RED QUEEN is a fast-paced thrill-fest. This beginning to the Antonia Scott Series is dark, twisty, and filled with wit. Gómez-Jurado has gifted his readers with a start to something that will hopefully continue for many more books. RED QUEEN introduces a unique and captivating character with Antonia. I cannot wait to read more.

Red Queen is an intricate thriller with fascinating twists and turns. The story was incredibly engaging and surprisingly funny at times. Antonia and Jon were uniquely interesting main characters and I really enjoyed their dynamic. The last third was so intense that I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend it even for people who don't typically read thrillers.

Rating: between 3 and 4 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my ALC!

Red Queen was a perfect summer "escape" read, complete with "hard to get along with" mensa material female MC, and a very likable, but rather unlucky gay police detective. Add to that some fast car chases, elaborately staged murders, an elusive serial killer (possibly psychopath), a whole load of "rich people's problems (that never fail to entertain IYKYK, right?!  )" and a secretive "European Investigation Agency" that doesn't (technically) exist, and you got yourself a bingeable summer thriller. Did everything make sense to me? Absolutely not. But thrillers rarely do. I wished to be entertained and I was! I will definitely be looking forward to the translations of the next two books in the series. I am also excited for the Spanish TV adaptation of Reina Roja that is scheduled to be released in 2024!

What did I enjoy the most? Probably the last part where there is a chase through Madrid's underground tunnels. I love Madrid! It's one of the European cities I would have loved to live in. But I had no idea that Madrid has its own underground city, complete with water canals, phantom train stations, secret tunnels and passages, and even a cathedral. Just a fascinating bit of Madrid's history that I learned from Red Queen.

A word about the narration: I enjoyed Scott Brick's narrator. I thought it was impeccable. However, after talking to some of my Spanish speaking friends I must note that it appears that the pronunciation of some of the names wasn't 100% accurate. So if you do speak Spanish - consider yourself warned. I know it can be annoying! I suffered through the audio of A Gentleman in Moscow (and the narrator was actually VERY good  ).Also make sure you listen to the interview with the author at the end of the book! It is hilarious, and will clarify a few things!

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
While this was active enough for a thriller, it was nothing special. The plot was overly complicated and stretched the levels of plausibility. The characters felt like stereotypes that I had encountered before and not very likable ones at that.

It has been a long week and I have been a shit poster even though I have all kinds of book content ideas bursting from my brain. It is getting them from my brain into reality that seems to be the bottleneck. 🤔 Any tips and tricks about how you plan, schedule and keep yourself on task from my fellow #bookstagrammers would be helpful!

Now time for a review of RED QUEEN by Spanish author Juan Gómez-Jurado which just came out in the English translation in March of this year. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @macmillan.audio for the free audio-ARC.

Ok so I picked this audio-ARC on a whim and was a little nervous I would not enjoy it. Sometimes these international spy type thrillers don't really hit for me as I am not always drawn in by the characters.

This book is so different. I was enamoured with rough and tumble, seasoned yet disgraced ex-cop Jon Gutierrez and brilliant but fragile Antonia Scott as juxtaposing characters from the get-go. This basically felt kind of like a buddy cop dramedy with some serious underlying socio-political commentary. There is plenty of cat and mouse, lots of mysterious players, and excellent dialogue between characters that drives the story forward.

Apparently this is a whole series and if we are ever lucky enough to get the translations of books in the series I would pick them up too to see what shenanigans Jon and Antonia are getting up to!

@thescottbrick narrated the audio and did a great job of acting the characters voices, creating a sense of urgency when needed, providing contemplative inner-monologue acts and really brought personality out of the characters.

I absolutely love translated fiction and this might be one of my favorites I have read this year. What is your favorite translated book and what language was in translated from?

Have a great day bookbots!

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#igbooks #booknerd #bibliophile #booksta #bookreview #bookrecs #netgalley #macmillanaudio #redqueen #audiobookarc #audioreview

I absolutely loved this book and I was fascinated with Antonia Scott's mind, the secret organization, and Officer Gutierrez. It's written as a murder thriller/mystery, but there is compassion, companionship, and kindness shown throughout the book that makes it unique. The writing style is beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Scott Brick narrating the audiobook. I can't wait for book two and I hope this becomes a long series.

Red Queen is exactly what you look for in a police procedural. Rough and cranky detective and a partner that challenges everything he’s known and done in his life. Add multiple crimes that seem straightforward but are much more complex. It was a bit slow to begin, but definitely gained momentum. I loved the narrator and look forward to the next installment.

I do love a good thriller/murder mystery. And I love a good series. With Red Queen, it appears that I've found a new one. The two main characters are well drawn and fascinating - it would be difficult to imagine two people more unlike each other than these two, and it's interesting to watch their working relationship develop. The fact that this is a translation of a Spanish book adds to the reading/listening experience - insights into the culture and landscape and life in Spain made it that much more interesting. Translations can be tricky, the writing can feel a bit awkward at times just because it is a translation, and a beautifully written sentence in the original language may not be so simple to translate. But I didn't notice many of those issues here. And Scott Brick's narration of the audiobook was excellent, as expected. Honestly, I don't want to say too much plot-wise because I don't want to give away too much, and part of the fun was knowing very little about it going in. But I'll say this - the second book comes out next year - and I'm already looking forward to it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Red Queen by Juan Gomez-Jurado is a mystery thriller. Antonia Scott is the brilliant mind and Jon Gutierrez is the cop who is under investigation and is blackmailed into helping Antonia Scott solve a murder. It's been compared to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but it's quite different in my opinion.
I liked the partnership between the two and how well they worked together. This is the first of a series, I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
Scott Brick as the narrator was a bonus for this audiobook. Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this audiobook.

Having seen this book compared to Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, I went into it with very high hopes. And I think I might have enjoyed it more in print or if it had had a different narrator. I did not love the narration and it ultimately drove me to abandon the book at the 60% mark.

"Are we up against a serial killer?"
"No. This is different. Something I've never seen before."

The Red Queen by brilliant author Juan Gomez Jurado is definitely different from any other mystery thriller I have experienced before. It's intrigue, mystery, heart pounding tension, fun exciting chases, and engrossing original characters that will live in my brain and heart for a long time.

Antonia Scott is the smartest woman (based on a real person with a 200 IQ) to those who need her for covert missions that the public should and can't know about...she is their Red Queen.

But Antonia hasn't been around in three years dealing with a personal tragedy that she blames on herself. Enter suspended disgraced cop Jon Gutierrez who is given a chance back on the force if he can convince Antonia to help with a bizarre murder.

A teenage boy is found dead in his home drained of all his blood. Obviously, murdered somewhere else but why him, why drain the blood, why put him back in his home?

When the adult daughter of the richest man in Spain is kidnapped it's Antonia who thinks there's a connection. How she connects it all made my brain explode and gave me thriller chills.

Award winning narrator Scott Brick deserves another award for bringing these characters to life. I was invested in Antonia and Jon because of how he used the author's descriptive prose to enhance the storytelling. It's spectacular team work between author and narrator. The interview between them on the audiobook was insightful and fun. When Scott is asked to narrate the next two books in the series he is overcome with joy.

If you enjoyed The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the TV show Monk, and the teaming of the unlikeliest duo this is the majestic thriller for you.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a translated thriller that has been compared to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I saw the comparisons with an unlikeable male investigator and intelligent young woman. However as a new thriller, it did not feel fresh. It was fine, but not particularly unique or remarkable.

I would only received to readers who love these particular kinds of thrillers and can't get enough of the subgenre.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

DNF I am 30% of the way in and I just can’t get into it. Too much political espionage and not enough about the crimes to keep me intrigued.
Audio narration however is great as well as translation

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!

Picture a female Adrian Monk crossed with Lisbeth Salander but way smarter than both…

Book Information

Red Queen was written by Juan Gómez-Jurado. It was published in the US on March 14, 2023 and is 384 pages. The audio book is Narrated by Scott Brick and is 13 hours and 27 minutes. This is the first book in a series of 3 that are already out internationally. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance reader copy for review.

Summary

A boy has been murdered…not just any boy and not in a typical way—he is left completely bloodless and staged in the family home. This is followed by the kidnapping of the daughter of one of the richest men in Spain. Enter a secret group that works in the shadows to resolve crimes that are highly sensitive. The person that really makes it all work is Antonia Scott. Her mind functions in ways that others can’t fathom and her ability is legendary—but after paying a high personal price, she refuses to work.

Jon Gutierrez, a suspended police officer, is all but blackmailed to find Antonia and convince her to help.

Antonia is the key if they are to solve these crimes and save lives...but no one has any idea of what is really going on....

My Thoughts

I love this book. Love it. Spectacular.

Destined to win awards in the States mirroring its already critical acclaim internationally.

It’s a mystery and a thriller and does both equally well (few books pull that off). I was engaged from start to finish—I wanted to know more about Antonia, enjoyed learning about Jon and needed to know how the story would resolve itself. It has fantastic pacing and will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first chapter to the last….you won’t want to put it down. Kidnappings, murders, car chases, subterranean pursuits, bombings, gun fights, and shadowy figures on both sides of the action. There is also a good exploration of what’s important in life and some powerful psychological drama throughout.

We are introduced to a fascinating duo in Antonia Scott and Jon Gutierrez. If you are from outside of the states, perhaps you already know them as the book was originally published in Spanish in 2018 and has won numerous international awards. Antonia is billed as, perhaps, the smartest person on the planet (and was based loosely on a woman with a 200+ IQ). Jon is a seasoned, if not great cop. His huge frame is maybe only outsized by his heart. The two characters balance each other exceedingly well.

I listened to the audiobook and I promise you that no one will ever accuse Scott Brick of just reading. Brick performs this book and spares no effort in trying to translate the excitement. If anything, I almost got tired listening to the amount of energy he put in. You won’t fall asleep listening to him—he does a great job.

My only complaint (and it’s really not a complaint) is that the other two books aren’t yet published in English! I want to read them right away! I can’t wait for them to be available.

If you're looking for a thrilling and suspenseful read, Red Queen should be on your shortlist.

Recommendation

Without hesitation----get it and read it. Or better yet, listen to it.

Rating

5 Antonia & Jon Stars

ARC received from Macmillan & audiobook review copy approved by Macmillan via Netgalley

I received RED QUEEN for review and was excited to read it based on its ratings and rave reviews. This book was originally published in Spain and this is the first time it's been published in the US. It might not have been something I would have picked up right now, but I was excited to read it and switch up my thriller selections! I can definitely see the comparisons to Lisbeth Salander/The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and I could also recommend this to fans of Lars Kepler.

I didn't end up loving this one, but ultimately, I just didn't connect with it like I had hoped. I know I can enjoy books with this vibe, but I think it took me too long to get into it. Once I did, I started to enjoy the story a bit more but I just never quite ended up loving it. I also think things just took a little too long to come together, although the ending did have me interested in continuing on in the series, possibly. I finally got invested in the characters and it made me curious about what other stories they had.

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.
I personally switched back and forth between my kindle and the audio version. However, half way through I could not tear myself away from the audio version, narrated by Scott Brick. He has a background as an actor and writer, and has won multi audio awards for his presentations in over 800 books. His wonderful voice inflections bring the multiple characters to life in the "theatre of my mind." He is a natural storyteller with a mesmerizing ability to reflect the emotion and passion of the tale. I would encourage all reader's to seek out novels narrated by the talented Scott Brick
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof and Advanced Audio version of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A well layered mystery full of action! This was very lightly based on a real woman who had an IQ of 205–one of the main characters is extremely intelligent and amazing at solving problems. I loved to see a brilliant woman on the pages of a book.

This story kept me guessing along with my attention. I went back and forth between the audio and the print and found myself often reverting to the print because there was so much going on that I would lose in the audio should my attention wander for 3 minutes!

This is the first of 3 books it looks like and I’ll definitely pick up the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

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.

I enjoyed the audio narration but I’d recommend having a print copy on hand as well. The story was action-packed but also contained flashbacks that took me out of the present-day timeline that I was invested in. I’m wondering if the propulsive plot was too fast-paced in audiobook format for me to fully follow and appreciate.

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 Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.