A gripping new Frankenstein set in 19th century Barcelona - a historical thriller sold in 18 countries

In fin-de-siecle Barcelona, Daniel finds his dark past and the future of science combined in a terrible venture. "Frankenstein" meets "The Shadow Of The Wind" in this gothic thriller.

What is perhaps most impressive about Jordi Llobregat's debut novel is how it manages to be a cracking slice of Spanish gothic in its own right as well as wearing its influences openly. One can spot Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and the world of penny dreadfuls between its pages alongside the spectre of Jack the Ripper haunting the text. The translation from Thomas Bunstead gives the prose a fin de siecle feel with a lyricism that ensures even the most violent of descriptions have an uncomfortable beauty to them. The characters are all fascinating, but it is tum-of-the-century Barcelona that is the star of the show. Measured yet exciting, brutal yet poetic, Llobregat has crafted a great novel.