Last year we were introduced to the first of the Terra Alta series set in Spain and featuring Melchor Marín — EVEN THE DARKEST NIGHT. I was so impressed by the book and the author that I did a cover article about them (Issue #96). I now see that a sequel, PREY FOR THE SHADOW, is scheduled to be published in the U.K. on July 6, 2023. I have seen no information about a U.S. publication yet. Can’t wait to read it.

Here is a summary of the plot:

The mayor of Barcelona is being blackmailed.

A sex tape from her student days – one she never knew existed. The price: 300,000 euros and her immediate resignation.

A political chameleon who swept to power on a populist wave, she has her enemies. Nor can she trust those closest to her. Both her ex-husband and her deputy would profit from her fall.

Melchor Marín, living a quiet life in Terra Alta, is tempted back to Barcelona to work the case. But what seemed a simple matter has its roots in far more serious and disturbing crimes.

With the mayor on the verge of capitulation, a shock revelation changes everything – not least the course of Melchor’s life. At long last, his heart’s dark desire is in his grasp.