Robert Wilson — The Silent And The Damned

HarperCollins Publishers 2005 Paperback, 512pp. The powerful second psychological thriller featuring Javier Falcon, the complex detective from 'The Blind Man of Seville'. At seven years old, Mario Vega faces a terrible tragedy -- his parents are dead in an apparent suicide pact. But Inspector Javier Falcon has his doubts. In the brutal heat of a Seville summer, he dissects the disturbing life of the boy's father, Rafael Vega. His investigation draws threats from the Russian mafia whose corruption reaches deep into the city. He questions a creative American couple with a destructive past and uncovers the misery of a famous actor whose only son is in prison for an appalling crime. More suicides follow and one of them is a senior policeman. As a forest fire rages through the hills above the city Falcon must sweat out the truth that connects it all -- and find the final secret in the dark heart of Vega's life. (ISBN: 9780007117857). Very Good.