The Sagrada Família. One of Europe's most iconic buildings and the jewel in Barcelona's tourist crown.
But when Gregory Houghton, a controversial British academic, falls from its towers early one morning, chaos ensues. By the time the Mossos d'Esquadra reach his apartment in the Eixample district, his wife Joanna is gone and the place has been torn apart.
Everything points to an abduction: a struggle in the flat, blood under the bed, and then footage of Joanna held captive by a man who never shows his face. And when the postmortem uncovers religious writing on Gregory's body, the investigation turns towards an anonymous account that has spent months threatening him over his research.
Recuperating in Cadiz, forensic psychologist Dr Petra McBride watches the fall play out on her phone – and realises she knows the dead man. She heads to Barcelona and teams up with her friend and sometime colleague Interpol agent Susannah Roscoe, despite the misgivings of Susannah's bosses.
But nothing about this case sits right. The writing is staged for an audience. The CCTV says one thing and the evidence says another. And every hour the police spend chasing the wrong suspect is an hour Joanna doesn't have.
And then there's the night when the evidence blows up in their faces and Petra and Susannah take refuge in each other's company in a Sitges hotel...
Can Petra and Susannah see past the misdirection and lies before the woman they are trying to save runs out of time? And can Susannah forgive Petra for leaving before she woke up in that hotel room?
Veil of Shadows is a fast-paced crime thriller full of twists and dark intrigue, perfect for fans of Killing Eve and Peter May.
Genre: Mystery
But when Gregory Houghton, a controversial British academic, falls from its towers early one morning, chaos ensues. By the time the Mossos d'Esquadra reach his apartment in the Eixample district, his wife Joanna is gone and the place has been torn apart.
Everything points to an abduction: a struggle in the flat, blood under the bed, and then footage of Joanna held captive by a man who never shows his face. And when the postmortem uncovers religious writing on Gregory's body, the investigation turns towards an anonymous account that has spent months threatening him over his research.
Recuperating in Cadiz, forensic psychologist Dr Petra McBride watches the fall play out on her phone – and realises she knows the dead man. She heads to Barcelona and teams up with her friend and sometime colleague Interpol agent Susannah Roscoe, despite the misgivings of Susannah's bosses.
But nothing about this case sits right. The writing is staged for an audience. The CCTV says one thing and the evidence says another. And every hour the police spend chasing the wrong suspect is an hour Joanna doesn't have.
And then there's the night when the evidence blows up in their faces and Petra and Susannah take refuge in each other's company in a Sitges hotel...
Can Petra and Susannah see past the misdirection and lies before the woman they are trying to save runs out of time? And can Susannah forgive Petra for leaving before she woke up in that hotel room?
Veil of Shadows is a fast-paced crime thriller full of twists and dark intrigue, perfect for fans of Killing Eve and Peter May.
Genre: Mystery