Antonia Scott, the protagonist of Spanish journalist and writer Juan Gómez-Jurado’s Pink Queen thriller collection, has a fascination for uncommon phrases from completely different languages. Within the second ebook of the collection, Black Wolf, printed by Pan MacMillan in April, Antonia finds the Tamil phrase, erupararkkiratu — roughly translating to uncommon or unimaginable, like pigs can fly.

“Once I wrote Pink Queen, discovering phrases that had been particular in different languages that will additionally serve the plot was troublesome,” says Juan over a video name from Madrid. “When Pink Queen was printed, I had readers sending me phrases; one reader even complied a small ebook of particular phrases! I bought the Tamil phrase from a pal who’s a translator in Mumbai. She despatched me a few phrases. I selected erupararkkiratu because it felt particular and linked to the story.”

Triangle of intent

Hovik Keuchkerian as Jon Gutiérrez and Vicky Luengo as Antonia Scott in a nonetheless from Pink Queen
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Particular Association

Fascinated by the variety of languages within the Indian subcontinent, Juan says, there are connections between the fabric world, language and the soul. “Someplace within the centre of that triangle are practices particular to that tradition. The truth that there are eight billion methods of approaching the world fascinates Antonia. She is on an unimaginable quest to know herself by understanding how others really feel.”

Pink Queen, printed in Spanish in 2018 and in English in 2023, options Antonia being coaxed out of her attic flat in Madrid by Jon Gutiérrez, a disgraced policeman from Bilbao, to trace a serial killer. The Pink Queen within the title is a reference to the Pink Queen Challenge, which collects sensible minds all over the world to unravel crimes that stumped world legislation enforcement businesses. Pink Queen, additionally has the apparent Alice in Wonderland hyperlink.

“There are lots of connections in my books,” says the 46-year-old writer. “There are concepts inside concepts. I don’t need to give away spoilers for the third installment of the Pink Queen collection, White King (to be launched in March 2025). Let’s say there’s a robust connection between Alice in Wonderland and the works of Arthur Conan Doyle in Pink Queen. In By means of the Wanting Glass, the Pink Queen runs to stay in the identical place.”

Hovik Keuchkerian as Jon Gutiérrez and Vicky Luengo as Antonia Scott in a nonetheless from Pink Queen
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Particular Association

This, Juan says, connects the title to the idea of evolution, the place species should continuously evolve to maintain their place. “Equally, to maintain tempo with criminals, an investigator should evolve. A red-and-white chess set performs an vital half within the ebook and is one other connection between the Pink Queen and Alice.” 

Superficial similarities

Although Antonia has been in comparison with Lisbeth Salander, the bisexual, tattooed protagonist of Steig Larsson’s Millennium collection, Juan says the similarities are superficial. “When you may have a powerful feminine character main a thriller, Lisbeth clearly involves thoughts. Lisbeth is a superb character and I really like her. The characters, nevertheless, are completely different. Lisbeth is a hacker, political and principally works alone. For Antonia, her intelligence is a burden and a curse.”

If one wants to seek out similarities, Juan says, Antonia has extra in widespread with Don Quixote. “Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who by the way are based mostly on Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, are additionally the inspiration for Antonia and Jon Gutiérrez. Identical to you want Watson to know Holmes, Gutiérrez is critical to know Antonia.”

Antonia, Juan says is a prototype. “She is each fictional detective we now have learn within the final century and a half, from Edgar Allen Poe to Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, who perfected the method of this specific sort of character, a finder of reality.”

Change of tempo

Black Wolf marks a change of tempo from the ticking clock in Pink Queen. “Whenever you learn Pink Queen, you suppose it’s a seek for a serial killer. Black Wolf modifications what you thought you felt when studying Pink Queen;and White King will change issues round once more. It’s just like the tropes you suppose you perceive after which uncover you don’t.”

Antonia’s foremost job, Juan says, is to not discover the killer or save somebody who’s in peril, however to know what story she is in. “The readers too should uncover what sort of story they’re in. This can be a non-relatable style. It isn’t precisely a thriller, a detective story or a serial-killer story.”

Character examine

Black Wolf has three robust girls characters, Antonia, Lola and the murderer often known as the Black Wolf. Writing these characters was simple, Juan says. “There are 4 million girls on this planet and lots of robust girls. I do know a variety of them and it was simple for me to create robust girls. Nobody has ever requested me how I’m able to write such a fancy serial killer!”

Animals don’t fare very effectively within the books, with a horse assembly a sticky finish in Pink Queen and Kot, the Caucasian shepherd, stopping a bullet in Black Wolf. “I really like animals. I’ve seen nevertheless, in fiction, various things create completely different feelings. I used to be watching John Wick within the theatre and when the canine is shot, there was a collective gasp, whereas there was no response to the many individuals who had been shot within the film!”  

All you want is love

The trilogy could be checked out as a love story, says Juan. “Crucial factor for me is love and the primary finish of the story. We will do a variety of issues, construct bridges, write poems, and go to house, however the one factor that distinguishesus from animals is our compassion.”

The love of Antonia’s life, her husband, who’s in coma, and Jon, who’s homosexual, has not had a lot success. “Love is amorphous. I really feel love for my spouse and kids, and am beloved by my father. You will need to be capable to really feel love and that’s what Antonia and Jon really feel for one another. A key a part of their journey is to develop mature sufficient to point out one another, that irrespective of what number of errors they commit, they’re worthy of affection. Romantic love for them is a chance however not essential.”

On display screen

A seven-episode collection — that shares its monkier with the ebook collection, Pink Queen, it has been tailored from stars Vicky Luengo as Antonia and Hovik Keuchkerian as Jon — is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. “I’m very keen on it. Being the chief producer helps. I used to be concerned within the casting and am near the director, Koldo Serra. The collection looks like an extension of my books. Antonia and Jon usually are not solely in my mind, they’re part of me, like household and I must handle them and ensure that their display screen avatars are their greatest variations.”

The present has been renewed for the second season. “We’re writing within the script proper now. Will probably be based mostly on Black Wolf and can be near the ebook. The primary season was a reasonably trustworthy adaptation of Pink Queen and the readers appreciated that.”

How intently an adaptation follows the supply materials relies on what one is planning on doing and one’s strategy, says Juan. “The characters in Pink Queen are particular. If you don’t comply with the unique, it could be dangerous because the nuances could be misplaced.”

Black Wolf priced at ₹750 is offered at bookstores and on-line.

Revealed – September 06, 2024 05:26 pm IST