Why a Booktrail?
2000s: A killer at large in a remote Basque Country valley. Book one of The Baztan Trilogy.
The Invisible Guardian
What you need to know before your trail
The body of a teenage girl has been found on the banks of the River Baztán – the second in a month. Soon rumours are flying in the village of Elizondo. Is this the work of a serial killer, or something even more sinister?
Inspector Amaia Salazar leads the investigation, returning to the Basque country where she was born. Shrouded in mist and surrounded by forest, it conceals a terrible secret from Amaia’s childhood that has come back to haunt her.
Facing the superstitions of the village, Amaia must fight the demons of her past in order to catch the killer. But what is the dark presence she senses lurking in the shadows?
Locations
Reset- Spain - Navarre/Basque Region
- A: Police station Foral de Navarra Elizondo
- B: Baztan Valley Tourism
- C: Baztan Museum
- D: Antxitonea bridge
- E: Town Hall
- Spain - Navarre - Pamplona
- F: Calle Mercaderes
Travel Guide
Elizondo – Baztan Valley
The ancient Kingdom of Navarre comprise the autonomous communities of Navarre, Basque Country and La Rioja.
Elizondo is a town located in the province and is located on both banks of the Baztan River. The town is the capital of the Baztan valley and is one of Elizondo is one of fifteen settlements in the valley.
The history of the Baztan valley dates back to around the year 1025. During the War of the Pyrenees in late July 1794, the Battle of the Baztan Valley took place in the area. In 1813, British General William Stewart located his headquarters in Elizondo during the Battle of the Pyrenees. That’s not the history of the area explored in this trilogy however – rather the exploration of local superstitions woven into the plot is the history and landscape of this novel.
References to the Spanish Inquisition added another layer to the overall story.
A story which is infused with the myths, folklore, history, culture and magic of the Basque region.
All from a remote location amidst a wooded valley with grey skies, endless rain and mist, a claustrophobic atmosphere and the villages remote from themselves as from each other dripping with ancient traditions and ghoulish ideas. There’s a sprinkling of magical realism throughout the novel and a great deal of superstition. Many locals blame the murders on the basajaun, a local version of Bigfoot, although he is not generally thought of being evil. They read tarot cards for example and cut crosses in bread to keep out any evil spirits. When the new and modern ways of trying things of getting their children to stay away from drink and drugs etc doesn’t seem to work then they resort to the old traditions of leaving things as offerings to the spirits in the woods in an attempt to restore an order of sorts.
Streetview Maps
A) Spain -Navarre - Bazque C - Elizondo /Baztan Valley
F) Spain - Navarre - Pamplona - Calle Mercaderes
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Invisible Guardian
Destination : The Basque Country, Navarre, Elizondo, Pamplona Author/Guide: Dolores Redondo Departure Time:2000s
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