New from Carlos Ruiz Zafon

By Jessica Schneider Jun 3, 2009, 14:36 GMT

In the turbulent and mysterious Barcelona of the 1920s, David Martin, a young novelist obsessed with a forbidden love, receives an offer from an enigmatic publisher to write a book like no other before — a book for which “people will live and die.” In return, he is promised a fortune and, perhaps, much more. Once again, the author of The Shadow of the Wind takes us into the gothic ...more

“The Angels Game” is the newest title by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. According to the press release:

“Last summer you raved about Andrew Davidson's The Gargoyle. This summer Doubleday delivers another hit. From master storyteller Carlos Ruiz Zafón, author of the international phenomenon “The Shadow of the Wind,” comes “The Angel's Game”--a dazzling new page-turner about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature and in love.”

The product description notes:

“In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martín, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city’s underworld.

But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed--a book with the power to change hearts and minds.

In return, he will receive a fortune, and perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realizes that there is a connection between his haunting book and the shadows that surround his home.

Once again, Zafón takes us into a dark, gothic universe first seen in The Shadow of the Wind and creates a breathtaking adventure of intrigue, romance, and tragedy. Through a dizzingly constructed labyrinth of secrets, the magic of books, passion, and friendship blend into a masterful story."

An essay by the author can also be found on Amazon, as well as a film clip.