The good father
The good father It is the first volume of the series Inspector Indira Ramos, a set of thrillers written by Madrid film and television screenwriter and author Santiago Díaz. The work was published by the Reservoir Books imprint, from the Penguin Random House Publishing Group, in 2021. The launch of the book generated a sensation in the world of crime novels due to both the originality of the story and the writer's approach.
Most of the reviews by critics and readers have been very positive, always referring to Santiago Díaz's fast-paced narration and his brilliant construction of the characters in the work. The good father Share style with creators like Isabel Castillo or Carmen Mola. For their part, Jorge Díaz, Agustín Martínez and Antonio Mercero have stated that the book “overrides all moral limits.”
Synopsis of The good father
What would you be able to do to save your child?
The Madrid police receive an alarm call, and the address they are given takes them to a chalet in an urbanization. Upon entering the residence, the agents They find a man sitting in a chair with a knife in his hand. Next to him is the body of his wife.. Immediately, the subject is apprehended and locked up in prison.
A year later, an old man surrenders before the same agents claiming to have kidnapped three people. These are: her son's defense attorney, the judge who handled the case and a teenager who testified against her. Gonzalo, the old man, assures that his son, Gonzalo Jr., is innocent, and that one of the kidnapped people will die every week if he is not released.
The Lord's predicament puts the agency in check and mobilizes all the elements, not only to find the missing, but to re-investigate the case of the perpetrator's son and control a possible tragedy.
Innocent or guilty?
Gonzalo He is convinced that the lawyer, the judge and the young woman were bribed to frame his son, and demands that the police find the real murderer of her daughter-in-law. The person in charge of the case is Inspector Indira Ramos, a woman with many manias, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The protagonist has a conviction as strong as her phobia of germs and, although she is a great detective, she only has three weeks before the old man takes action on the matter. Will the inspector's infallibility be enough to close the case on time?
In the middle of the investigation, Santiago Díaz plays with the minds of his characters as much as with that of his readers. There are no moments of tranquility or certainty. There are scenes where Gonzalo jr. seems truly innocent, and others where it is all too plausible that he is to blame for the death of his wife. In the best style of Agatha Christie, in The good father It is better not to trust anyone.
Narrative style of Santiago Díaz
The crime novel is a genre of great relevance in Spain, and this can be seen thanks to the quality of its most recent authors, such as Carmen Mola, Mikel Santiago or Ángela Banzas. For its part, Santiago Diaz —even with very few works to his credit— He positions himself as a writer with a fluid and dizzying narrative style, full of plot twists and a multitude of memorable characters, among which, of course, Indira Ramos stands out.
The good father It has very short chapters, reaching up to one or two pages each.. That speaks to the speed with which the plot unfolds. On the other hand, already in chapter 12 – which encompasses about forty pages – more than ten characters have appeared. It might seem like this hinders the plot, but no. Santiago Díaz has a solid handle on each scene entry, and all the subjects are relevant to the story.
About character development
Novels with multiple characters can run into the problem of not adequately developing each of them. However, The good father It is characterized by its good construction of unusual characters. On the one hand, there is the “villain”: the elderly Gonzalo. Few thrillers have chosen an older man as their main antagonist, so it is interesting to discover how he evolves throughout the story.
Furthermore, the author creates an atypical protagonist. Although Indira is a woman of strong character, she is also is affected by a serious condition of compulsive obsession. Her behavior contrasts with her ability, and at the same time she becomes an obstacle until the inspector manages to overcome and concentrate. Her growth is not linear, but it happens, and it is easy to empathize with her personal problems, her fears, her bad decisions, and her sense of justice.
About the author, Santiago Díaz Cortés
Santiago Diaz Cortez
Santiago Diaz Cortes was born in 1971, in Madrid, Spain. He began his career as a scriptwriter on the Antena3 television channel., where he worked in the content delegation area for important series such as There is no one living here, Fire Code y An adelante pass. Later, she participated in the production of scripts for different programs broadcast on television, writing more than seven hundred scripts.
Among his works it is possible to highlight Sisters, The Gift of Alba, I am Bea, The Secret of Puente Viejo, Malaka or Force of Peace. Santiago Díaz entered the literary world in 2018 with his novel Talion, published by the Planeta publishing house. In addition to his love of thrillers, the author enjoys historical novels and related novels. In 2020 it premiered Voices, a film written by Díaz and directed by Ángel Gómez Hernández. The tape can be found on Netflix.
Other books by Santiago Díaz
Novels
- Talion (Ed. Planeta, 2018);
- Save the Earth (2021)
Chronology of the Indira Ramos series
- The good father (2021);
- The other girls. Indira Ramos II Series (2022);
- Indira Ramos III Series (2023)
Movies
- Voices (Dir: Ángel Gómez Hernández, 2020).