Black Wolf

A great police procedural with some excellent characters and a crime thriller vibe. Jon and Antonia work well as a pair to move the plot forward and keep the reader interested to learn more about their backstories. This is the second in a series, but even though I have not read the first I still enjoyed it.

This is the kind of thriller I've been waiting for to get back into thrillers. It has a lot of action but some funny moments as well. In the first book we visited Madrid, now we visit the area of Marbella. I am curious for the location for the third book. I love Jon and Antonia's relationship and I love that sometimes you can still find characters who don't or can't swear even though Jon tried I am happy Antonia tried a bit but didn't stick to it, it's kind of a breath of fresh air. I can't wait for the third book to be translated.

This is the 2nd in Juan Gomez-Jurado's Red Queen series, featuring the highly trained and gifted genius that is Alexandra Scott, a woman with her own personal demons, guilt ridden over her husband Marcus in a coma, with a son, Jorge, living with her father, dependent on blue and red pills to manage her condition, keeping her from crashing, and to be able to use her extraordinary forensic abilities. She has been out of action, worried about Peter White who is after her, and desperately seeking Sandra Fajardo from the previous case, but she is back after the body of a Russian mafia guy, Yuri Voronin, shot in the face, is found in his exclusive home, shot in the face. His beautiful, pregnant, diabetic wife, Lola, terrified out of her mind, is being targeted at a shopping mall, running with bloodied feet, she only just manages to escape.

What is turning out to be a key highlight of this series, and of this frenetically thrilling addition in particular, is Scott's relationship with her burly gay bodyguard and helper, Inspector Jon Guitierrez, definitely not fat, wanting and searching for love in his personal life. His is not the easiest of jobs, given Scott goes off with plans of her own that he would never have agreed to, not to mention she is less than truthful with him. They are tasked with locating Lola in the southern Costa del Sol, who is being hunted by the powerful and ruthless Russian mafia Orlov clan, working with the under-resourced members of local law enforcement. They have little idea just how many dead bodies they will encounter, and additionally, matters escalate when they discover they are going up against Chernaya Volchista, the legend that is the Black Wolf.

The author skilfully keeps the sky high tensions and suspense going for most of the novel, ensuring that I was gripped from start to finish, I was mesmerised by the banter, humour, and edgy relationship of love and frustration between Jon and Scott, with Jon willing to consider at the end the possibility of quitting. However, the two need each other, and matters conclude explosively with a cliffhanger that has me eagerly anticipating the next in the series. This will appeal to those who enjoy the mystery and thriller genres. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I was blown away by Red Queen and thrilled to receive an early copy of the sequel, Black Wolf. Juan Goméz-Jurado has created two highly original central characters. Antonia Scott is literally a genius. Her approach to any problem is unique and, as might be expected, she has a troubled backstory. She’s funny and adds a light touch to some gruesome situations. Jon Gutierrez is a regular cop. Except he’s also working off record with other government agencies. Together, they’re a formidable duo and bounce off one another, sometimes literally.

This fast paced thriller is centred in Marbella.. A Mafia boss is murdered and his pregnant is on the run. Then a shipping container turns up with the bodies of 9 murdered women. Antonia and Jon are tasked with finding the wife, but Antonia also has to avoid the hitman trying to finish her off. It all sounds preposterous, but Goméz-Jurado’s skill lies in turning these complex and seemingly disparate events into a cohesive and fast paced thriller. I love the narrative style which is snappy and fast. Scenes often read ‘visually’; it’s so well written the action comes to life as you’re reading and you’re part of the situation. There are breathtaking moments in this outing, the usual dark humour and more backstory is revealed. I don’t read Spanish, but I feel the translation is sympathetic and captures the nuances and meaning intended by the author. I really love this duo. Original and cerebral this is in a league of its own. Only problem now is waiting for the next one!