Mara Faye Lethem Knihy

Marisa is in her 30s and a creative strategist at an advertising agency in Madrid. Her job is about selling things people don't need to people who don't want them, and she can see right through it to the late-capitalist mess we're in. But what to do with this knowledge, other than hide in the basement of the Prado, arm herself with tranquilisers and irony, name her spiralling anxiety 'Berto' after a failed lover, and wonder whether everyone else cries when their alarm wakes them in the morning? Over the course of one hot summer, Marisa moves between her apartment terrace, her office, and her company's retreat in the mountains, as the clock ticks down towards a horrifying 'team-building' weekend. Life can't go on like this - can it? Marisa is bitter but also funny and curious, she loves culture and people - just not like this. This is a book for everyone who has ever wanted more: more time, more meaning, more connection.

Set against the backdrop of the 1889 Paris World's Fair, this gripping tale of murder and crime-solving unfolds as the world eagerly awaits the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower. The Twelve Detectives, an elite group of the most renowned detectives globally, gather for the first time to share their insights and philosophies on catching the world's most elusive criminals. However, the legendary Renato Craig, a founding member, is absent, sending his novice assistant, Sigmundo Salvatrio, in his place. Salvatrio, a devoted student of Craig's Academy for Detectives, arrives in Paris with a secret message for Craig's best friend, the brilliant Viktor Arzaky. When a member of The Twelve is found dead at the Eiffel Tower, a series of grisly murders ensues. Arzaky and Salvatrio must race against time through the enchanting streets of fin de siècle Paris, navigating secret societies and philosophical puzzles while trying to save a dangerously beautiful woman. They quickly realize that the stakes are incredibly high; they must not only catch the murderer but also protect the future of their brotherhood. With a strikingly original voice, this narrative poignantly captures a world on the brink of losing its innocence, showcasing the early days of crime-solving where wit and intelligence were the primary tools of a detective.