Acclaimed author Perez-Reverte has earned a distinguished reputation as a master of the literary thriller with his international bestsellers "The Club Dumas" and "The Queen of the South." Now, in this haunting new work, he has written a captivating tale of love, war, and revenge.
AndrΓ©s Faulques, a world-renowned war photographer, has retreated to a tower overlooking the Spanish coast, where he paints a vast mural incorporating the indelible images of conflict heβs witnessed in his lifetime.
One night, an unexpected visitor interrupts his solitude. As Faulques struggles to recall the face, the man explains that he was the subject of an iconic photo taken by Faulques in a war zone years agoβa photo that destroyed his life. βAnd why have you come looking for me?β asks Faulques. The stranger answers, βBecause Iβm going to kill you.β
So begins a life-or-death exchange in which Faulques is forced to recall a time when he loved a beautiful woman and risked his life daily for art and testimony. Yet as the tense dialogue between Faulques and his would-be killer continues, the stakes grow even higher. What they are grappling with becomes not just Faulquesβ fate, but the very nature of love and cruelty itself.
“"[P”
β[PΓ©rez-Reverteβs] best book yet . . . a game of mental chess, an excursion into art, history and imagination.β
βThe Times (London)
βA remarkable achievement. Not only does the clash of ideas and emotions echo after you have turned the last pageβthis novel will change what you see in images from datelines around the world.β
βScott Simon, author of Pretty Birds
βArturo PΓ©rez-Reverte has established himself as the master of the intellectual thriller.β
βChicago Tribune
β[A] taut literary thriller [with] meticulous detail and dark, brooding tone.β
βPublishers Weekly
βA gripping story of war, cruelty, testimony, and the past . . . Arturo PΓ©rez-Reverte is the great European storyteller of the 21st century.β
βSimon Sebag Montefiore, author of Young Stalin
βReminds American readers of the sublime rhetoric of Faulkner and how such passages in the hands of a master can add to the momentum of the story.β
βSan Francisco Chronicle
βA tour de force [that] explores the great themes of human existence.β
βThe Australian
Arturo PΓ©rez-Reverteβs bestselling books, including The Club Dumas, The Flanders Panel, The Fencing Master, and the Captain Alatriste series, have been translated into thirty-four languages in fifty countries and have sold millions of copies. Born in Cartagena, Spain, PΓ©rez-Reverte now lives in Madrid, where he was recently elected to the Spanish Royal Academy. A former war journalist, he covered conflicts in Angola, Bosnia, Croatia, El Salvador, Lebanon, Nicaragua, the Persian Gulf, and Sudan, among others. He now writes fiction full time.
This item is eligible for simple returns within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer. See our returns policy for further details.