Book Review White King By Juan Gomez-Jurado 5/5 Stars

   What a WILD RIDE!  I have just finished  White King  by Juan Gomez Jurado.  This is the conclusion in a trio of thriller/police procedurals that I found to be...really just perfection.  My only regret if you will is that at the end of White King, there's no commentary assuring readers that our dynamic duo John and Antonia will be coming back. Thank you to macmillan and NetGalley  for the opportunity to listen and review in advance. I LOVED this book! 

  It's probably best to talk about the last book , while mentioning the first two as they are indeed, a series and while they could be read along, I feel they are best devoured all at once in a row. 

   The audio books are all narrated by the very talented Scott Brick, and he has done such a good job- he doesn't go in for fancy accents, or high pitched voices to bring the story to life, instead, he manages the spaces between words to create suspense, intrigue and humor at all the right places.  I highly recommend the audio if you are inclined to listen to audio books. 

Antonia and John, two somewhat ill fitting puzzle pieces of people come together at the start of the series  

to form a somewhat unlikely, but also somewhat predictable partnership.  She's socially repellent, but brilliant - so useful
to a secret project. He's socially cued in and affable enough to put up with and protect Antonia. Both find each other infuriating, but neither has a lot of other options. Both highly relatable, and yet, not so relatable that the reader feels they could actually "be" the characters. 

What makes these books just a cut above all the other thrillers and police novels is the way the author interjects with spot on observations about human nature, how language shapes our understanding of our world, and human interactions, the price we pay for them and what we gain.  Add in these small leitmotifs that make a reader feel like they are in on a secret joke, and this entire series is a winner, 

White King is a fantastic addition. Gomez-Jurado takes us - without delay- but with lots of suspense and anxiety- to a satisfying and surprisingly gentle conclusion that left me on the edge of my seat until about the last 4 minutes. I actually was found standing in the kitchen with a fresh cup of coffee shouting out NOOOOOOOOO.   I never do this. I'm not prone to too much excitement within the pages of a book (and I'm completely lying here of course)  but let me just say the ending was unexpected, perfect and far kinder than I had hoped for. 

 While there is a series on Prime  which I intend to watch, I think it likely misses some of the inner monologues of the book, some of the small details that draw a reader into a fast paced adventure. So I'd recommend reading the full series even if you've "seen the show" 

 This book will appeal to readers who loved The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,  as well as those who enjoy a twisted mystery to unravel.

   I, for one, can't wait to see what's next for Juan Gomez-Jurado.  

STATS

First Published 2020 (Spanish) 

Scheduled for English release March 2025

Pages: 352

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  death, violence, cursing, suicide, police action, homophobia,

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)