Red Queen is the name of a secret crime-fighting unit based in Madrid, with Antonia Scott – supremely intelligent but difficult to manage – as its lead investigator.

Jon Gutiérrez is a policeman stood down for planting drugs on a pimp. Antonia’s boss, Mentor, suggests that if Jon helps the organisation, his misconduct might disappear. Jon and Antonia combine (and clash) in order to solve a deepening mystery. Antonia’s intelligence is more than a natural gift: she’s been the subject of experimental techniques to elevate her already high IQ. She requires (the Matrix-influenced) red and blue pills to stay sane. Jon’s strength and compassion make them an unlikely but workable pairing.

The exsanguinated body of a teenage boy is found in the home of a banking family. Separately, Carla Ortiz, daughter of the richest man on earth, has been kidnapped. Oddly, the kidnapper, calling himself Ezekiel, doesn’t ask for money, despite Carla’s father, Ramón, having access to billions. When Antonia and Jon ask what Ezekiel wants, Ramón refuses to answer. They have limited time to find Carla before she too is killed. Time is almost up when Antonia’s son is also taken.

This rollicks along at breakneck speed. It’s an extremely well-written, fast-paced thriller where the stakes are constantly raised. Despite the dark nature of the narrative, there’s plenty of subtle humour, as well as a linguistic travelogue, where Antonia uses obscure words from different languages, when English (or the original Spanish text) don’t suffice. This story is neatly completed but readers will also be pleased to note that this is not the end of Red Queen: they need to find the hired killer who shot and paralysed Antonia’s husband, Marcos.

Reviewed by Bob Moore