An unlikely duo partner to solve a ritualistic crime in this exciting Spanish thriller.

We meet disgraced Inspector Jon Gutiérrez, who faces criminal charges for planting evidence. Suspended and with his career at a precipice, he gets a lifeline from a secret organization should he convince the reclusive Antonia Scott to come out of her retirement. Antonia is “the smartest person in the world,” touting a gifted forensic mind and perfect recall. Fraught with personal trauma, she contemplates suicide for exactly three minutes a day, and never leaves the confines of her barren apartment.

It’s the macabre and ritualistic murder of a teen boy that rouses interest and awakens her gift. Left without a drop of blood, Jon and Antonia forge a tremulous partnership to track down the sinister mastermind. Then the daughter of one of the richest men in Spain is kidnapped, and a connection to the murder escalates their search.

Across and below the Spanish streets a chase ensues, as dueling investigative groups clash, and time begins to expire.

Echoes of Lisbeth Salander resound in the fascinating, brilliantly minded Antonia, but it’s the motley pairing of her and Jon that shines. That dynamic, coupled with dark humor and the propulsive, frenetic pacing of the narrative, make this a fresh, fun and addictive thriller to read.

Red Queen (Reina Roja) is the first of a trilogy, so the good news is that there’s more to come—Loba Negra (Black Wolf) and Rey Blanco (White King). I’m already excited!

There has been a lot of hype surrounding this book and its release so I knew that I wanted to pick it up immediately. The Red Queen had a lot of potential for me in its plot device; however, it didn't necessarily live up to it for me. I know this book is going to end up being a series and that you will discover more details surrounding the main characters but I was left with too many questions after finishing this book. Questions that I feel should have been wrapped up by the end.

I think this book will appeal to people who want a quick, fast read with action and are willing to wait for the next installment.

The one piece I did love was Antonia's character. I will be curious to see who plays her part in the series that are currently working on for television.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an early copy!

Antonia Scott, half Spanish and half English has an amazing forensic mind gifted with retentive memory and an incredibly logical mind. She works for a European law enforcement agency with ties to Interpol. A personal tragedy has somewhat dimmed her light but she has been tasked with investigating a series of horrific bizarre murders involving some of Europe's wealthiest families. Her assigned partner this time in the field is Jon Gutierrez, a disgraced, suspended renegade officer from Bilboa. This novel, a best seller in Spain, featured a very unique concept and one of the most interesting and unique protagonists since Steig Larson. The narrative was quite intellectual presenting a lot of facts on a wide range of topics as the investigation progressed. The at times combative hostile interaction between Jon and Antonia, two strangers with opposing mind sets thrown together as a team added tension. As the investigation continues they develop a grudging respect and commitment. This tightly plotted narrative featured plenty of red herrings and unexpected twists on the road to resolution. I understand this is the first entry in a trilogy and this reader is anticipating the next adventure with two compelling investigators. A very different crime thriller that I eally enjoyed.

An unlikely pair, Antonia and Jon, are a compelling detective duo in Red Queen. This thriller had a great plot, eccentric characters and a compulsive pull to keep reading to the end. Can't wait to read more books in this series.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy.

Red Queen is the first of (what I assume will become) a series featuring an sherlockian crime analyst, Antonia Scott, and her new partner, “disgraced” cop, Jon Gutierrez. I found the character of Antonia fascinating and the book was a fast thrilling read. At times, I did find the plot a bit confusing but that could be in part due to translation Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

I tried so hard to get into this book but it was just not for me. I think that it will find it's audience out there, just it wasn't something I really enjoyed.

Red Queen? Isn’t it a fantasy book?

Nope, it’s a thriller, and a really good thriller, in fact.

Juan Gómez-Jurado, where is the author from

A foreign thriller? No thanks. It must be full of weird names and references I don’t get.

I totally get where you’re coming from, but hear me out. Red Queen may not be an American thriller, but it’s definitely worth a read. And don’t let foreign names intimidate you. They are super easy to read, believe me.

Let me give you a book review and present 5 reasons why you should read Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado.

Summary of Red Queen
1. Antonia Scott and the rest of the crew
2. Intricate Plot
3. Engaging Writing Style
4. Red Queen will launch on Prime Video in 2023
5. Great Translation
More about Juan Gómez-Jurado
Opinion

SUMMARY OF RED QUEEN
Red Queen is the first installment of the trilogy about Antonia Scott by Spanish writer Juan Gómez-Jurado. Antonia Scott, a skilled police profiler, is called upon by the Spanish authorities to investigate a series of kidnappings targeting minors from influential Spanish families.

The kidnappers demand a peculiar exchange – instead of money, they want the families to make a public statement, or the victims will face dire consequences.

The Red Queen is not the antagonist in the story but a European, intergovernmental secretive organization that solves high-profile cases, and Antonia is part of it.

As Antonia and her team race against time to catch the kidnappers, you will be taken on a thrilling ride through Spain and the rest of Europe.

The story contains shocking secrets and unexpected twists, leaving you gasping for air.

1. ANTONIA SCOTT AND THE REST OF THE CREW
Unlike your typical heroine, Antonia is a tough, eccentric woman who lives in a sparsely furnished apartment and doesn’t enjoy being around people due to her personal trauma. However, Antonia’s genius-level intelligence is unparalleled, and her ability to solve even the most complex cases is truly impressive.

Even more remarkable is that Antonia is not a policewoman or a lawyer. Yet, she has successfully solved dozens of cases. With her unique personality traits and exceptional intelligence, Antonia is a character you will never forget. The best part is that Red Queen is the first book in the Antonia Scott’s thriller series!

Jon is a police inspector who takes his job very seriously and has a past that he’s trying to make up for. But what sets Jon apart is his big heart, even though he’s insecure about his appearance. One thing Jon is sure about, though, is his sexuality – he’s openly gay and proud of it.

Now, who is the hidden mastermind of the story? I can’t tell you because it would spoil your reading, but at the end of the book, the villain’s identity is revealed after some truly thrilling scenes. This villain has appeared in previous novels by Gómez-Jurado and will continue to appear in the upcoming installments of the trilogy. Trust me, this villain will make a comeback… And he is really evil and just as intelligent as Antonia.


2. INTRICATE PLOT
Red Queen’s fast-paced, action-packed storyline keeps readers guessing until the end. I don’t want to spoil any surprises because the less you know beforehand, the more exciting it will be. This story is filled with unexpected twists and turns, which makes it both thrilling and unpredictable.

The plot of Red Queen is intricately woven, with clues and hints being dropped throughout the story that lead to an unexpected conclusion. The plot points keep readers guessing until the very end, making for a thrilling read.

Additionally, various subplots throughout the book eventually come together to reveal one of the most entertaining and unexpected endings of recent times.

3. ENGAGING WRITING STYLE
Juan Gómez-Jurado’s writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making Red Queen a page-turner from beginning to end. His use of short chapters and alternating perspectives keeps the story moving briskly, making it difficult to put down.

When I was reading, I thought: “One more chapter, and then I’ll go to sleep,” But then I ended up reading another and another…

Moreover, the novel is not just a series of crime scenes. Gómez-Jurado manages the internal timing of the novel very well. As an example, I suggest that the reader pay close attention to the explosion scene in chapter 29, crafted with such detail that it slows down the pace of the narration.

4. RED QUEEN WILL LAUNCH ON PRIME VIDEO IN 2023
Amazon Prime acquired the TV rights for the novel, and filming for the series began on August 18th, 2022. The series will likely appear on the digital platform in the second half of 2023.

Here is an excerpt from the press release by the producers.

With an IQ of 242, Antonia Scott is officially the smartest person on Earth. Her intelligence earned her the nickname “Red Queen” in a secret and experimental police project. However, what seemed like a gift became a curse, and she lost everything. When the son of a powerful magnate is grotesquely murdered in his mansion, and the daughter of the richest man in Spain is kidnapped, the Red Queen organization is set in motion. Mentor, Antonia’s former boss, turns to Jon Gutierrez, a temperamental Basque police officer on the verge of being expelled from the force, to reactivate Antonia. The twisted cat-and-mouse game that Jon and Antonia find themselves in during their investigation also reveals that they admire and complement each other almost as much as they irritate each other.


5. GREAT TRANSLATION
Red Queen is a best-selling book in the Spanish-speaking world, having sold more than 2.5 million copies. So it is no surprise that the novel has been translated into over 23 languages.

I read the book in Spanish a couple of years ago and always wondered when the English version would come out. The day has finally come. Nick Caistor is the translator, and he did a great job because he captured the essence and excitement of the original Spanish novel.

The translator put a lot of effort into ensuring the story reads smoothly and naturally in English while staying true to the author’s style and voice. Furthermore, as I said while talking about Gómez-Jurado’s style, the original novel has a direct, easy-to-follow language, which helps the translation.

Something that contributes to the good translation of Red Queen is that the characters’ names and places are simple and easy to remember, such as Antonia, Jon, Clara, Mentor, Marcos, and Sandra, and many others. This makes it easier for readers to follow the story without getting lost in complicated or unfamiliar names.

MORE ABOUT JUAN GÓMEZ-JURADO
Born and raised in Madrid, he studied journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid. Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a journalist for several Spanish newspapers and magazines. He’s known for his gripping thrillers that are often compared to the works of Dan Brown and James Patterson.

He has published a dozen novels in Spanish, five of which have been translated into English. His books have been translated into over forty languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He has been compared to Dan Brown and John Grisham for his ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

He is the ideal author for publishers due to his prolific writing, high sales, outgoing and charming personality, and enjoyment of public attention, simplifying promotion efforts. He even has a very popular podcast! Check out Gómez-Jurado’s Instagram and see for yourself.

OPINION
Personally, I absolutely loved the novel, and I highly recommend it. I am certain that English-speaking readers will really enjoy it. The structure, character, and plot development are all familiar, only the setting is different.

This is one book that leaves you wanting more, especially because of the characters. Antonia and Jon form a lovable couple, and by the end of the book, you feel like they are your friends.

This is a great chance to enter the world of Gómez-Jurado.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is a great read for fans of the thriller/crime fiction genre, with a very unique "detective" character. I can see the parallels to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, though I'd argue there was less rage here. I also enjoyed the setting in various parts of Spain. It felt a little long, but I was glad I made it through.

n Red Queen, we first briefly meet Antonia Scott, who unaccountably thinks about suicide for three minutes each day. She obviously is not an ordinary person with an ordinary brain, as she quickly makes calculations related to the physics of jumping in a lake to accomplish her end. It's a brief, tantalizing introduction. And then, we turn to Jon. I laughed out loud (not just like an emoji: I mean for real laughed) during the first few pages of the first chapter as we meet Jon Gutierrez, He's a gay Basque rock lifter, presently suspended from the police force for an incident that itself would be funny and even sympathetic if it hadn't gone viral. As his captain tells him, Jon is in a "big stinking mess," and then a door opens. He is pulled into a challenge by a strange man he is to call, "Mentor" If Jon pulls off the challenge, this will rescue his career. All he has to do is convince a particular woman to get into a car.

Red Queen is a book that made me look early on into whether it is a series. (It is). It takes place in Spain and is translated from Spanish. The writing is totally engrossing and entertaining, thought much less funny as the plot unfolds. Someone is after the children of very, very wealthy families but the kidnapper does not seem to want money. There is a highly confidential, deep background government organization that deals with highly unusual crimes. Similar organizations exist internationally and cooperate on solving these, each with a "Red Queen," whose intelligence, creativity and originality is honed to this purpose.

Quickly, we are pulled into a crime scene that is strange enough to warrant the Red Queen's involvement. The teenage son of a wealthy family has been murdered in a unique manner. Usually the organization cooperates with police but this case is tricky. Still, they have a cop on board: Jon. Then, there is an obviously related crime and another head of an obscenely wealthy family is faced with a demand and a deadline … and it is not for money. Gomez-Jurado's writing style is fast paced, exciting, entertaining, humorous at times, sad at others and this was an I could not put it down book. It is partly about ruthless, violent people and there are some dangerous scenes. The violence is expressed through the perceptions of those involved as they struggle to understand what is happening to them and to react to it. (As opposed to blow by blow descriptions of what the actor is doing to the victim). I will be counting the minutes till the next book is translated and published. (Kudos to the translator, Nick Caster) Highly recommend.

RED QUEEN by Juan Gomez-Jurado
Translated by: Nick Caistor
Published: 3/14/2023 by Minotaur Books
384 pages


A tour de force police procedural that quickly evolves into a mystery-thriller … begging the reader to want more immediately. This thankfully is the first book in a quirky trilogy that has been recently translated from Spanish and has won international awards. Introduced is the reluctant female detective Antonio Scott, as compelling and unconventional as Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander The daughter of a British diplomat and a Spanish mother, possesses a rare intelligence and mind that sees what few others can. From simple observation of a crime scene she is able to solve baffling murders. Her skills are legendary, however she works for a shadowing international agency, known as the “Red Queen Project” ,but has withdrawn her participation after her husband was shot and lays in coma in a hospital bed. Her days are filled by camping out at his bedside, while isolating herself in the evening in her lonely apartment …. apparently contemplating suicide. The Red Queen project operates outside the conventional law enforcement agencies and answers to no higher authority, and units exists in multiple countries, hidden from public scrutiny and social media. They specialize in dealing with serial killers, pedophiles, terrorist and lonewolfs and have no ties to hierarchies or bureaucracy to deal with. …. with the only intermediary being, code name: Mentor. In the field the team is composed of a Red Queen and a shield bearer.
The shield bearer in this case will be Inspector Jon Gutierrez, an overweight gay cop whose career is in jeopardy after planting heroin to gain a conviction. Jon is contacted by Mentor. If he is able to persuade Antonio to return to working with the Red Queen project his misconduct issues will disappear and he will be reinstated, without a blemish on his record. With much effort he accomplishes the task that has baffled many before him.
Six days ago a boy vanished from his school, after asking to go to the bathroom. The father is the chairman of Europe’s largest bank. Antonio and Jon are taken to a luxurious house in an obviously influential neighborhood. The crime scene: the boy is sitting upright on the richly appointed sofa, with white shirt and pants without shoes or socks. He appears impossibly thin with almost translucent pale skin. One leg is crossed over the other, with the right hand resting on the knee, while the left hand holds a glass of blackish liquid. His eyes are wide open, and his mouth is obscenely hanging open, in a parody of a smile, with a trail of blood oozing from his mouth. The staging is disgusting! Antonio calmly deduces the following …. cause of death was hypovolemic shock and hypoxemia without evidence of violence or defensive wounds. She surmises his death was slow and painful, while he was bleed to death, most likely by the killer placing a tube into the carotid and slowly draining him dry. Other parts of the puzzle, include the victim being anointed with oil in his hair and a small piece of paper referring to Psalm 23. Antonio and Jon will conduct an investigation outside the purview of local enforcement. Before long a second crime occurs under just as bizarre a set of circumstances, and suggesting a possible linkage. Carla Ortiz, the daughter of the world’s richest man is kidnapped. Ransom has no relevance to the kidnapper’s demands.
Juan Gomez-Jurado proves to be a masterful storyteller as he weaves multiple plot twists together in a race against time while impending danger escalates to victim and investigators.
Unexpected explosions with grisly splatter intensify the intrigue as the last quarter of the book turns into a frenetic page turner. The reader cannot help but long for further cases involving the unlikely duo of Antonio and Jon .. who have grown to form an unbreakable bond.
I personally look forward to the translations of further volumes in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

I can see why this has sold 2 million copies in Spain. WOW. This is probably the best thriller I've read in a year or more. Its layered and complex yet still easy to digest. I'm thrilled this is a series as I will be reading the entirety of it.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Red Queen has a different concept and is the first in a series. The setting is in Europe, in Spain. There are some cultural and government aspects which are unique. I really like the main characters.

Jon is an gay police detective who got caught planting evidence. He's a good guy and working to fight the bad guys but he got frustrated and tried to cheat to get rid of a pimp who was beating the young girl. He is very fond of his mother and her cooking. Rather than putting him in jail, they have him work with Antonia.

Antonia is a government operative with a high IQ. She works for a clandestine unit, which also drugs her to improve her performance. The unit hides everything when she is involved in a case. She is excellent with her deductions. I always enjoy a smart protagonist. I do like the personal stories we get about Jon and Antonia as they get to know each other and work together.

There are plenty of other characters who are less likeable. There is a aging journalist, the head of a special police unit, Antonia's father, and of course, the villains of the story, to name a few.

There have been abductions and murders of high profile children of wealthy people. But the killer is not demanding a ransom. Antonia and Jon investigate and work to solve the case with many distractions and red tape. They are willing to think and work outside the box, to figure things out and take down the bad guys. In this way, Jon is a perfect fit for the team.

The process was tough and some terrible things happened but the solution was mostly satisfying. There are a few minor loose ends but since this is the start of the Antonia Scott series I think we will learn more in future books. I'm excited to see there are at least two more books.

I really liked this one. It takes a little bit to take off, but wow, does it get the blood pumping once all the characters and pieces are in place.
Disgraced police officer, Jon Gutierrez, is given one chance to put a dumb, altruistic mistake behind him and save his career. His main task is to get Antonia Scott to show up at a specific location. The problem is that Antonia does not want to deal with the world and steadfastly refuses to have anything to do with the cases she used to take on before tragedy struck her family. But the case is too mystifying and heartbreaking for Antonio or Jon to let go of when a second person is in danger and there's still a chance to rescue her alive. It's a race against time, egos, and secrets that gets darker and more interesting by the page turn.
The only reason I'm not rating this higher is that it gets a bit too gory and descriptive in the violent scenes for my tastes, but I can understand why it's done and will admit that it's done in a tasteful manner that helps move the story.
Props to the English translation of the very Spanish book because it's expertly done. If it wasn't for the very Spanish locales and some minor details that the hyper-curious might get distracted by, I don't feel like I'm losing much of the story.


Happy thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the wonderfully twisty read!

Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado

The first in a trilogy that has now sold more than two million copies in the original Spanish.

Antonia Scott—the daughter of a British diplomat and a Spanish mother—has a gifted forensic mind, whose ability to reconstruct crimes and solve baffling murders is legendary. But after a personal trauma, she's refused to continue her work or even leave her apartment.

Jon Gutierrez, a police officer in Bilbao—disgraced, suspended, and about to face criminal charges—is offered a chance to salvage his career by a secretive organization that works in the shadows to direct criminal investigations of a highly sensitive nature. All he has to do is succeed where many others have failed: Convince a recalcitrant Antonia to come out of her self-imposed retirement, protecting her and helping her investigate a new, terrifying case.

I really enjoyed this story that was a great balance of intriguing character development and interesting plot turns. It's a mid-paced thriller that continues to reveal layers throughout the entire story. I wanted to keep coming back to find out what would happen next, and I will definitely be reading the second in the trilogy as soon as it's available. While the story in Red Queen came to a satisfying conclusion, there are plenty of threads to continue to unravel.

I enjoyed the narrator, Scott Brick, although once in a while it feels a little like a radio announcer.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for a free copy of Red Queen for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own. #NetGalley

I picked up RED QUEEN after hearing it compared to THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Like the beloved heroine Lisbeth Salander, Antonia Scott is an intriguing and equally strong female protagonist.

The story follows officers Jon Gutierrez and Antonia Scott as they seek to solve two murders while both navigating messy personal situations. I enjoyed the dynamic between Jon & Antonia and will be curious to see how it develops as this book is slated to be a trilogy.

The story was action-packed but also contained flashbacks that took me out of the present-day timeline that I was invested in which was my only qualm. I haven’t read many books in translation and it was a fun experience knowing that this book has been well-received by Spanish readers.

RATING: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 stars)
PUB DATE: March 14, 2023

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good. Great characters with a fast paced plot. A dark and fun thriller for fans of Jo Nesbø and Stieg Larsson.

The title Red Queen made me curious, but it was not what I expected. The author is unfamiliar to me, but the cover made me curious, with #1 International bestseller. Then, I read the blurb, and thought this could be a winner for me. And boy was it. Antonia Scott was so much more than I expected and I love that her ‘partner’ is a disgraced police officer. I love when a characters can find redemption, and I feel he will.

Antonia Scott allows herself to think of suicide no more than three minutes a day.

Does that intrigue you? It sure did me. Why did she think of suicide at all? Isn’t she a gifted forensic investigator? A personal tragedy leaves her with a heavy sense of guilt that she cannot escape. I am not going to tell you why. You will have to discover that for yourself.

Inspector Jon Gutierrez is a disgraced police officer, suspended from work. He has always been harassed because of being gay in a male driven society. He loves to cook. He is not fat, just rock solid. I think a lot of cooks love to eat. For others, like me, it is more like fuel. He has been tasked with bringing Antonia out of her self imposed isolation and has no idea what he is coming his way.

“My brain…isn’t normal. I can do things others find impossible.”

When I found the reason for that, I had ambivalent feelings. I guess, if it was what she wanted, who am I to judge.

Red Queen started out slow for me, but I think that is Juan Gomez Jurado’s way of preparing me for what is to come. The only problem I had was when he went back and forth between Jon and Inspector Gutierrez. It was early in the book and took me a little while to go with it and quit questioning whether he was talking about two people instead of one.

‘You sacrifice a pawn for the sake of continuing the game. Because the only thing that matters is to keep on playing.’

As we delve into the mystery, the suspense slowly rises. The story deepens. The sacrifices are costly, the players out for themselves

When Jon brings a rubber plant to her place, trying to make the barren room feel like a home, I cracked up. And…well, I can’t say. I will say this, though, the story kept getting better, the characters more real, foibles and all.The last quarter or more of the book was unputdownable. My desire to know them better, to work another case with them, intrigued me.

After the story is over, Juan Gomez Jurado shared some information that had me going to the internet to find out more for myself. Now…that is the sign of a great writer.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado.

See more at http:;//www.fundinmental.com

The Red Queen is an amazing, fresh and unorthodox detective novel. A fun read, interesting, plenty of plot twists, intelligent and even funny at times. I enjoyed the main characters and can’t wait for the rest of the trilogy to be published! Put this one on your tbr!

**Thank you NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked that the main characters were different from the usual and also different from each other. Yet, they worked together well. The story was interesting and also different from other stories that I've read. There were a couple of small things that didn't make 100% sense to me, However, I was able to overlook those details and appreciate the story. The book ended with an opening for the next in series and I am looking forward to reading it to see where the story takes us. I'll be happy to revisit these characters.

Thank you to Grace Stephenson at St. Martin's Press for recommending this one to me via widget. I had not heard of it previously and would have missed out on a great series.

I really enjoyed this new to me author’s story. I enjoyed the way the characters interacted with each other. If you enjoy mystery, suspense, and intrigue I believe you will enjoy this story. I cannot wait to read the next story in this series.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.