The Red Queen

“The Red Queen” by Juan Gómez-Jurado is the world’s most widely read Spanish thriller, #1 in the ranking of best psychological thrillers according to Spanish Amazon, with over 250,000 copies sold and more than 20 reprints in a single year. Juan Gómez-Jurado’s books have been translated into more than 40 languages. Antonia Scott has an eidetic memory. She remembers everything she has read or heard. She never wore an ID badge or used a weapon, yet throughout her career she solved dozens of crimes. After her husband was harmed because of her fault, Antonia stepped away from her work. Now she lives in an empty apartment and eats whatever her neighbors bring her. Twice a day she calls her grandmother, and nights she spends in the hospital. But she is also being approached—asking for help… In the safest place in Spain, in an upscale district of Madrid (more precisely, in the elite part of the elite district), a body is found. The victim is sixteen. He lies in an armchair in an unnatural position; in his hand is a glass filled with his own blood. His hair is thickly smeared with olive oil, and his lips are stretched into something like a smile. Antonia remembers it: Psalm 23—“…for You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.” She heard him when she was small. She remembers because she remembers everything. How did the killer get into the most protected place in Spain? Why are there no signs of a struggle on the body, if the blood was let out slowly and very painfully? And why is information about this case so carefully guarded?