The hour of the seagulls
The hour of the seagulls is a crime novel with a lot of suspense written by the Spanish author and journalist Ibon Martín. Martín's work saw the light of day in 2021, by the publisher Plaza & Janés. Although they can be read independently, The hour of the seagulls is a volume that is closely related to another book by Ibon: The dance of the tulips (2019)
In turn, these two titles are based on a saga called The crimes of the lighthouse, which converts The hour of the seagulls in the closure of an intertwined story. As in its predecessors, This last story takes place in a place of mountains, sunrises facing the sea, old towns and a fog that envelops everything. in the mystery.
A bit about everything The hour of the seagulls
about the argument
After the first case that the Special Impact Homicide Unit had to resolve in The dance of the tulips, Petty officer Ane Cestero and her team must face a new crime. The company is enveloped by the inclement weather and geography of their new research center, where they have to deal not only with the weather, but also with the mistrust and surliness of the inhabitants.
The head of the Special Impact Homicide Unit has died, and left a command vacuum that Cestero and his small team have to fill, while managing the suspicion that is evident in the rest of the UH. At the same time that this is happening, Ane arrives at the indicated location with a group made up of herself, Aitor Goenaga and Julia Lizardi. At the scene, they assume that they must report to a new boss.
About the plot
The Special Impact Homicide Unit arrives in Hondarribia, the place of the scene. In this town mountainous a terrible crime occurred, and many of its inhabitants seem suspicious. On September 8, 2019, one of the great festivities of the town took place, the Alarde parade. This magnanimous event used to be organized and celebrated only by the male population, a circumstance that changed in 1997 when they began to admit women.
Even though it was now a mixed parade, many traditionalist men refused to share the festivity with the ladies, and they remained iron to their position. Over time, grandiose disputes were generated that exposed women to situations of real danger. During the last procession, Camila, one of the participants, died after receiving a stab wound to one of her thighs.
Research
Anne and her unit they give way to the investigation while they settle internal conflicts with their new superior and their teammates. At the same time, must overcome the prevailing quarrels between the people of the position, who hide evidence, secrets and clues about new crimes carried out because of their position in the situation of the Alarde parades.
As the investigations progress, Cestero and his group realize they are up against an evildoer invisible in plain sight., someone who hides among the residents and uses the social problems of the town to commit crimes. Likewise, the team notes that these transgressions are related to a macho ideology that does not accept changes in its small utopia of society.
The setting: one more character
Ibon Martin He is not only a dedicated journalist, but a hopeless lover of travel. Thanks to this passion, he has been able to recreate in his works the majesty of impressive destinations. En The hour of the seagulls the reader moves towards Hondarribia, a fishing and cross-border town characterized by its port, its bay, its lighthouse, secret recesses where beauties and horrors are lived...
This setting stands as one of the fundamental pillars of the work; turns out to be another protagonist, with its winds, the frosts that jeopardize the warmth and confidence of its people, and, of course, its mysteries. In The hour of the seagulls The shadows that cloud the vision of the characters before the true essence of things, the reality that they do not want to see because it is terrible, are also important.
Structure of The hour of the seagulls
The hour of the seagulls It is composed of short chapters that keep the reader in a dizzying assimilation. The plot takes place in just seventeen days, and is narrated in the third person. From the perspective of omniscient narrator it is possible to detect the thoughts, feelings and actions of each of the characters. The story has a increasing rhythm and a simple and direct language.
About the themes
One of the central themes of The hour of the seagulls It is related to love and hate. It is through these feelings —which are opposite, but which are intrinsically related— that the characters build their needs, ideas, and actions. The work also talks about of absurd fanaticism and how it is capable of reaching destructive consequences and irremediable.
About the protagonist, Ane Cestero
It is a woman intelligent and strong-willed. However, she is not to be confused with the typical sullen police officer who does not know how to manage her emotions and treats everyone from his bad mood. Anne is more than that. She is a kind-hearted person who only seeks to do the right thing, even if she has to set aside the rules to follow her instincts and lock up the criminal.
About the author, Ibon Martín
Source Ibon Martín: Heraldo de Aragón
Ibon Martín was born in 1976, in San Sebastián, Spain. Graduated in Communication and Journalism from the University of the Basque Country. In addition to devoting a great deal of her time to his irrevocable love of travel, the craft of travel, and writing about it, the author worked for a time for various local news outlets.
Martín is considered one of the greatest experts in geography, tourism and everything concerning the town of Euskal Herria, and has written several travel books about it. The writer has addressed issues such as traveling by car or going through towns. In the same way, Martín has written some highly relevant narrative works.
Other books by Ibon Martín
- The nameless valley (2013);
- The beacon of silence (2014);
- The shadow factory (2015);
- the last coven (2016);
- the salt cage (2017);
- the face stealer (2023)