The internationally acclaimed New York Times–bestselling author returns to the magnificent universe he created in The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game and The Prisoner of Heaven in this riveting series finale—a heart-pounding thriller and nail-biting work of suspense that introduces a sexy, seductive new heroine whose investigation shines a light on the dark history of Franco’s Spain.In this unforgettable final volume of Ruiz Zafón’s cycle of novels set in the universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, beautiful and enigmatic Alicia Gris uncovers one of the most shocking conspiracies in all of Spanish history.Nine-year-old Alicia Gris lost her parents during the Spanish Civil War when the fascists savagely bombed Barcelona in 1938. Twenty years later, she still carries the emotional and physical scars of that violent and terrifying time. Weary of her work as an investigator for Spain’s secret police in Madrid, Alicia plans to move on. But at the insistence of her boss, she remains to solve one last case: the mysterious disappearance of Spain’s minister of culture, Mauricio Valls.Alicia’s courageous and uncompromising search for the truth puts her life in peril. Only with the help of a circle of devoted friends will she emerge from the dark labyrinths of Barcelona and its history into the light of the future.In this haunting new novel, Carlos Ruiz Zafón proves yet again that he is a masterful storyteller as he pays homage to the world of books, to his ingenious creation of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and to that magical bridge between literature and our lives.