DNF 13%. This one is really good, but for some reason I can’t get into a thriller right now. I thought the characters were great and we were just scratching the surface on their backstories. The writing style was also really good as well. Everything was descriptive and I could visualize everything perfectly. This one just wasn’t for me right now.

Set in the Basque country of Spain, it looks like the series of killings that happened twenty years ago is starting again, but the man convicted of the crime is in prison. If you want a book with lots of twists, you will find in it in this lengthy book. The characters are not fleshed out as much as I would like and at times, I thought the translation might be an issue because the syntax is hard to follow.

I loved this book so much. It took me to another country and another city and the details were vivid. It's a seamless plot with strong characters. I love figuring out who did and I just couldn't. The end is shocking. Pick this up and enjoy this winner of a book. Happy reading!

I wavered between 4 & 5 stars for this review and the 5 stars won out. This was an awesome, intriguing read and held my interest throughout the book. This story is set in Spain and involves identical twins, one of whom has been in jail for 20 years for a series of murders his twin brother, a police officer, turned him in for. Now he is due to be released on parole and the bizarre killings begins again. Alluring, right? What is going on?

If I have any misgivings about this book it would be the length of the story and the names of the Spanish towns, streets, roads, places and characters. They certainly tested my language skills but do not let that deter you from the narrative. The ending is outstanding and all the twists and turns will have you shaking your head.

This is suppose to be the first of a trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the other two.

The Silence of the White City, by Eva García Sáenz is the English version of an amazing spanish thriller, El Silencio de la Ciudad Blanca, and the first part of the author trilogy of La Ciudad Blanca. However, it can be read as a standalone, with a definite ending. No cliffhanger or plot points left hanging.

This book has been a major bestseller in Spanish speaking countries, and rightfully so. It has been masterfully translated by Nick Caistor, who is to be lauded for this work. He took great care at keeping the spanish words relevant to basque culture and traditions, hence immersing the reader in the ambiance of the original book.

Now, for the story...

It is narrated by the main character, the inspector remembering his investigation, while lying in a coma from having been shot in the head by the perpetrator, with a few days left before they turn off his life support.

So, the novel doesn’t really begin with flowers and unicorns...

20 years ago, a series of ritualistic murders shook the small town of Vitoria to its core. Couple of bodies, each having one of their hand on the cheek of the other, were found poisoned. First, a couple of newborns, then a couple of 5 years old, a couple of 10 years old, and a couple of 15 years old. The bodies being left chronologically in places of cultural and archeological significance to the town.

In a shocking turn of events, detective Ignacio Ortiz de Zárate arrested his own twin brother, Tasio, a well known archeologist, host of a successful TV documentary series. The murders stopped, and Tasio was found guilty and jailed. The peculiar relationship between those twins is well developed throughout the book, and raise many questions at several points in the story.

20 years later, a few weeks before Tasio Ortiz de Zárate is to be released on parole, while he’s still in jail, inspector Unai « Kraken » López de Ayala and his partner, Estíbaliz Ruiz de Gauna, get to investigate the murder of two twenty years old, killed in the same ritualistic way than 20 years before. And it won’t stop there...

But, with Tasio still in jail, who is doing the killings ? A disciple he’s controlling from inside, a copycat, or was Tasio innocent all along ? That’s what Tasio pretends when he demands to see Kraken, in order to help him find the real killer, in a way reminiscent of « Silence of the Lambs » (but, updated for the times. Twitter is used and, funny trivia, the accounts and hashtags cited in the book really exist - check them)

While being a well crafted and gripping thriller, this novel also plunge us in the culture and the history of that basque town. We learn a lot about the traditions and the ways of the society there, and it is as fascinating as the mystery itself. This, and the cultural significance of the murder scenes, add a little feeling of « Da Vinci Code » on top of the « Silence of the Lambs » visits to Tasio. However, I’m not saying it’s copying those books in any way. It’s a totally legit and original story, well standing on its own.

Kraken and his partner are not your common inspectors, either. They have issues, and they cover each other backs as a consequence. Kraken is in grief over the loss of his pregnant wife two years prior, and has little regard for rules and orders, and Estìbaliz is coping with addiction and personal problems of her own. The book really give us a view in their personal lives, and all the characters, be it the main ones or their families, are well fleshed out, vivid, original, and feeling very authentic (even a sixty-something ethical hacker Kraken uses unofficially). This is world building of the highest level.

This book will give you heartburns, as the inspectors are in a constant race against time to protect and save the 25, 30, 35 years old etc... of Vitoria who could become the next victims, and solve the case before Tasio gets released from jail. Especially when Kraken himself turns fourty years old...

The very fast paced conclusion is adequately stunning, even if all the puzzle pieces were there, and the reader could have guessed the shocking truth. This reader, however, didn’t, and read the last pages with his mouth gaping in astonishement.

The conclusion is followed by an epilogue, letting us know we haven’t seen the last of La Ciudad Blanca. The next book in the series, The Rituals of Water (Los Ritos Del Agua), appears on the front page, and is sure to be released soon (the sooner, the better)


Thanks to Penguin Random House (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group - Vintage Crime/Black Lizard label) and Netgalley for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

Great book! Involved story line and characters. Enjoyed the relationship between the Kraken and his boss and the overall darkness of the book.

So well written so involving a serial killer a story that drew me right in.Told in flashbacks so multi layered so shocking.with twists and turns,A book I highly recommend a terrific reread,#netgalley#knopf Doubleday

An enthralling, gripping and well written thriller that kept me hooked till the end.
It's a fascinated story told using flashback and it's full of twists and turns.
I loved the unusual setting, the well developed characters and the great storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I'm delighted to say that Eva García Seáenz de Urturi's The Silence of the White City is volume one in a trilogy, because once you read this title you'll find yourself wanting more—and if you're like me, you'll be hoping the translation process goes quickly and smoothly.

The basic premise is this: a series of killings from twenty years ago appears to be starting again in Vitoria, a city in the Basque region of Spain. But the man convicted for those earlier killings is just about to be released on parole—just about, but hasn't yet been. This raises the immediate questions of a) has he found a way to continue his killings from behind bars? and b) was he really the guilty party in the first place?

García Seáenz de Urturi packs this novel with one twist after another, so that even when the reader has figured out much of the mystery there are still surprises in store. The cast of characters is broad and engaging. At the center are a pair of police detective—one male, one female—who have been working together for years. García Seáenz de Urturi creates a complex, believable relationship between the two of them that balances tensions and trust. Secondary characters are also well-developed. Some of them are likeable, some not so much—but they're all believable.

If you enjoy mysteries, particularly police procedurals, you'll find The Silence of the White City is a real gift: a lengthy read that rewards the reader throughout the narrative.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

In the beginning of this book Unai López de Ayala, alias the Kraken, lies in a coma. He has been shot by the serial killer who he was pursuing. The story unfolds backwards, then backwards and forwards again, mostly told from the Kraken’s viewpoint. The plot is twisty, just like the motives and methods of the killer. The compelling plot is almost eclipsed by the setting and culture of Vitoria, Spain, a city with heavily Basque influences and a heritage of medieval structures with a touch of the mystic and plenty of good food. Secondary characters include Unai’s female partner, his brother and grandfather, a set of accomplished, but eccentric twin brothers, hackers, Unai’s female superior, and stories about their pasts. The ending was a bit too neatly drawn, but in all, a colorful mystery well-worth the trip.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title.

It's hard for me to rate this book, because I think the major thing dragging it down was the translation (at least, judging by how highly the book was rated when it was originally released, I'm thinking that was the issue). I was constantly dragged out of the story because the prose just did not flow smoothly to an English speaking ear. That truly was a bummer, because this story gave me major Dan Brown thriller kind of vibes, and I think there's a ton of people who would enjoy that kind of plot. Sure, the ending is kind of bonkers, but aside from that, the core story here is a really fun serial killer thriller where a murderer from the past seems to re-emerge & the main detective is one of the targets. If you aren't as picky about writing, I would recommend this as a fun one and hey-- it's the first of a trilogy! So if you end up enjoying it, there's more for you to dive into

The story is told in flashback from the point of view of the detective who is in a coma after having been shot in the head by the serial killer he was chasing. It’s hard not to be hooked from the first chapter. The presence of twins was concerning at first--who hasn’t seen enough of twin-related gimmickry on bad TV shows?--but the author handles the twists and turns expertly and with originality. The sense of place is so strong in this engaging novel that I found myself looking things up online just to learn more about some of the cultural practices described. The idea of a cuadrilla, a largely unchanging cohort of friends who accompany you throughout life, is taken for granted in the novel but has no exact equivalent in American society. There are enough complications and interpersonal conflicts to keep even a jaded mystery fan glued to the story, and the richly detailed Basque atmosphere makes reading this book feel like taking a trip.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

It's all too easy for a serial killer novel to depend on the tropes of the genre, but THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY delivers surprise after surprise, as well as a fascinating tour of unfamiliar terrain. It's easy to see why this thriller is already an international bestseller: it's a lengthy read, but a rewarding and exciting one--the pages will fly!

A story steeped in history and modern chaos . A police profiler with the nickname the “Kraken’ is assigned a serial killer case that had kept the city’s young adults at home and culminated in the incarceration of a well known and admired identical twin. The fact that the twin was due for release seems to have ignited a new set of murders. The twist is that the killer has a penchant for tableaux, with the bodies caressing each other naked. A new set of murders has the city alarmed and the Kracken on the case. An interview with the soon to be paroled twin offers little in the way of new evidence, but the seed planted there gives the Kracken all he needs as he digs through the history of the facts revealing an ugly twist of fate at the stories conclusion. Along the way relationships are tested and a sister-in-law falls victim to the killer. Through it all we are given insight into the struggle , internal and external our hero faces. The interesting element throughout this tale is the fact that he is recalling this while in a coma and is due to be taken off life support soon. A nice twist.

I LOVED The Silence of the White City, an engrossing novel that hit all of my sweet spots. First and foremost, the mystery at the heart of the novel pulled me in, built at a steady pace and kept me turning pages to see what happened next and if my theories were correct. Secondly, this was a book that asked me to think and learn as I read. Having never visited the Basque Country, I found myself Googling the numerous historic sites integral to this story as I read, and subsequently finished the book with a new understanding of Alava's culture and customs. Finally, the key characters in this novel touched my heart: I was very invested in the fates of Unai, his grandfather, Alba, Blanca and Doctor Urbina, and the final lines of the novel were the payoff I'd hoped for. I can't ask for more than that.

To be honest, I’d forgotten that I had requested this book when the publisher approved me. When I saw that the book was 480 pages long, I groaned. My TBR list is long and I wasn’t looking forward to reading a long book that I’d requested impulsively and now suspected to be more literary than was good for it.

All that to say: I started reading in a grudging, grouchy, grumbling mood.

And within a page or two, that mood vanished. Eva Garcia Saenz lured me into her story. Though I’d intended to read only a few chapters, I kept reading The Silence of the White City throughout the day and quickly finished it.

PLOT

An archaeologist named Tasio is behind bars for the ritualistic murders that occurred twenty years earlier. For several months, pairs of victims had been found in places significant to the history of the city. Each pair was a male and a female, previously unknown to one another, with hyphenated last names; the ages of the victims were newborn, five, ten, and fifteen. The murders stopped when Tasio’s own twin brother, Ignacio, a police officer, solved the case. The cases rocked the city of Vittoria, and the current police investigator, Kraken, remembers the terror that dogged all twenty year olds with hyphenated last names: am I next?

Now Tasio, who has always maintained his innocence, will soon be released on parole. But before he is released, two new bodies are found, and the similarities are striking: a male and female, posed the same way, previously unknown to one another, with hyphenated last names, and age 20. It looks like the serial killer has continued his spree.

But how? Tasio is still behind bars . . .

Yes, the crimes are weird. The book’s opening is odd, too; our unknown serial killer has shot Inspector Kraken in the head. We don’t know if Kraken is alive or dead while he recounts the story of his investigation to us. Every so often, Kraken-as-narrator inserts his thoughts into Kraken-as-investigator’s account. I didn’t mind this, but I know some readers don’t care for it.

Interspersed with Kracken’s investigation are flashbacks about a young married woman and her doctor. These do have relevance, even if it’s not immediately apparent. I felt that this dual timeline was effective, as it helped develop the context for some important characters in the story.

The plot has the usual twists and turns. It’s slower than a typical thriller, and even slower than most current suspense or mystery novels. It has plenty of action, though, and the tension builds throughout the book until we reach the climax. But if you like your serial killer mysteries to be heart-pounding action from page one, the slower pace will frustrate you.

CHARACTERIZATION

As far as characterization goes, it’s adequate. The Inspector Kraken is the usual smart but grief-striken cop who can’t abide by the rules. His partner, Esti, and his new boss/love interest, Alba, are also decently developed, though there’s nothing terribly unusual about them. I connected emotionally with them, though. I felt their frustration at the baffling case, especially when the public makes the connection and begins to worry about 25 and 30 year olds. They demand answers. A solution. An arrest, because obviously, logic be d—d, the killer must be Tasio. Strangers walk up to Kraken and hand him list of their loved ones, trying to force him to give those people special protection (impossible) and accusing him of not caring about the potential victims. They don’t realize this case is personal for the detectives . . .

THE ATMOSPHERE & SETTING

The characters, plot and writing were adequate. But the book hooked me with something else entirely: the feeling of it. It sucked me into a particular feeling that made the city of Vittoria come alive, with all its mournful, strange, rich nuances. The private griefs and pains that echo off the city’s public monuments and buildings. The way history permeates everything. How one is never far from the past: whether that’s the far past–the city’s infancy or medieval age–or one’s personal past, the rumors and reputations leftover from childhood that dog people throughout their adulthood.

It’s the same feeling I have when I read a legend or fairy tale, part mystical, part real, part something I can’t put into words. The atmosphere of the city is simultaneously festive (it’s a holiday) and terrified. The setting is rich with customs and legends, superstitions and celebrations, steeped in history dating back a thousand years or more. The atmosphere and setting combine to create a feeling that grasped me.

Yes, there are parts where Kraken has the wry-voiced humor so pervasive among fictional cops/investigators. Yes, there are action scenes, sex scenes, and dialogue crackling with nuance (especially when Kraken goes head-to-head with the still-incarcerated Tasio). There are points where the syntax becomes hard to follow, as if it became tangled up in itself; this may be a translation issue.

But even so, I enjoyed the book. I felt like I was following a winding path through foggy fairy tale woods. Nothing is what it seems, no one is who they seem. Danger and hope feel equally possible around every turn. I was captivated by the story.

The Silence of the White City is recommended to mystery lovers who like a slower (but still intense) pace.
5 stars

Thanks to Knopf/Doubleday and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Note: this will appear on my personal blog on July 27, 2020.

Once I got used to the names, and could then appreciate who was talking, and their characteristics, I was truly blown away .. the plot ranges far and wide, and the killer is too close all along! The brutality of the murders put me on edge sometimes, but raised the stakes as the killer targeted more and more specifically until it was our detective himself (I don't give anything away here .. it's stated right at start so we want to know not only is he talking from the dead or has he lived?) Really well done .. the detective and his cohort are very appealing and dynamic pair which makes this really work... highly recommended

Eva Garcia Saenz has written a solid and engrossing page turner of a read with The Silence of the White City! Well worth your time.

Twenty years ago the ancient Basque city of Vitoria was terrorized by a bizarre series of murders. Pairs of children were being killed in a ritualistic manner and left in historically significant locations. Thankfully the culprit, a well known archaeologist, was convicted and the killings stopped...until now.

There are lots of references to the fascinating history of the area, as well as the local architecture and culture which I found interesting. However, I thought that the pacing was a little slow and some of the characterisations didn’t ring true. I suspect that this novel suffers slightly due being a translation and that the original Spanish is a different experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

*3.5

I struggled a lot with this rating. While I loved the plot and the mystery was intriguing and made me want to keep reading, I was not a fan of the characters. I mainly didn't like the three main detectives- Kraken, Alba, and Esti. They were all one-dimensional and had no personality outside of being cops.

The narrator was pretty boring and I just wanted all the sections about his personal life to be over so I could continue reading about the mystery and investigation.

The twins were a really interesting part of this, they were well-rounded characters, they had a strange relationship and were at best morally gray. I liked the role they played throughout the mystery.

I liked the dual timeline and don’t think that the book would have worked as well without it. Having the few chapters set in the past in between the main timeline helped connect the dots, and made everything a lot more suspenseful.

While I did manage to guess every single plot twist, I still enjoyed the mysterious aspects and the story overall. The way the author set up the murders was fascinating and I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. I like that they all had to do with Spain’s history, and while they were disturbing I still appreciate the author’s creativity in this regard.

Speaking of Spain, the descriptions of the setting were amazingly done (saying this as someone who does not know much about Spain) and it gave the book an atmospheric feel that I was not expecting from a thriller.

Lastly, the writing came across as dry and to the point. I don’t know if maybe this was a translation issue and it’s better in Spanish. I do plan on continuing this series since it has more books already out in this series but will probably pick them up in Spanish to see how they compare.

I’d recommend anyone interested in mysteries/thrillers to pick this one up, especially if you’re mostly interested in the plot rather than the characters.