To The Last Page

With more than a million copies sold, translated into 15 languages (but not English), La novia gitana is the first in a series of thrillers featuring inspector Elena Blanco. Initially the author Carmen Mola was considered a pseudonym for an author who wanted to remain out of the picture and avoid publicity, a sort of Elena Ferrante, but while it is indeed a pseudonym, Carmen Mola is actually a collaboration between three writers, none of them female. However they choose to work, there is no denying the success of the series and the reasons for this success are not hard to discern in this first book made up of short sharp chapters, spiky characters and a bizarre murder mystery, but that's only the start of it. The gypsy bride of the title is Susana Macaya. She is murdered two weeks before her wedding in the most shocking and macabre manner while sensibly returning home from her hen party in Madrid just before it all got out of control. She has been killed by someone who drilled thr...