the path of fire
the path of fire It is the fifth volume of the mystery and suspense series The Puerto Escondido books, written by the Spanish lawyer, columnist and author María Oruña. The work was published by the Destino publishing house in 2022, and is preceded by Hidden port, A place to go, Where we were invincible y What the tide hides. On the other hand, the most recent title is The inocents.
Since its conception, the series has had mostly positive reviews. However, the path of fire It is the only one of the six books where the opinions of readers and critics have dropped a few places. They consider it, in fact, as a bit flat, predictable and without interesting plot twists—at least, compared to its predecessors. Even so, it continues to be an enjoyable title.
Synopsis of the path of fire
Far away in the green hills
the path of fire resumes Valentina's lives Redondo—the lieutenant of the Civil Guard in charge of the Organic Unit of the Judicial Investigation Police (UOPJ) of Santander— and her partner and husband Oliver.
On this occasion, They both decide to take a trip to the Scottish mountains to visit the Gordons, the husband's family.. There, they discover that his father has purchased an old Huntly Castle that supposedly once belonged to his bloodline.
The images of the construction make them mentally travel to the XNUMXth century, while they plan the remodeling and chat with a family architect friend, who will help them in this task. When walking through the building They discover a secret room, where they find a series of texts among those who believe they have found the lost diaries and memoirs of George Gordon Byron (better known as the poet and revolutionary Lord Byron).
The repercussions of the discovery
If the documents found are true, the final owner could obtain a large fortune for them. This is how an investigation is unleashed regarding the events that occurred during Byron's time.. It is presumed that the letters, poems and wills were given to Thomas Moore, a friend of the author. This transfer occurred so that Moore could publish these texts after the poet's death. However, they say this never happened, because Thomas burned everything in a stormy argument.
The mystery invades and exalts the protagonists, who immerse themselves in the search to find the answers. The journey through the past is exciting for them, but their joy does not last too long. One night, without anyone having any idea how it happened, A fire breaks out on the second floor of Huntly Castle.
The enigmas of the present
The accident ends the life of a man, whose body is found in the secret room the next day. In this context, the protagonists must solve two mysteries: the first is of archaeological origin, and is about gathering information to elucidate whether Byron's documents survived time, in addition to clarifying who they belong to in current times to carry out the legal processes. relevant.
The second has to do with investigating who was responsible for the fire and the death of the subject on the second floor. As a result of the crime, the Scottish police begin an investigation that directly involves the main characters, since it was expected that they were the only ones present at the castle.
When the road unfolds
From this event, the path of fire It takes the reader to travel to 1836. During this year a parallel plot develops, which stars the young Mary Macleod and Jules Berlioz. They, both bibliophiles, meet in a bookstore when Mary was accompanying her mother.
Boys fall in love immediately, but their respective social conditions prevent them from being together: She belongs to a noble family from Scotland, and he is a Frenchman of humble origins.
To consummate their love and get married, Jules must have a better financial position, and he intends to acquire it. The young man begins to search for literary gems for some time: banned books, lost books, strange manuscripts, among others. However, the time and effort he invested searching for the bloody grail of literature to marry his beloved was in vain, since he was found dead in very rare circumstances before achieving his goal.
The common thread of the two timelines
The present and the past are united by the search for a lost and longed-for document. But its merit lies beyond the plot. the path of fire It stands out for the way in which the two stories are told. One of them falls within dark romanticism or the gothic novel, in the best style of the Bronté sisters. 1836 presents a captivating and intimate story, which, perhaps, feels much more developed than the present.
About the author, María Oruña Reinoso
Maria Oruna
Maria Oruña Reinoso was born in 1976, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. He graduated in law, and worked for ten years in the commercial and labor field.. The author abandoned her career temporarily, as she wanted to dedicate herself to literature and her future motherhood. Over time, she returned to practicing as a lawyer in private practice, while writing historical stories for different websites. In 2013 she self-published her first novel.
However, it was two years later that he achieved commercial success. This, thanks to the first book of his most famous series: Hidden port. Over the years, his titles became a sales phenomenon. This led the Suances City Council to create a literary route based on the setting of her novels, which are located in Cantabria, in the towns of Santillana del Mar, Comillas and Suances.
Other books by María Oruña
Puerto Escondido Books Series
- Hidden port (2015);
- A place to go (2017);
- Where we were invincible (2018);
- What the tide hides (2021);
- The inocents (2023)
Other novels
- The archer's hand (2013);
- The forest of the four winds (2020)