If you’ve read tons of crime novels, you’re well aware that American, British, Scandinavian, etc., detectives work their guts out when there’s a case. They know that as time goes by, it only gets harder to catch a criminal. But what do the Basque cops do in comparison? At least, if we’re going by The Silence of the White City. Well, they just don’t give a good goddamn about the whole thing.
They take it easy over the weekend—even if Spain’s most brutal serial killer in history is massacring half the city. They head to the countryside for a little gardening, plan their upcoming weddings, that sort of thing. Meanwhile, the bodies are piling up like nobody’s business.
Something’s Off with The Silence of the White City
Eva García Sáenz De Urturi’s book feels a bit… off. The foundations are mostly solid, but the quality fluctuates wildly. There’s nothing catastrophically wrong with it, but the constant little irritations keep it from rising above average.
Like what?
For starters, the overly dramatic characterization: our main character is driven by a messianic mission to save everyone before they’re taken down. Which is, of course, nonsense. I mean, how on earth would you pull that off? (Oh, wait – Minority Report. Yeah, that went swimmingly too…)
We also learn that good ol’ Lieutenant Ayala sometimes goes rogue, ignoring protocol in favor of his own judgment. At least, that’s what he says about himself, so I guess it must be true. Except it’s more like he skips telling his boss about an interrogation beforehand and only fesses up afterward. And he gets chewed out for it. So, a cautious rebel, if you will.
Confusing Investigation and Pointless Dialogues
The investigation in The Silence of the White City feels scattershot; it doesn’t feel like the case is progressing thanks to the cops’ efforts. Instead, they just chase the action like headless chickens.
Some downright cringey scenes make it into the book, with characters spouting all kinds of nonsensical things. Take, for example, the interrogation of the “fat guy” – a scene further worsened by forced, utterly lame attempts at slang. Even the flashbacks with the doctor and the “sexy patient” feel clumsy and over-explained, with annoying perspective switches between paragraphs.
Unsuccessful Emotional Manipulation
Eva García Sáenz De Urturi struggles with conveying emotions too. There are two couples in the story, both supposedly yearning for each other, but you have to take their word for it and go by their arguments to feel this “great love.”
And let’s not even get into those Twitter messages at the beginning of the chapters that were meant to be impactful but instead turned out to be merely attention-seeking…
These clumsy parts alternate sporadically with relatively well-written sections. There are even two or three spine-tingling scenes. The ending after solving the crime is especially well done, managing to be genuinely moving. And among the characters, the nearly hundred-year-old, lively, and wise grandfather stands out.
Don’t expect too much from The Silence of the White City
All in all, despite the fancy hardcover and the flashy title, The Silence of the White City isn’t exactly a grand slam. Still, since the mystery holds your attention (damn curiosity!) and, despite the shaky quality, it stays readable. Although it becomes fairly obvious from the flashbacks where the story’s heading, there are still a few twists. I figured out who the killer was on page 556. (A first in the blog’s history – damn it.)
Dumbest line in the book:
“A city that boasted thirteen civic centers and 245,000 inhabitants wasn’t going to lose its nerve.”
Hmm, what would it take, exactly? Fewer community centers or more residents?
Rating: 6.7/10
The Silence of the White City (The White City #1) by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi
528 pages, Paperback
Published in 2020 by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard