Red Queen, by Juan Gomez-Jurado - Nicola
Antonia is a highly intelligent and gifted woman, always one step ahead. She devours information, but equally she is a very damaged individual. Her apartment is empty of all furniture that reminds her of Marcos, her husband, who has been imprisoned. Antonia is not the custody of their child, Jorge, due to mental health problems. Things are bleak. Antonia is the fine line between genius and madman.
Inspector Jon Gutierrez is a well-meaning but disgraced police officer. To better his situation, he makes a bargain with the Mentor. To find Antonia. Can either of them be saved? What do they need to do to make this happen? Is the net closing in and how will it be concluded?
I found the book to be well-written, despite the number of spelling errors within its pages, which I am guessing are more translation errors than anything else*. The pages turn easily, and the chapters are short enough to make this a book you can pick up and put down easily, with a natural break. There are also three distinct parts to the story, with twists and turns. Sometimes you don’t know which way it is going or how the things that you are reading fit together.
The book can be overly descriptive in places and slows down the pace at times. Still, I started this book on Friday afternoon, and by Tuesday morning I’d devoured it completely. And yes, I was working Friday and Monday as usual!
The epilogue promises there will be more for Antonia and Jon in future novels which I am excited to read.
Nicola
*Editor’s note: Nicola read a pre-published proof edition of Red Queen. Any typos are likely due to the book being in early stages of editing, and will be corrected in the published edition.
