El Corazon del Tartaro

The title of this suspenseful book is a play on words used to mean both ""the barbarian's heart"" and ""the center of hell,"" and there are plenty of references to both throughout. Zarza is a modern editor of medieval books who, waking up one morning to her usual routine, finds her life suddenly shattered by a phone call from a man saying, ""I found you."" Her mysterious past catches up with her, and she relives it in a desperate fight for her life over the next 24 hours. The suspense builds almost unbearably until the final confrontation with her pursuer. Themes of love, betrayal, fear, forgiveness, condemnation, and reconciliation mingle with medieval legends and Zarza's murky childhood memories. Montero, a highly regarded Spanish journalist and literary author, has published several novels, including La hija del canibal (The Cannibal's Daughter, Espasa, 1997), for which she received the Premio Planeta de Novela. This wonderful and engrossing work is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries and bookstores. Lisa M. Reynolds, Indianapolis-Marion Cty. P.L., IN