Name: Raven’s Books's review of The Silence of the White City by Eva Garcia Sáenz de Urturi
Item: The Silence of the White City
Rating: 5
Author: Raven’s Books

Eva Garcia Sáenz de Urturi

A madman is holding Vitoria hostage, killing its citizens in brutal ways and staging the bodies. The city's only hope is a brilliant detective struggling to battle his own demons. Inspector Unai López de Ayala, known as "Kraken," is charged with investigating a series of ritualistic murders. The killings are eerily similar to ones that terrorized the citizens of Vitoria twenty years earlier. But back then, police were sure they had discovered the killer, a prestigious archaeologist who is currently in jail. Now Kraken must race to determine whether the killer had an accomplice or if the wrong man has been incarcerated for two decades. This fast-paced, unrelenting thriller weaves in and out of the mythology and legends of the Basque country as it hurtles to its shocking conclusion.

The Silence of the White City

Raven’s Books

Elodia

** spoiler alert **
           *3.5

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I struggled 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.

Our main character is Unai, a detective specializing in profiling that goes by the nickname 'Kraken'. As a protagonist, I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how complex and well-written he is. From a young age, Unai was obsessed with this particular investigation, collecting any piece of information he could find in the media and never miss any updates on the news. Now that the murders reoccured, he finds himself in the most peculiar of situations. He is excited to be able to participate in the investigation and fairly certain he will be the one to put an end to this tragedy once and for all. On the other hand, the very nature of the situation slowly cracks his confidence and manages to let fear take over in the most inconvenient times. What made me particularly interested in him is the journey he embarks on in this book. I won't go into detail but by the end of this book, it feels like he has matured and grown to acknowledge his weaknesses. Also, his past plays an important role in the story, making the challenges he faces seem greater and more difficult to get through.
	The plot itself is masterfully weaved from past and present alike. Some chapters take place in 1969, following a young doctor who recently settled in the town with his family. It took me a while to understand who these characters from the past were connected to the present story but it was so worth the wait. The devil hides in the details and if one pays attention, I can guarantee you will be more than satisfied once the mysteries start to unveil. As for the chapters taking place in the present, I love how the twists and turns always keep our detective one step behind the murderer. It gets the adrenaline going and yes, I cursed a couple of times.
	The story, due to the nature of the crimes, relies heavily on the culture and history of Vitoria. It is a perfect opportunity for history nerds to discover more about the Celts and their descendants, the rituals and symbolisms. It drives the story forward in the most fun way possible while picking your interest in traditions long forgotten. The author's writing style allows her to convey images and sound vividly, avoiding long paragraphs filled with nothing but meaningless descriptions.
	If you are looking for an action-packed book, complex characters, and atmospheric settings, I highly recommend this read!

De stilte van de witte stad

Pia Sophia

[read in Dutch]

This story is very original, I would have never thought of the ending to be what it is. I liked the depth of the story and how everything and everyone is somehow related and important. The chapters that take place in the past were a very nice way of showing that.

This book also showed me the importance of a good translator. I wouldn't say the translator did a terrible job necessarily, but I did miss the intricate, delicious Spanish story telling use of words that I know from other books is so beautiful to read. Although I don't know if the author writes that way at all, now that I think of it... Either way, the writing felt a little stiff and forced now and then. I kind of assume it's because I read a translated version, but since I don't know any Spanish I can't say that for sure. 

3.5 stars; I am definitely intrigued to read the next book in this trilogy!

Spanning, mysterie, cultuur, geschiedenis en veel sfeer: een aanrader voor alle Zafón liefhebbers die ook van thrillers houden. Tasio Ortiz de Zárate is een briljante archeoloog die twintig jaar geleden werd veroordeeld voor een reeks bizarre moorden in het rustige stadje Vitoria. Hij staat op het punt voor het eerst de gevangenis te verlaten, als de misdaden weer beginnen: in de kathedraal van Vitoria wordt een jong stelletje gevonden: naakt en om het leven gekomen door bijensteken in hun keel. Niet veel later wordt in de Casa del Cordón, een bekend middeleeuws gebouw in de stad, een ander koppel vermoord. De jonge inspecteur en profiler Unai López de Ayala – beter bekend als Kraken – wil niets liever dan meer moorden voorkomen, maar een recente tragedie in zijn eigen leven maakt het hem moeilijk om deze zaak te behandelen als alle andere. Zijn onorthodoxe werkmethode wekt bovendien ergernis bij zijn baas. De tijd begint te dringen en de dreiging wordt alsmaar sterker: wie volgt?

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The Silence of the White City by Eva Garcia Sáenz de Urturi

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