The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo

A young teenage girl is found dead, strangled, and left along a river bank. Clothes sliced open from her knees to her chin, pubic hair shaved. Arms outstretched with her palms up. A small cake, local to the region, placed between her legs. Shoes placed side-by-side in a place sure to be found and ensure discovery of the body.

The murder occurred in Elizondo, a small town about an hour from Pamplona in the Basque region of Northern Spain. The town is so small that the local police haven’t the wherewithal to investigate so case is passed to the regional police in Pamplona. The homicide department is fairly large with a number of quality detectives who could lead the investigation. But the chief chooses Inspector Amaia Salazar because she is from the town and should have a good understanding of the locals.

Amaia has two sisters, but left Elizondo after school to pursue a career in law enforcement where a female Inspector is not held in high regard by the historically macho Spanish police. Her family was the village baker and her older sister Flora took up the family business and 2^nd sister Ros also worked in the bakery.

A second teenage girl is found. Same presentation. A 3^rd girl is found, but the presentation isn’t the same. The conclusion is a serial killer and a copycat. All the bodies are found well off the beaten path. So far off the path that the cops have to get background information from the local department of natural resources. One of the theories presented is whether Basajaun was involved

A Basajaun is a mythological creature that protects the forest. Sort of a Basque version of Sasquatch or the Yeti. Witnesses, visions, and dreams seem to favor the possibility.

As the investigation slowly evolves, we learn that Amaia’s family easily met the definition of dysfunctional. One incident during Amaia’s adolescence drove her out of the family home to live with a Tarot Card reading aunt. These small villages all have their local spirit guide. The incident drove a stake through the family with continuing repercussions that affect the investigation and threaten to get Amaia removed as the lead investigator.

I’ve read a number of novels that are translations from Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, German, and French. What you notice is that the Spanish language is very fluid and lyrical. A native English speaker might take a couple sentences to describe a kitchen vs. a Spanish author who’ll take the whole page. Just their way. Redondo presents eloquent descriptions throughout so the reader has an excellent visual picture in their mind.

This story is really two, with a little local legend to boot. One is the murder investigation and the impact that one single instance decades ago has on a family from then to now. And each is probably worthy of a standalone book. But the combination results in a rich story that opens the reader to a culture that is probably unknown to most.

Available March 8, 2016