Although I quite enjoyed the paciness of the writing, I have to admit that some events and characters defied belief, and I just couldn't take things seriously because of that.

The second book in the series was very easy to get into now that we know the characters. I enjoyed the development of friendship between Jon and Antonia. It's a fairly standard thriller but it held my attention and I am looking forward to further translations.

I was looking forward to the follow up to Red Queen and Black Wolf, for the most part, delivered. Antonio and Jon form an interesting and indeed intriguing partnership. This time they are dealing with Russian mafia, human trafficking and assassins all in the popular holiday resort of Marbella. This is a classic thriller in some ways with a little comedy thrown in but it is really focussing on the two lead characters.
There is good character development in this novel and the relationship between the two is well portrayed. Unfortunately I found Jon’s continual reference to Antonio as “angel” or “honey” patronising and seriously irritating. After all she is the brains of the operation, he is portrayed as her “minder”, in charge of her meds etc.
This cost the book a star or two but it is still to be recommended and I look forward to the next in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for a DRC in exchange for this honest review.

I have not read the first book in the Red Queen series but on reading the second one I did not feel it mattered too much although I do want to read the first one. I really enjoyed this book. Antonia and Jon work for the “police” and are sent on a mission to the Malaga/Costa Del Sol to find out about the murder of a mafia member and to find his pregnant wife who they feel may know more about her husband’s business than thought as it seems that the head of the mafia syndicate is searching for her. The head of the Russian Mafia is desperate to find her and will do anything in his power to stop her from talking. He sends his henchmen and, of course, Antonia and Jon get embroiled in the drama. It gets quite bloody in places and it so well written to can easily visualise what is happening. Antonia and Jon compliment each other, he is relatively laid back in his attitude to life whereas she is on edge all the time and does not suffer fools gladly. She also has a hyper personality which makes her hyper sensitive to personalities and looking at cases in a different way. As the story continues you get to enjoy the characters and their interaction and, of course, they win in the end as all good books should end. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Loved it

This is book 2 in the series. I’ve not read book 1 and I think that may have helped me understand Antonia and Jon’s roles in this a little better.

I struggled to like Antonia - not sure if that is deliberate- but it meant I found her a little frustrating at times.

Other than that, I thought it was a good read. There always seemed to be some action happening.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #PanMacmillan for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s probably desirable but certainly not essential to have read the first Antonia Scott novel before getting to this one.

Lots to like here for fans of pitch black, humorous thrillers - think Killing Eve - with the quirky crime-fighting duo of the huge (though not fat) Jon and the hot-housed superpowers of Antonia.

Although one of the most successful novelists in Spain, I hadn’t previously read anything by this author and credit must be shared with the translator who does a great job of capturing pace and humour as well as the idiosyncrasies of each character.

With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Juan Gomez-Jurado's gripping sequel to the Red Queen series, we rejoin the formidable Alexandra Scott, a highly skilled and gifted forensic genius grappling with her demons. Haunted by guilt over her husband Marcus, who lies in a coma, and is separated from her son Jorge, Alexandra relies on a cocktail of blue and red pills to manage her condition and utilize her extraordinary abilities.

After a period of absence, Alexandra returns to action when the body of Russian mafia member Yuri Voronin is discovered in his lavish home, and brutally shot in the face. The investigation leads Alexandra into a dangerous web of intrigue, with the pregnant and terrified Lola Voronin targeted for violence at a shopping mall. As Alexandra races against time to uncover the truth and protect Lola, she must also confront the looming threat of Peter White, who is determined to track her down.

With pulse-pounding suspense and twists at every turn, Gomez-Jurado masterfully crafts a thrilling narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. As Alexandra navigates the treacherous waters of crime and deception, she must confront her vulnerabilities and fears, making for a gripping and unforgettable read.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Juan Gómez-Jurado is already well-loved in France since the past two years or so, obviously thanks to his regional proximity, but also because his thrillers are very efficient. I am excited that he is being translated to English since he also made such an impact in his country, I find it very exciting that a Spanish author gets a spot in the international thriller scene.

Thematically, it deals with politics and corruption in a way that is both very specific to his country, corrupted politics being a plague for Spanish people, but which is also very accessible to a foreign reader. The narrative revolves around the deaths of rich people, in a quite exhilarating way. The pacing of the story is very tense, very suspenseful, although I must say that a certain plot twist was way to easy to guess for a constant thriller reader. The other aspect that could disappoint some people would be the flashbacks, since I know a part of the community does not like a dual temporal. However, the shortness of the chapters allows the book to never drag.

That being said, it was so nice to read something that shakes-up the genre a little bit. The main protagonist, Jon, an established cop, is homosexual, and although it is not what defines him, it definitely gives him some layers and some fun that are very refreshing. Antonia, with whom he works, is the darker character, but again with so many layers that it becomes visceral to root for her. They are a real original duo, not just another pair of bored-out inspectors, and they bring so much life to the story.

To sum up, it is a very interesting suspense book, and volumes 2 and 3 are already available in France so I don’t think I will be able to wait until the English translations!

Love this series! Antonia and Jon make a great duo and I really hope the third novel will get translated soon

This is the millenium series, but better!

Nick Caistor and Lorenza Garcia, did a good job in translating Black Wolf by Juan Gómez-Jurado, although I sensed their work left enough untranslated to make it a hit amongst fellow translators who like dipping in to the genre. In essence the novel is a crime thriller but with the advantage of Antonia Scott and her unusual powers, used to give an amazing insight in to how a crime was perpetrated. Scott isn't good at everything and needs a burly protector in the form of Jon Gutierrez. Jon's skills are more to protect Antonia from herself as she struggles mentally with her amazing ability. Set chiefly in Souther Spain, the pair are charged with finding the wife of a murdered Mafia man. The novel paints a sorry picture of organised crime in the Costa Del Sol, effected by vying clans of the Russian Mafia. Not something explored in Your New Life in the Sun on TV. The hunt for the wife is rather an exciting read and I really enjoyed it. Juan Gómez-Jurado has a style all his own and I particularly liked the musings of Antonia Scott as she prepared herself to instruct the doctors to switch off the respirator keeping Marcos alive. Whether meant as an inverted parody of Wordsworth's Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood, I thought, "Life is a flash of light between two infinite blacknesses", to be both succinct and insightful.
The novel has pace and intrigue, all set in foreign climes for that additional je ne sais quoi.

I'm always interested in how detective fiction translates. This was a really enjoyable, fast-paced read. I haven't read book 1, but it was fairly straightforward with enough back story that one wasn't lost. In some ways it's something of a throwback to post-Cold War thrillers, with shades of various Bond films, and Russian bad guys now land in a different light post-Ukraine, but the plotting was well done, and there were several twists I didn't see coming. I'm looking forward to reading the other two!

I enjoyed this book but feel sure I would have enjoyed it much more if I had read the first in the series. At times I couldn’t understand who everyone was and what was happening, and the plot was very complex. However, it was an exciting read and the ending made me very keen to read whatever comes next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the electronic copy.

Black wolf review

A high octane thriller with the story moving at fast pace and the intriguing protagonists, Antonia Scott and Inspector Jon Gutierrez credible heroes.

The unique personalities and tightly-portrayed lives of the characters in this novel seem authentic despite the hyper-reality and chaos of their world. The reader becomes completely engaged in their lives and back stories. This makes for genuine involvement in their extraordinary world and keeps one enthralled as the action progresses.

For me the author’s razor-sharp wit and observation help Black Wolf stand well above many everyday thrillers and crime novels.

The excellent translation offers the reader a real sense of place and provides a wonderful setting in the area of southern Spain in an around Malaga-which seems a far away from the famous holiday hotspots of the Costa del Sol.

This is the second in a series with at least one more translation promised, but for me, not having read the first in the series, reads well as a standalone. I loved this and cannot wait for the next instalment.

Although I haven’t read the first book I thoroughly enjoyed the second The main characters are a special unit. Jon, originally a Basque police officer and Antonia a damaged but brilliant woman. The are sent from Madrid to the Costa del Sol trying to hunt down a Ruthless Russian Mafia unit. The story is twisted and turns up quite a few suprises. I throughly enjoy it.

I have not read any of this Spanish author’s work before , but as a UK reader I found the fast paced, shoot em up type scenario a bit overdone for my tastes. If you like fast cars and bikes , super clever specialised police fighting Russian mafia and very scary hired assassins all resulting in a very high death count then you will enjoy this.
I liked Jon ,the gay Basque policeman but I did not take so much to Antonio the super clever female partner in this elite crime investigating team.
However having to spend a few days in hospital this was a good page turner to keep me occupied.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC

Although this is the second book in a police detective series it works well as a stand alone novel. The story is about Antonia and Jon, police detectives being sent to help local police find the widow of a Russian gangster based in Spain, who is running for her life. It deals with the Mafiosi as well as a corrupt police force. A typical detective thriller but based in Spain. Well translated from Spanish with some interesting turn of phrases at times.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for the advance copy of this book.

I read both this sequel and the first book of the series. This is very well constructed crime fiction, with the main hook being a character who is equal parts Sherlock Holmes and Lisbeth Salander. The setting of Spain gives it a bit of a twist, but overall the plot is a by the numbers mainstream thriller. Not bad but nothing new or exciting.

‘Black Wolf’ by Juan Gómez-Jurado (translated by Nick Caistor and Lorenza Garcia) is the second instalment of the ‘Red Queen’ trilogy starring the incomparable Antonia Scott and Jon Gutierrez as they continue their mission of working behind the scenes to solve the most devious of crimes.

This time, they are sent to Marbella and tasked with tracking down Lola Moreno, the wife of a recently-murdered Mafia boss who is on the run following an attempt on her own life. Unfortunately for them, others are looking for Lola too, including the infamously infallible assassin known only as the Black Wolf. Back at the Red Queen project HQ, all is not well either, suggesting that Antonia might be in even more danger than she comprehends.

This book felt even darker than the first novel, with a few particularly unpleasant scenes, but the plot was well executed and the action scenes heart-racingly brilliant. There were more twists than I could have ever expected, with stark reminders that absolutely no-one could be trusted. Within the pages we also find out more about Antonia’s Red Queen training, which explains her behaviours, and see her with her son Jorge, which humanises her. I enjoyed seeing Antonia and Jon’s partnership continue to evolve and the skills of the unlikely duo continue to complement each other.

There are a few aspects of this series that annoy me a little - the repeated focus on weight (Jon’s and Antonia’s) is pretty grating and seems to be of little relevance to the plot, and occasionally the shifting narratives take you so far away from the action that it’s hard to stay immersed - but overall this was another thrilling and entertaining book… and the ending was so explosive that I’m on tenterhooks waiting for the English language translation of ‘White King’! Giving this one four stars.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Pan MacMillan via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Black Wolf is the second book in Juan Gómez-Jurado's Red Queen series and I for one was super excited to be back in the dark but thrilling world of Antonia Scott and Jon Gutierrez, as they hunt for the missing wife of a murdered Russian mafia man who has been murdered. What a gripping storyline -I’m really looking forward to a part three!!

I loved reading the Red Queen so I was very excited to read Black Wolf and fall back into the darkness and danger of the first novel.