Best-selling Malaga author Javier Castillo unveils his eighth novel: his first to be set in Spain

Javier Castillo likes a good mystery. Just open one of his novels as proof. Beyond the printed page, this author also enjoys keeping up the suspense, especially every time he launches a new book title. He had already announced a few weeks ago at the Madrid book fair that on 1 October he would release what will be his eighth book, after closing a big chapter of his life's work last year with his most influential and successful trilogy The Snow Girl with the third and final instalment, 'La Grieta del Silencio' (The Fissure of Silence). Now the author, who will be the opening speaker at the next Malaga book fair, has revealed the details of his new project, entitled 'El Susurro del Fuego' (no official English title as yet - it literally translates as 'the whispering of the fire'). This work represents a significant departure from his literary style as, for the first time ever, he has set the plot on Spanish soil, specifically on the volcanic islands of the Canaries, which serve as a good analogy for this tale of fiery intrigue.

A woman with her back to readers once again takes centre stage on the cover of Castillo's new novel. A cover that invites mystery, with this young woman sitting on a swing, overlooking the 448 pages of this new thriller, with Mount Teide rising up in the background. A setting on home territory is the main novelty of this new publishing venture by the Malaga-born writer, who, until now, had always set his storylines in the USA. "This novel represents a great leap forward from everything I've written, because I think it brings together everything that a good story should have: suspense, pain, drama, tragedy and love, along with a location I'm certain you weren't expecting: for the first time I'm setting a novel in Spain", said the popular writer on Tuesday. He has sold 2.5 million copies of his seven previous novels in Spain and he aspires to reach the three million mark with 'El Susurro del Fuego'.

As revealed by Javier Castillo himself, a family trip to Tenerife last year was the catalyst for this, his eighth thriller. This time he has taken the step that many readers had been asking for and that Netflix's adaptations of his books had confirmed: that his elaborate plots can work if, instead of New York as the location, the crimes can take place in Malaga or any other setting on Spanish soil. Thus, his new novel tells the story of two twin siblings who travel to the Canary Islands to celebrate life: while one has overcome cancer, the other sets out on a new beginning. However, the former suffers a minor relapse that lands him in hospital for several days. Just when he thinks the worst is over, he discovers that his sister has disappeared.

"Since the publication of my first books, readers have consistently asked me to set my next novel in Spain. And while that request, to some extent, connected with something visceral I'd longed to explore, it wasn't until a family trip to the Canary Islands that I felt the time had come", said Castillo when announcing his new book, marked by the unique atmosphere of the Canaries: "A volcanic land, full of diverse settings, where you have the sensation that the ground is constantly vibrating beneath your feet."

In the opinion of the Malaga-born author, the landscape and setting of these islands is "the best place to accompany the story of twin siblings caught up in illness, healing and a mystery that has them delving into their childhood wounds to find the truth. A novel full of craters, geysers, sea, cliffs, wind, ash, a story unlike anything I have written before." What Javier Castillo does remain faithful to is his unmistakable style, which is why 'El susurro del fuego' is narrated in a nonstop, against-the-clock narrative to discover the whereabouts of the missing sister on an island that is about to burn.

Already dubbed as a master of the thriller in Spain, Javier Castillo has become an international phenomenon, with his books translated into 20 languages and published in over 60 countries. One of the most recent is Ukraine. However, his beginnings were not easy. Tired of being given the runaround by publishing houses, the Malaga-born author opted for self-publishing with his first novel The Day Sanity was Lost, which became one of Amazon's best-selling titles, finally sparking the interest of major publishers. It was ultimately Suma (Penguin Random House) that opened doors for the writer to publish his literary debut in print in 2017, becoming a phenomenon that has only grown since then and was soon confirmed with the second part of this saga, The Day Love was Lost (2018).

After that, the author continued to mature with Everything that Happened to Miranda Huff (2019), in which he reaffirmed his hallmark traits: an instinct for thrillers, a talent for gripping plots and an international flair for plots set in the United States. Later came the novel that would mark his international breakthrough and definitive acclaim, The Snow Girl (2020), set in the world of crime journalism, becoming the most widely read novel in Spain during the pandemic. The following year, he expanded this saga of unsolved crimes that connect with current events with The Soul Game (2021), at the same time that Netflix acquired the adaptation rights to this franchise, the first instalment of which became number one worldwide on the North American platform's streaming service.

With his next work, The Crystal Cuckoo (2023), Castillo opened a new literary mystery set in the world of medical transplants and rural America. Then, last year, he completed his main literary project to date with the publication of The Fissure of Silence (2024), the third and final part of The Snow Girl trilogy, which he presented not only in Spain, but also in Italy. This writer of fiction now turns over yet another page in 2025 with 'El susurro del fuego', his first thriller set in Spain. A book that promises to be explosive, just like a volcano.