The dance of the tulips
The dance of the tulips is a thriller by the Spanish writer Ibon Martín Álvarez. The book was published in 2019 and in a short time it was located in the first places of sales, which greatly boosted the author's career. Today, Ibon is recognized as one of the best exponents of the genre, and has come to be called: “the Basque master of suspense”.
The mystery begins with the murder of Natalia Etxano, a successful journalist from Gernika. The crime was transmitted via streaming through a famous social network and reached thousands of views, which it shocked the entire community. The author made a very complete story; his description of the atmosphere is neat, as are the precise details of the police investigation. For their part, the characters are diverse and well-accomplished, with painstakingly woven dramas.
Summary of The dance of the tulips
It was a normal day the Urdaibai line train was making its way usual, when, Suddenly, the driver saw something in the distance right on the tracks. As he approached, he was able to see clearly what it was about: it was a woman tied to a chair, with a red tulip in her hands. The man immediately tried to stop the hulking machine, but he knew deep down that it was impossible to do it in time.
Just before the run-over, the driver managed to recognize the woman ... it was about his wife, Natalia Etxano, a renowned radio journalist from Gernika. The sick mind that planned the heinous crime left a cell phone at the scene, with which the tragedy was broadcast live on Facebook. Thousands of spectators were able to observe that inhuman event.
As a result of these events, the Special Impact Homicide Unit is created, to initiate investigations into the case. This group is made up of the sub-inspector Ane Cesteno and his partner Aitor Goneaga, together with the agents Julia Lizardi, Txema Martínez and the psychologist Silvia.
When starting the investigations, the peculiar details of the crime are exposed, and among them, the most obvious and striking: the red tulip and bright in the hands of the victim, something difficult to find in autumn. This and other elements suggest that he is not just any murderer and that possibly a serial killer.
This argument takes force when they find other bodies of women with similar evidence.. This is how you will begin your quest against time for a dark and insightful serial killer.
Analysis of The dance of the tulips
Modular
The dance of the tulips (2019) it's a thriller set mainly in the Gernika municipality of the Basque community. The book it has 79 short chapters, Some of them are reported in the third person by an omniscient narrator, and others in first person by one of the characters in the story.
Characters
The protagonists -the four members of the research unit— they are very well elaborated, with strong, moving and interesting stories, which do not escape from the current reality. These are individuals with different nuances and cultures, who they will evolve gradually as the plot progresses.
Between the characters highlights Ane Cesteno, who is told all his life. Together with her, Julia and the other agents fine-tune the plot. Ibon's narrative leads the reader to be part of their lives, to the point of loving them as much as hating them.
Themes
In addition to the main topic of the investigation, other topics are presented. One of the most relevant is gender violence directly associated with gambling. They also stand out police abuse and corruption, harassment, abuse and family trauma.
Landscapes
The experience gained by the writer through his travels is amply evidenced throughout history. Martín describes in detail each scene in Urdaibai; the end result is simple and magnificent at the same time, so much so that through reading it is not complex to imagine the locations of Gernika or Mundaka; waterfalls and other landscapes.
Constant mystery
The enigmatic environment —Generated by the heinous doom described at the beginning of the book— it is maintained in each line throughout the story. The resolution is elucidated drop by drop, which keeps the reader intrigued from start to finish.
Reviews
The dance of the tulips has a fairly high acceptance rate on the web: more than 85% of readers liked the book. On Amazon alone, the work has more than 1.100 ratings, with a total average score of 4,4 / 5. The 5 stars predominate, with 57%; while the ratings less than 3 stars are few, only 10%.
Lovers of suspense will be pleased with this installment. It is a fast-paced, fresh, entertaining work, with a vibrant rhythm and a surprising ending. Without a doubt, an excellent alternative for thriller fans.
Some information about the author: Ibon Martín Álvarez
The Gipuzkoan journalist and writer Ibon Martín Álvarez was born in 1976 in the city of San Sebastián (Basque Country), near the French border. He studied Communication and Journalism at the University of the Basque Country. After finishing his degree, he worked for several years in different local media, work that he combined with one of his greatest passions: traveling.
Trips through the Basque Country
His life turned upside down when he decided to follow one of his dreams, to travel the landscapes and geography of the Basque Country. His plan was to travel hundreds of routes in the historic region of Euskal Herria, both tourist sites and rural areas. Reaching his desire made him enter literature, began to write books about his travels and itineraries in said Spanish community.
With these guides, The main objective of the author has been to promote visits to sites with great tourist potential, but which are little known. He has achieved it in a simple way: he has made various recommendations based on his explorations in the Basque community. Many of these books have been possible thanks to the support of Álvaro Muñoz.
Early novels
In 2013, presented his first novel, which he titled The nameless valley; a historical narrative about his hometown. Thanks to the good acceptance of this first book, a year later he published a saga of Nordic thrillers call The crimes of the lighthouse (2014). This series contains four works: The Lighthouse of Silence (2014) The Shadow Factory (2015) The Last Akelarre (2016) and The Salt Cage (2017)
After the success of the saga —That narrates the adventures of the writer Leire Altuna—, published The dance of the tulips (2019) With this suspense novel, the Basque writer managed to position himself among the best exponents of the genre, due to the engagement it caused in a large number of readers. In 2021, continued with thrillers, With the presentation of his latest novel: The time of the seagulls.