Spain's most read author Dolores
Redondo is "The Queen of the Literary Thriller" - Carloz Ruiz
Zafon. Exclusive for SHOTS, the author
has written a feature linked to the themes of her book.
In my novel All
This I Will Give To You, the plot focuses on a very powerful family
that’s part of the Spanish nobility. I don’t have any resentment towards
aristocrats, however this kind of family, that still very much exists in Spain,
represents a part of the nobility that aren’t very noble.
During the forty
years of dictatorship in Spain under Francisco Franco, and whilst the monarchy
was in exile, some nobles became lapdogs of the dictator – who, at the same
time, seemed to have a yearning to become a king himself. He arranged the
marriage of one of his granddaughters to a member of the royal family, solely
with the purpose of obtaining a noble title for his family.
Franco stayed in
palaces during the summers and even travelled by carriages, emulating the king
he never was. All the nobles who honoured the dictator ended up expanding their
land, businesses and properties, and not always rightfully.
One of the most
gruesome crimes in Spanish history happened in the heart of a noble family. It
took place in 1980, when one night at 3am, the Marquesses of Urquijo were shot dead
in their sleep. Pictures of the Marquesses with a gunshot in their heads, close
to each other surrounded by a blood bath, became public.
The crime shook
the whole country. Soon enough, society and investigators realised this was a
crime that was committed from within. Suspicion fell towards the family members
and the household servants: the way the killers had broken in, the fact the dog
hadn’t barked, and the point-black gunshots.
The son-in-law
confessed to the murders. What was clear is that the motive was power and
money.
Rumours had it
that the daughter was also involved, with help from inside the household. The
family administrator arrived the morning after the deaths already dressed for
mourning and ordered the servants to boil both bodies before investigators
arrived.
The son-in-law
was charged, but when he realised the gun was never found, he changed his
story. The judge didn’t believe him, and he died in prison years later. The
autopsy revealed he was poisoned.
All
This I Will Give To You by
Delores Redondo is published by Amazon Crossing on 1st September
(price £8.99 in paperback original)
