The Basque Country in Spain is beautiful and remote. It has its own history, language, and has a strong belief in its mythology. Inspector Amaia Salazar grew up there, so she was the logical one to be assigned to head the investigation. Two young girls had been found murdered and their bodies seemed to be arranged in some pagan purification rite. There were animal hairs and tracks around the bodies, so the press, always looking for the sensational, suggested that the murderer was a basajaun, the mythical beast that roamed the hills. Amaia had left her home years ago and hoped never to go back, for her childhood was traumatic and her nights were still filled with nightmares. She was a rational woman, trained by the FBI and married to an American sculptor, but in her home town she found herself surrounded by superstition and found herself being sucked into the myth.

The solving of the murders soon becomes secondary to the psychological distress of Amaia and her search for sanity. This book is worth reading if only for the haunting descriptions of the lovely countryside. The atmosphere just oozes from the pages. I enjoy reading books by foreign authors, for the setting is far more authentic. The language and actions of the characters reflect their nationality. This book was first published in all four of the official languages of Spain and has now been translated into 32 languages. I am very glad that English was one of them.

eGalley review                Publication date 3.8.16