The Seagull and the Spy by Marcelo Antinori

In the highly anticipated sequel to The Condor’s Riddle (2024), Brazilian-American author Marcelo Antinori invites readers back to the quirky, enchanting world of Santa Clara by the Sea.

This vibrant Caribbean city, teeming with colorful locals and expatriate wanderers, finds itself grappling with a new enigma: who was the man who once inhabited the now-abandoned apartment?

The mystery surfaces unexpectedly when Bebéi, the seemingly innocent yet surprisingly astute archivist for the French embassy, uncovers the man’s disappearance—a case left unnoticed and unresolved for a decade.

The only remnants of the man’s life are cryptic notes tucked inside twenty-six books on a dusty shelf. What starts as a passing curiosity soon unravels into a complex puzzle tied to the sinister secrets of the Cold War.

With each note revealing a new piece of the puzzle, Bebéi’s questions set the entire city abuzz. As the investigation deepens, the stakes grow perilously high, threatening the city’s future and exposing a web of corruption led by the unscrupulous mayor and his cronies.

Only by deciphering the clues can Santa Clara’s fate be preserved. Join Bebéi and the vibrant cast of characters in this gripping tale of intrigue and survival, where the past holds the key to saving the present.