Barcelona Shadows
By (Author) Marc Pastor
Translated by Mara Faye Lethem
Pushkin Press
Pushkin Press
28th January 2015
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Fiction in translation
849.936
Paperback
272
Width 129mm, Height 198mm
Children are going missing in Barcelona. A body is found, twisted, drained of blood. The locals say a devil is moving in the shadows, spiriting away the innocent. To the police, it just means more corpses in a city where death is a daily occurrence. Who cares about the children of a few prostitutes and thieves Inspector Moises Corvo-jaded, dissolute, yet with an uncanny sixth sense-knows something is different this time. To discover the true identity of the 'monster' he must journey through Barcelona's underworld, from high-class brothels to lurid casinos, where there are powerful people who will do anything to stop him. He cannot imagine the horror that awaits him. Visceral and shocking, Barcelona Shadows opens up the heart of evil, in a macabre world where the lines between life and death are blurred.
Gruesome, creepy and hugely entertaining The Times As gruesome as it is gripping... the writing is extraordinarily vivid... Highly recommended. Independent Our creepy storyteller is as compelling as the murderess whose monstrous crimes he chronicles... Pastor makes it all breathe effortlessly. Financial Times Imagine a gothic, Technicolor, historical western, by turns lurid and tersely gripping, and sometimes genuinely frightening... A great story Telegraph Redolent of Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson and David Peace Vice Brims with the stuff of a classic adventure novel passed through the sieve of post-modernity, and which captivates the reader from the very start. Essential reading for all who love literature. -- Sebastia Bennassar Diari de Mallorca Blends intrigue, terror and police investigation from an original narrative perspective and with a recreation of the period that evokes the gothic environs of Poe and Conan Doyle. -- Rosa Maria Pinol La Vanguardia A fantastic novel -- Ernest Alos El Periodico Mesmerizing... the writing is brilliant, a thing of beauty Books, Bones and Buffy Wonderfully written with a great story, engaging characters, murder, mystery and muck! Mean Streets A terrifying read, but a bloody good one too. Crime Squad A winning blend of moody atmospherics and supercharged thrills -- Malcolm Forbes Star Tribune A terrific book Desperate Reader Without doubt the most gruesome read of the year, but also the most powerful and disturbing The Times (Books of the Year) Captivating... Brilliant... Gripping Savidge Reads
Marc Pastor (b. 1977) studied criminology and crime policy, and works as a crime-scene investigator in Barcelona. He is the author of four novels: Montecristo, Barcelona Shadows, awarded the Crims de Tinta prize in 2008, L'any de la plaga and Bioko. Richly atmospheric, his work spans a range of genres, from Sci Fi to Gothic via the adventure novel. Barcelona Shadows is his first book published in English.