Mientras el inspector jefe Javier Falcón investiga un cadáver mutilado y sin rostro, la hermosa ciudad de Sevilla se ve sacudida por una enorme explosión. El descubrimiento de una mezquita en el sótano de un edificio de apartamentos devastado confirma los temores terroristas de todos. El pánico invade la ciudad y la región entra en alerta roja. A medida que se extraen más cuerpos de los escombros, el interés de los medios y la presión política se intensifican y Falcón sospecha que no todo es lo que parece ser. Justo cuando está a punto de descifrar la conspiración, hace el descubrimiento más aterrador de todos y comienza la carrera para evitar una catástrofe mucho más allá de las fronteras de España.

This is the third book in Robert Wilson's Javier Falcon series. It is pretty much necessary that one has read the first two books (and in order) to fully appreciate pretty much all of what goes on here. Many of the themes that begin in books one and two begin to be developed in this volume - almost to the point that they overshadow the main storyline of this book. Even some fairly off-the-wall material from book one (The Blind Man of Seville) becomes relevant to what happens here.

The main story line involves a huge explosion in a block of apartments. While this might not normally be a case for Javier Falcon and the homicide department, it follows on the heels of a body being found. The body had been mutilated to prevent identification, but was wrapped in the proper fashion for a Muslim funeral. Falcon suspects that the dead man had somehow been involved with the bombing, and that the bombing was an act of terrorism - a theory supported by the fact that, in the basement of the apartment building, there was a mosque.

Investigations reveal that there was, indeed, some sort of terrorist plan underway, and the suspicion is that there was an accident in the mosque that caused a premature explosion. The presence of a terrorist cell in Seville opens the way for a small, local conservative political party to increase its visibility behind a charismatic leader. In an effort to find out if there are plans for a series of terrorist attacks, Falcon is asked to approach a friend of his in Morocco, with the intention of getting the friend to become a spy.

As usual, Wilson gives us a very complex tale, with various sub-plots being interwoven tightly with the main story. Also, as usual, character development takes the front seat. Wilson demands that his characters have a sense of reality to them that is quite unusual for the average suspense tale.

A very good read, and worthy follow-up to the previous two books in the series. ( )

The pace of this thriller does not stop. The setting: Seville, Spain. The beginning: a mutilated corpse is found on a rubbish dump. The first turning point: an explosion at a block of flats turns out to be a terrorism attack on the mosque in the basement. Or is it? Detective Javier Falcón is swept along by the media circus and political panic as fear of a widescale attack on Andalucía grips Spain.
This is the third of Robert Wilson’s four-book series about Falcón and the story twists and turns relentlessly. The plotting is excellent, I challenge you to work out the answers. As Javier unravels the knots you don’t know what to believe and neither does he.
I am fascinated by the insight into Falcón’s life provided by glimpses of his cooking. His housekeeper leaves his food in the fridge for him to prepare in the evening. He is something of a cook. “Encarnación had left him some fresh pork fillet. He made a salad and sliced up some potatoes and the meat. He smashed up some cloves of garlic, threw them into the frying pan with the pork fillet and chips. He dashed some cheap whisky on top and let it catch fire from the gas flame. He ate without thinking about the food and drank a glass of red rioja to loosen up his mind.” And then he goes out to work again. It is 10pm.
I will not give away the plot details, but there are sub-plots too involving characters who featured in books one and two: Javier’s ex-wife Inés and her husband the judge Esteban Calderón, his ex-girlfriend Consuelo, his sister Manuela.
As always, Seville is an additional character. Its streets, the heat, the lifestyle. It makes me want to go there now.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ ( )

Die Story ist zu kompliziert gestrickt und beinhaltet Nebenschauplätze, die mit dem Hauptstrang nichts zu tun haben. Wahrscheinlich muß man die Vorgängerromane gelesen haben, um da durchzublicken.
Das Ende ist gut gemacht, aber ansonsten hatte ich mir mehr versprochen. ( )

Una terrible explosión en un edificio de Sevilla ha causado la muerte de varios ciudadanos. Cuando se descubre que los bajos de la edificación alojaban una mezquita, los temores que apuntan a un atentado terrorista se imponen. El miedo se apodera de la ciudad: bares y restaurantes se vacían, se multiplican las falsas alarmas y las evacuaciones. Sometido a la presión tanto de los medios En Escocia en pleno siglo XIV, el clan de los Fitzhugh asesina a toda la familia de Morganna Kil Creggar, la protagonista de esta novela pasional, humorística y llena de fuerza. Alta, delgada y atractiva, Morganna jura venganza por este acto al clan enemigo y, para llevar a cabo su cometido, se viste de chico y se hace llamar Morgan. Ello le brinda la oportunidad de trabajar como escudero para Zander Fitzhugh, un miembro del clan y caballero empeñado en unificar su tierra y liberarla del dominio inglés, como del sector político, el inspector Javier Falcón descubre que el terrible suceso no es lo que parece. Y cuando todo apunta a que se trata de una conspiración, Falcón descubre algo que le obligará a dedicarse en cuerpo y alma a evitar que se produzca una catástrofe aún mayor más allá de las fronteras españolas.