Publishers Weekly
01/09/2023
At the start of this nail-biting thriller, the first in a trilogy, Spanish author Gómez-Jurado (The Traitor’s Emblem) hooks the reader with the tantalizing opening sentence: “Antonia Scott allows herself to think of suicide no more than three minutes a day.” Antonia is a genius, whose off-the-charts intelligence and analytical skills have made her a valued member of a covert organization that handles sensitive criminal investigations. Following the near-fatal shooting of her beloved husband, which has left him in a coma and for which she blames herself, Antonia has become a recluse in her Madrid home. But she’s drawn back into the fray by the kidnapping of Carla Ortiz, a Spanish bank executive and “heiress to the richest man in the world.” Antonia’s handler partners her with disgraced police inspector Jon Gutiérrez, and together they pursue the possibility that Carla’s abduction is linked to the grisly murder of a young boy, whose corpse was drained of its blood. Frequent and often startling plot twists help compensate for a few contrivances that lessen interest toward the end. Lisbeth Salander devotees will find much to like. Agent: Tom Colchie, Colchie Agency. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"Pacing of the breakneck variety. Short chapters, funny asides, lethally potent descriptions: They all contribute to a frenetic page-turning momentum… you’ll have great fun reading it." —The New York Times Book Review
"... nail-biting...tantalizing...startling...Lizbeth Salander devotees will find much to like." — Publishers Weekly
"Lyrically translated by Nicholas Caistor...very exciting." —The New York Times
"The next two, Loba Negra (Black Wolf) and Rey Blanco (White King), must be translated into English, because thriller fans will be waiting. Fast-moving and quirky fiction from Madrid." — Kirkus Reviews
"I loved it from page one...Antonia never fails to fascinate and enlighten." —Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"Red Queen is one of the most extravagantly entertaining novels I’ve ever read. Sprinting from spectacular surprise to even-more-spectacular surprise; whirling from one crisply textured character to the next…it's an electrifying serial-killer thriller, fiendishly clever puzzle mystery, and sensitive portrait of a fascinating young woman. Red Queen tops even The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as a thinking reader’s thriller, and Antonia Scott is like a more sympathetic Lisbeth Salander. I loved every word." —A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"Red Queen is a smart, addictive thriller, beautiful in both its complexity and devotion to characterization. Between the stunning plot twists, bold structural choices, and surprising moments of wry humor, you won’t be able to put this one down until you reach the last satisfying page." —Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of Find Me
“A labyrinth of mystery, crisply plotted and paced, way ahead of the pack. If you like good old fashioned suspense, with plenty of intrigue and treachery, this one’s for you." —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Kaiser’s Web
"Red Queen is my favorite kind of thriller, a race against time with a uniquely fascinating protagonist who's almost as big a mystery as the villain. Antonia Scott is one of the most memorable characters I've met in thriller fiction, and I can't wait to see what she does next." —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire
"Fast paced, memorable characters and a cinematic story that draws you in hook, line and sinker. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next in the series." —John Marrs, author The One and Keep it in the Family
"... one of the most exciting new releases of 2023..." —Mystery Tribune
"Fresh and appealing." —Mystery Suspense Magazine
"All the velocity and thrillers of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy...all engrossing." —First Clue
"Terrific - a complex story that unfolds at breakneck speed, a compelling plot filled with twist after twist, a story told with rich, fluid language, and a fascinating, well realized unlikely pair of characters, especially the brilliant Antonia Scott. Distinctive and entertaining." —David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder as a Fine Art
"Red Queen is in a class by itself. This terrific novel has all the page-turning elements of the very best thrillers but what really makes it truly remarkable is the writing itself. Engaging and heartbreaking, witty and wry and immersive—and beautifully structured. I have never read a book as gorgeously complex as this—and that is the highest of compliments. Juan Gómez-Jurado has written an instant classic." – Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect Life
"Kidnappings, chases, traps, and setups (not to mention a creepy murder scene) propel the thriller, while questions of moral culpability and the poisonous effects of unaddressed trauma add heft." —Christian Science Monitor
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-12
An exciting thriller set in Spain and recently translated from Spanish.
Beleaguered by crime, the European Union has created the secret Red Queen project, the name inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, designed to “adapt continually to keep up with the bad guys.” One of their tools is Antonia Scott, a non-cop who has a history of providing insights into the criminal mind. She is the smartest person in the world, and she never forgets anything. Her husband is in a coma for which she wrongly blames herself, and she contemplates suicide for a strict three minutes a day, along with a few other quirks. “My brain…isn't normal,” she says. “I can do things others find impossible.” Police pair her up with Inspector Jon Gutiérrez, an overweight gay cop whose career is in a peck of trouble for planting heroin to gain a conviction. Despite a chasm of differences, they quickly accept each other and work together to track down a criminal named Ezekiel who has slowly drained the blood from a young man's carotid artery. Then Ezekiel kidnaps Carla Ortiz, the daughter of the world's richest man. Ransom is out of the question because he just wants to teach the mogul a lesson. Antonia believes that Ezekiel kidnaps and kills for a very specific reason, probably for power. “Essentially, I’m a good person,” Ezekiel tells himself. Good enough to think of Psalm 23, anyway, as he anoints one victim’s head with oil. That doesn’t mean there won’t be blood, though. A scene with an explosion splatters grisly detail across a couple of pages, and there is a nice balance among character, action, and setting—a qanat, or underground water tunnel in Madrid, is a great place for an evildoer to set booby traps. Red Queen (Reina Roja in the original version) is the first of a completed trilogy written by Gómez-Jurado. The next two, Loba Negra (Black Wolf) and Rey Blanco (White King), must be translated into English, because thriller fans will be waiting.
Fast-moving and quirky fiction from Madrid.
