THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY Inspector Unai Lopez de Ayala, Book 1

Narrator Henry Leyva’s comfort with Spanish builds a strong sense of place in this mystery set in the Basque country. Detective Kraken López de Ayala is tapped to investigate a ritualistic double murder that copies the crimes of a serial killer who’s been imprisoned for 20 years. The clues and crime scenes in this well-constructed police procedural give listeners a peek at Basque culture and history, adding depth to the audiobook. Leyva creates distinct voices to signal each character’s temperament, altering his tone to reflect their various daily roles, such as Kraken the policeman vs. Kraken the brother, grandson, and lover. Leyva’s performance underscores the pace of the investigation—from frustrating dead ends and surprising twists to the desperate race to protect the likely next victims. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2020]