<b>Best thriller books of 2023 </b>. . . What impresses is the brainy brio of Gómez-Jurado's storytelling, as well as his <b>striking depiction of Madrid as two cities, an elegant baroque facade concealing a gothic underworld</b>
Sunday Times
<b>Fizzes with energy and lively scene-setting, switching </b>. . . There are<b> obvious echoes of Lisbeth Salander, but the crackling interplay</b> between Scott and Inspector Gutiérrez, a gay Basque policeman, <b>adds an extra layer of originality</b>, as does Nick Caistor’s <b>sparkling</b> translation.
Financial Times
<b>An electrifying serial-killer thriller, a fiendishly clever puzzle mystery</b> . . . <b><i>Red Queen</i> tops even <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i></b> <b>as a thinking reader’s thriller.</b>
- A.J. Finn, bestselling author of <i>The Woman in the Window</i>,
<b>A Spanish spin on <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . . .</i> stylish and stylised . . .</b> <b>A female Sherlock Holmes</b>
The Times
<b>Often compared with Lisbeth Salander </b>from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Antonia Scott looks <b>destined to leave every bit as lasting an impression.</b>
Daily Mail
What Gómez-Jurado excels at, as conveyed in Nick Caistor’s brisk translation, is <b>pacing of the breakneck variety. Short chapters, funny asides, lethally potent descriptions</b>: They all contribute to a frenetic page-turning momentum . ..<b> you’ll have great fun reading it.</b>
New York Times
This thriller is going to have you gripping that wine glass tight as you race through the pages.
Glamour Magazine
<b>Fast paced, memorable characters and a cinematic story that draws you in hook, line and sinker.</b> I can’t wait to get my hands on the next in the series.
- John Marrs, author of <i>The One</i>,
Juan Gomez-Jurado has written a fast, exciting page-turner and it’s the first in a trilogy featuring Antonia and Jon. You’ll be wanting more.
The Record
Fans of Scandinavian crime thrillers might want to broaden their horizons with the first book in a Spanish trilogy featuring a mismatched duo . . . Already an international hit, Gómez-Jurado’s <b>smart page-turner</b> has been made into an Prime Video series that will debut later in 2023
Washington Post
A fast-paced thriller . . . giving us <b>a mash-up of Nordic noir and an old-school detective</b> with a neurodivergent mind . . . <i>Red Queen</i> works because along with a genius-protagonist, Gomez-Jurado has successfully woven in the other ingredients that thrill a mystery reader: a diabolical antagonist, a twisty game and a ticking clock.
Open The Magazine
A labyrinth of mystery, crisply plotted and paced, <b>way ahead of the pack.</b>
- Steve Berry, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Kaiser's Web</i>,
<b>Suspenseful and terrifying . . . A bit of Clarice Starling and a lot of Lisbeth Salander make Antonia a thoroughly compelling character, </b>who will return in two more translations to complete Gómez-Jurado’s trilogy,
- Jane Murphy, Booklist starred review
<b>Exciting . . . a nice balance among character, action, and setting . . . </b>The next two, <i>Loba Negra </i>(<i>Black Wolf</i>) and <i>Rey Blanco </i>(<i>White King</i>), <i>must </i>be translated into English, because thriller fans will be waiting. Fast-moving and quirky fiction from Madrid.
Kirkus Reviews
Nail-biting . . . tantalizing . . .<b> Lizbeth Salander fans will find much to like.</b>
Publishers Weekly
This has<b> all the velocity and thrills of Stieg Larson’s Millennium series</b> but none of the eyeroll-inducing misogyny . . . it's all-engrossing.
First Clue (starred review)
<b>Fresh and appealing</b> to those that enjoy interesting characters and stories that constantly move forward and tales that end in unexpected ways.
Mystery and Suspense
<i>Red Queen</i> is<b> a smart, addictive thriller</b>, beautiful in both its complexity and devotion to characterization. Between the stunning plot twists, bold structural choices and surprising moments of wry humour, <b>you won’t be able to put this one down</b>
- Alafair Burke, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Find Me</i>,
This terrific novel has all the page-turning elements of the very best thrillers, but what makes it truly remarkable is the writing itself. <b>Engaging and heartbreaking, witty and wry and immersive . . . Juan Gómez-Jurado has written an instant classic</b>
- Hank Phillippi Ryan, <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author of <i>Her Perfect Life</i>,
Readers are going to fall for Antonia Scott. This character is, <b>without a doubt, the best thing that has happened to the international thriller in the last ten years</b>
ABC
<i>Red Queen</i> is terrific – a complex story that unfolds at breakneck speed, <b>a compelling plot filled with twist after twist</b>, a story told with rich, fluid language, and a fascinating, well-realized unlikely pair of characters, especially the brilliant Antonia Scott.
- David Morrell, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Murder as a Fine Art</i>,
<b>The most compelling and original detective since Lisbeth Salander</b>
The Times South Africa
The [story] <b>crackled with energy</b> as the story roamed across the Spanish capital, and the fast pace carries over into the television adaptation.
The Critic