Ed Harvey's debut novel (first published as The Whore's Companion) is a modern-day murder mystery that evokes Spain's fractured history and explores how the barbarity of the past can devastate the lives of subsequent generations.... In a village in Southern Spain, an old man has waited 35 years to find out who killed his parents and, when he does, he seizes the opportunity to avenge their murder. Inspector Antonio Fernandez soon discovers that the old man's action dates back to General Franco's brutal regime. Is this a tragic, but straightforward case of revenge? The Inspector doesn't think so and when forensic evidence suggests there's another killer on the loose he launches an enquiry that strikes at the very heart of the village's shameful history. With the support of pathologist, Doctor Julieta Santiago, the investigative team makes significant progress, but the body count continues to rise, the list of suspects grows, and the Inspector's judgment and impartiality are called into question. As the investigation reaches its violent and bloody climax, detectives put their lives on the line - with disastrous consequences.