Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
0 0
Download high-resolution image

Prey for the Shadow

A Novel

Part of A Terra Alta Investigation

Author Javier Cercas
Ebook
Knopf | Vintage
On sale Jun 23, 2026 | 400 Pages | 9798217007509
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • The riveting second novel in the acclaimed Spanish writer's detective trilogy.

“There is no one writing in English like this. . . . Powerful stuff.” —The Sunday Times (London)

The mayor of Barcelona is being blackmailed with a sex tape from her student days that she never knew existed. The price: 300,000 euros and her immediate resignation.

A political chameleon who swept to power on a populist wave, the mayor has powerful enemies. She cannot even trust those closest to her; both her ex-husband and her deputy would profit from her fall.

Melchor Marín, living a quiet life in Terra Alta, is tempted back to Barcelona to work the investigation. But what on the surface seems a straightforward case has its roots in far more serious and disturbing crimes.

With the mayor on the verge of capitulation, a shocking revelation changes everything--not least the course of Melchor's life. At long last, his heart's dark desire is in his grasp.
© LM. Palomares
JAVIER CERCAS was born in Spain in 1962. He is a novelist and columnist, and he has received numerous international awards. His books include Soldiers of Salamis (which has sold more than a million copies worldwide), The Anatomy of a Moment, The Tenant and The Motive, The Speed of Light, and The Impostor. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages. He lives in Barcelona. View titles by Javier Cercas

About

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • The riveting second novel in the acclaimed Spanish writer's detective trilogy.

“There is no one writing in English like this. . . . Powerful stuff.” —The Sunday Times (London)

The mayor of Barcelona is being blackmailed with a sex tape from her student days that she never knew existed. The price: 300,000 euros and her immediate resignation.

A political chameleon who swept to power on a populist wave, the mayor has powerful enemies. She cannot even trust those closest to her; both her ex-husband and her deputy would profit from her fall.

Melchor Marín, living a quiet life in Terra Alta, is tempted back to Barcelona to work the investigation. But what on the surface seems a straightforward case has its roots in far more serious and disturbing crimes.

With the mayor on the verge of capitulation, a shocking revelation changes everything--not least the course of Melchor's life. At long last, his heart's dark desire is in his grasp.

Author

© LM. Palomares
JAVIER CERCAS was born in Spain in 1962. He is a novelist and columnist, and he has received numerous international awards. His books include Soldiers of Salamis (which has sold more than a million copies worldwide), The Anatomy of a Moment, The Tenant and The Motive, The Speed of Light, and The Impostor. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages. He lives in Barcelona. View titles by Javier Cercas

Other books in this series

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

Subscribe

Penguin Random House Higher Education

© 2025 Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Wish List (0)