This spring of 2024, booksellers and readers are witnessing the arrival of the conclusion of the Spanish phenomenon trilogy by Juan Gómez-Jurado, initiated by Red Queen and concluded by White King. It is also an opportunity to discover the first season of the series adapted on Amazon Prime. The second volume, Black Wolf, was also published by Pocket in March. A trilogy conducted like a memorable chess game.
White King begins just moments after the end of Black Wolf, when Inspector Jon Gutiérrez is kidnapped by a woman with a friendly face. Meanwhile, Antonia Scott does not take her usual three minutes to think about suicide, but rather ten seconds during which she assesses the best options to escape downtown, gathers all the data on the vehicle and the captors, and devises a plan to save Jon. Ten seconds, not more. Then, a call to Mentor, and the action begins.
Ten seconds is also the time Juan Gómez-Jurado allows the readers to catch their breath. Indeed, this final installment is a true race against time to save her partner from the mysterious Mr. White, who has decided to play with her… A final and explosive face-off awaits our extraordinary duo of investigators and their enemy, Mr. White.
Three-player Chess Game
With White King, Juan Gómez-Jurado sets up all the pieces of the puzzle that started with Red Queen, and will be resolved in a finale as stressful as it is skillful: throughout a macabre treasure hunt, Mr. White sends Antonia Scott and her squire to crime scenes; each time, a countdown starts with great risks for Jon…
We learn more about the Red Queen program, especially about Antonia’s recruitment; questions raised in the first volume find their answers here. Readers thus find Antonia with her exceptional abilities, compelled to act under pressure and stress, and Jon, still as composed despite, let’s say, a considerable burden on his shoulders. Without these heroes, the Red Queen trilogy would not have had the same flavor. Without repetition from the previous volumes, White King brilliantly concludes this Spanish detective saga.
A Brief Word on the Series
Directed by Koldo Serra and Julián de Tavira, starring Vicky Luengo (seen in Antidisturbios available on Disney+) and Hovik Keuchkerian, alias Bogota in La Casa de Papel, the series follows the main lines of the novel, blending a complex plot, a touch of humor, and a rather polished direction, particularly the visualizations of what happens in Antonia’s mind, which are especially well-rendered. It is reportedly renewed for a second season. We recommend watching it in the original version for a complete immersion in the Madrid setting.
Nice Premium lets you discover the trailer:
