'm delighted to welcome Book Connectors member, and the founder of Crime Book Club on Facebook, Shell Baker to Random Things today.

Shell blogs at Chelle's Book Reviews, do go and check out her blog and you'll also find her on Twitter  @ChellesBookRevi.  Shell has read and reviewed The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo, here's what she thinks:

The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo ~ a review by Shell Baker

The Invisible Guardian is actually a Spanish bestseller and to be honest, I'm not normally a massive fan of European Crime, but I have to say I really enjoyed this one. I read this in one day. I simply couldn't put it down.

The story starts off as we are introduced to Inspecter Amala Salazar who suffers with insomnia and follows the same routine when called to a crime scene. We are taken to a crime scene in Pamplona where the naked body of a teenage girl is found. Less than 24 hours after this discover, a link is made to the murder of another girl the month before. 

I was hooked from the gritty start, and I found this story very intriguing. Not only is it a crime story, but it is also a family saga about people who believe in witchcraft.

I loved the use of myths and magic in this story, woven in with the crime investigation. The author's writing skills are captivating, with the use of stunning location description.

Amala is a very strong character, and I am looking forward to seeing more of her in the next book, and finding out more about her.

This book is definitely a page turner which I highly recommend, I gave it four stars.

I'd like to thank Anne for the copy of this book.

Dolores Redondo studied Law and Restoration and worked in business for a few years.

Her debut novel, The Invisible Guardian is the first instalment of the Batzan Trilogy; three gripping landscape thrillers set in the Basque Pyrenees, which have sold over 300,000 copies in Spain and has been translated into 32 languages.

She currently lives in the Ribera Navarra

Find out more about Dolores Redondo, and her writing at www.doloresredondomeira.com 
Find her Author page on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter @DOLORESREDENDOM

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