The Silence of the White City

Starred review from April 20, 2020
In the stunning first in Sáenz’s White City trilogy, a mélange of offbeat police procedural, Basque legends, and world mythology, Insp. Unai López de Ayala investigates a series of ritualistic murders in Vitoria, Spain, that eerily resemble the sensational crimes that were committed in the area 20 years earlier, all at prehistoric sites. A prominent archaeologist, Tasio Ortiz de Zárate, was arrested at the time and convicted of the crimes thanks to evidence supplied by his twin brother, Ignacio, a policeman. Since Tasio has been in prison ever since, Unai has to wonder whether Tasio was innocent or had an accomplice. Unai embarks on what becomes a self-sacrificing quest to prevent evil from destroying innocence. Along the way to the shattering conclusion, Sáenz (The Sons of Adam) examines the complex relationship between Tasio and Ignacio, as well as Unai’s grief over the death of his wife, who was pregnant with twins. Fascinating local color, a handsomely crafted plot, and exquisite characterization make this a standout. Readers will eagerly await the next volume in the series.

Starred review from May 15, 2020
After a long hiatus, has a notorious serial killer returned to terrorize a city in northern Spain? On the eve of D�a de Santiago in Vitoria, Inspector Unai "Kraken" L�pez de Ayala is summoned to a bizarre murder scene. A young couple has been found in the crypt of an old cathedral, murdered and artfully arranged with flowers near their heads and feet. Est�baliz Ruiz de Gauna, Kraken's colleague in the Criminal Investigation Unit, is shaken by the similarities to the crimes of a notorious serial killer who terrorized Vitoria 20 years earlier. Famed archaeologist Tasio Ortiz de Z�rate is serving a lengthy prison sentence for those crimes. Kraken, who urges caution in linking the new case to the earlier serial crimes, is surprised to find that his new superintendent, Alba D�az de Salvatierra, is the woman he just flirted with on the street. Tension rises with the discovery of more victims, similarly arranged. The investigative path does indeed lead to Tasio, who has become a successful screenwriter behind bars and fashions himself a criminologist and has reached out to Kraken, offering his expertise. Unnervingly, Tasio continues to shadow Kraken's investigation and send him messages about the crimes. Flashbacks take the reader to 1969, when an alarmingly composed man named �lvaro Urbina is grimly determined to kill one Javier Ortiz de Z�rate, whose relationship to Tasio is incrementally revealed. As Kraken tries to ferret out the killer, flashbacks move the complex backstory forward and into clearer focus. The first installment in Garc�a S�enz's White City Trilogy is a work of impressive scope and depth, compellingly written.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.