All This I Will Give to You

Author/Guide: Dolores Redondo

Why a Booktrail?

2000s: How do you cope when your husband turns out to not be the man you thought he was?

ISBN: 978-1503901230
Translator: Michael Meigs
Genre: Crime, Police Procedural

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What you need to know before your trail

When novelist Manuel Ortigosa learns that his husband, Álvaro, has been killed in a car crash, it comes as a devastating shock. He heads straight to Galicia where Álvaro died.

However, it’s not long before he discovers that the man to whom he was married for fifteen years was not the unassuming man he knew.

And so starts the search for the truth – but Álvaro’s trail leads Manuel deep into one of Spain’s most powerful and guarded families. Behind the walls of their forbidding estate, Manuel is nothing but an unwelcome and dangerous intruder.

Manuel is about to unravel a web of corruption and deception that could be as fatal a trap for him as it was for the man he loved.

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Travel Guide

Galicia

If this book is not in the Galician tourist board shops then why not? It perfectly captures the region and essence of the valleys.

It’s an area with deep, winding valley which hide a multitude of legends from folklore. These valleys have long been the site of many estates, wealthy abbots and rich families who own land between the two towns of Lugo and Ourense. A maze of intrigue and family history going back centuries.

Every tun in the road opened up new paths that beckoned him into their labyrinth with the alluring promise of undiscovered niches , fountains and views

Then there’s the legends:

“This has been a holy site of pilgrimage almost since time began. No other place in Galicia is more sacred.”

Ribeira Sacra

Ribeira Sacra is a Spanish Denominación de Origen for wines located in the provinces of Lugo Ourense, in Galicia

It covers much of 17 different municipalities and so the overall zone is called Ribeira Sacra, which is translated as “Sacred Shore”. The vineyards are planted on the steep slopes of the valleys and canyons of the rivers Miño and Sil. Three types of wine are produced here: red Mencía, white Albariño and white Godello.

It is also thought that Ribeira Sacra takes its name from 18 monasteries and hermitages in the area. Apt when you visit the Santa Clara estate and Grilieras home in the novel. A home fit for royalty and of people of status.

Booktrailer Review

Susan: @thebooktrailer

A unique and compelling mystery. From the start, there’s a sense of confusion and mystery as no one really seems to know what’s going on with the accident. There’s a certain atmosphere as the police don’t seem comfortable acknowledging that the dead man was married to another man. Then there’s the fact he wasn’t where his husband thought he was, nor did he have his wedding ring on.

Now, if you think it all looks like it’s going one way, you’d be wrong. IT goes in many different directions and speeds and there’s one surprise after another. As Manuel starts to investigate what’s going on, he ends up a sheep in the wolf’s den and that’s when things really start to get interesting.

The reader is very much beside Manuel throughout for you discover what’s going on at the same time as him, feeling his shock, surprise, confusion as he does. The walled home he ends up inside is described as luscious and sumptuous and oh the winery! The vast Galician valleys with their unique ambience, stunning views and wineries are what makes this novel for me. It draws you in, envelops you and captures a unique part of the world in a web of intrigue and more.

The setting lends itself nicely to the plot but it’s there on its own to immerse you in the culture, way of life and legends of the region. Not going to say more on that – it’s part of the plot, but when you find out, it’s nicely done.

And the legends of Galicia are almost as delicious as the wine it would seem! Enjoy this with a glass for one amazing reading experience!