New York Times Bestseller

"Packed with suspense. . . a gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller." -- Washington Book Review

The internationally acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author returns to the magnificent universe he constructed in his bestselling novels The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game, and The Prisoner of Heaven in this riveting series finale--a heart-pounding thriller and nail-biting work of suspense which introduces a sexy, seductive new heroine whose investigation shines a light on the dark history of Franco's Spain.

In this unforgettable final volume of Ruiz Zafón's cycle of novels set in the universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, beautiful and enigmatic Alicia Gris, with the help of the Sempere family, uncovers one of the most shocking conspiracies in all Spanish history.

Nine-year-old Alicia lost her parents during the Spanish Civil War when the Nacionales (the fascists) savagely bombed Barcelona in 1938. Twenty years later, she still carries the emotional and physical scars of that violent and terrifying time. Weary of her work as an investigator for Spain's secret police in Madrid, a job she has held for more than a decade, the twenty-nine-year old plans to move on. At the insistence of her boss, Leandro Montalvo, she remains to solve one last case: the mysterious disappearance of Spain's Minister of Culture, Mauricio Valls.

With her partner, the intimidating policeman Juan Manuel Vargas, Alicia discovers a possible clue--a rare book by the author Victor Mataix hidden in Valls' office in his Madrid mansion. Valls was the director of the notorious Montjuic Prison in Barcelona during World War II where several writers were imprisoned, including David Martín and Victor Mataix. Traveling to Barcelona on the trail of these writers, Alicia and Vargas meet with several booksellers, including Juan Sempere, who knew her parents.

As Alicia and Vargas come closer to finding Valls, they uncover a tangled web of kidnappings and murders tied to the Franco regime, whose corruption is more widespread and horrifying than anyone imagined. Alicia's courageous and uncompromising search for the truth puts her life in peril. Only with the help of a circle of devoted friends will she emerge from the dark labyrinths of Barcelona and its history into the light of the future.

In this haunting novel, Carlos Ruiz Zafón proves yet again that he is a masterful storyteller and pays homage to the world of books, to his ingenious creation of the Cemetery of Forgotten, and to that magical bridge between literature and our lives.

In 1938, during the Spanish Civil War, Alicia lost her parents at the age of nine when the Nationalists savagely bombed Barcelona. Twenty years later, she carries the emotional and physical scars from that brutal era. Weary of her work as an investigator for Spain's secret police in Madrid, she's ready to move on. But at her boss's insistence, she agrees to solve one last case: the mysterious disappearance of Spain's minister of culture, Mauricio Valls.

With her partner, policeman Juan Manuel Vargas, Alicia discovers a clue--a rare book by the author Victor Mataix hidden in Valls's office. During World War II, Valls was the director of the notorious prison in Barcelona's Montjuïc Castle, where several writers--including Mataix--were imprisoned. As Alicia and Vargas come close to finding Valls, they uncover an eerie web of kidnappings and murders tied to the corrupt Franco regime.

Navigating the dark labyrinths of Barcelona, she is aided by the Sempere family as well as the unforgettable Fermín, ultimately confronting the hideous missing pieces of the puzzle.

Ruiz Zafon, Carlos

Carlos Ruiz Zafón is the author of eight novels, including the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Cemetery of Forgotten Books series: The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game, The Prisoner of Heaven, and The Labyrinth of the Spirits. His work, which also includes prizewinning young adult novels, has been translated into more than fifty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous awards and reaching millions of readers. He lives in Los Angeles.