Even the Darkest Night

A Terra Alta Investigation

By: Javier Cercas

Write A Review

Paperback | 27 December 2022 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
352 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
3.1 x 12.9 x 19.6

Paperback

RRP $22.99

$22.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $5.69 with

Ships in 3 to 5 business days

"A gem of a book, easily the best I've read this year. A contemporary police procedural with a literary edge. I was rooting for the flawed, but deeply compassionate Melchor Marin from the first page to the last. Highly recommended" M W Craven

A Terra Alta Investigation. Winner of Spain's biggest literary prize - the Premio Planeta

When Melchor goes to investigate the horrific double-murder of a rich printer and his wife in rural Cataluna nothing quite adds up. The young cop from the big city, hero of a foiled terrorist attack, has been sent to Terra Alta till things quieten down. Observant, streetwise and circumspect, Melchor is an also an outsider.

The son of a Barcelona prostitute who never knew his father, Melchor rapidly fell into trouble and was jailed at 19, convicted of driving for a Colombian drug cartel. While he was behind bars, he read Hugo's Les Miserables, and then his mother was murdered. Admiring of both Jean Valjean and Javert - but mostly the relentless Javert - he decided to become a policeman.

Now he is out for revenge, but he can wait, and meanwhile he has discovered happiness with his wife, the local librarian, and their daughter, who is, of course, called Cossette.

Slowly at first, and then more rapidly once ordered to abandon the case, he tracks the clues that will reveal the larger truth behind what appears at first to be a cold-blooded, professional killing.

Translated from the Spanish by Anne McLean

Industry Reviews

Even The Darkest Night is a gem of a book, easily the best I've read this year. A contemporary police procedural with a literary edge. I was rooting for the flawed, but deeply compassionate Melchor Marin from the first page to the last. Highly recommended

A wonderful novel. I look forward to many more Melchor stories - Tablet

The first in what promises to be an excellent series - Laura Wilson

Striking - Financial Times

Stays in the memory . . . Cercas perfectly captures the fearful mood of a town in rural Catalonia after the crime. He has also come up with an unusual detective - Sunday Times

Cercas plays fast and loose with literary conventions . . . it will be fascinating to see how the character of Marin, a knight in tarnished armour, develops - The Times

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.