The Last Princess (La última princesa)

A criminologist from Interpol returns to her hometown and soon finds herself drawn into a series of ritual murders shaking the community. Between ancient legends, secrets from the past, and the shadow of organized crime, unfolds a vibrant, atmospheric thriller full of unforgettable characters and unexpected twists. From bestselling author Alaitz Leceaga.

March 1992. Nora Cortázar, an Interpol criminologist with Asperger’s syndrome, returns from Lyon to Lemóniz, her hometown in the Basque Country, after her mother’s death. What seemed like a farewell visit turns into the beginning of a nightmare: the body of her childhood friend, Lea Odell, is found at a nearby nuclear plant, bearing ritual mutilations linked to local legends.

As she joins the Civil Guard’s investigation, Nora discovers that before dying, Lea had sent her a mysterious matryoshka doll with a plea for help: Lea had been investigating something dangerous on her own—something many in town preferred to keep buried—that would soon come to light.

Amid family tensions, police corruption, and the looming shadow of her father Balbea—former terrorist and serial killer—Nora becomes ensnared in an investigation as personal as it is deadly. She reconnects with Irving, her first love, now the father of a four-year-old daughter, forcing her to confront feelings she thought long gone. Together, they begin to piece things together: the offshore platform where Lea worked, the Celtic site of Urízar, and the discovery of the ancestral tomb of a Celtic princess bearing ritual symbols identical to those of the murders. Irving, excited by the archaeological find, helps Nora decode the signs that define the killer’s ritual. Meanwhile, sightings of supposed wolf-like creatures and new ritual murders linked to Gaueko, the feared Basque god of darkness, multiply.

Step by step, Nora uncovers the truth behind the killings: a criminal network using Celtic rituals to cover up the trafficking of women from the Balkans. The murders serve to silence witnesses and spread fear, with the complicity of townspeople such as Emilio Peña, Civil Guard officer Gómez-Moreno, and employees of the platform. The actual perpetrator is Blas López de Ochoa, a man with psychiatric disorders who kills following ancient sacrificial rites: markings, red ribbons, human bite marks.

At the story’s climax, Nora confronts Blas in a tunnel near the nuclear plant. But just as Blas seems to have her cornered, a third party appears: the Blue Prince, a serial killer Nora has been chasing across Europe for years. He executes Blas and reveals he was always behind everything, using him as his pawn. Before disappearing, he spares Nora’s life and calls her “his last princess,” a direct reference to the Urízar tomb and the identical ritual signs on all his victims.

The final revelation strikes Nora to the core: the Blue Prince is Alexander Byrne, archaeologist at the site and Irving’s colleague, a man who had been moving under a stolen identity right under her nose. Back in Lyon, Nora confirms Byrne remains at large. And when she receives a call from Biarritz reporting a new crime bearing his signature, she knows it for certain: the hunt is far from over. It has only just begun.

RELEVANT INFORMATION: Alaitz Leceaga was born in Bilbao and is the author of several bestselling novels. Winner of the 2021 Fernando Lara Novel Prize, she has become one of the most recognized voices in Spanish fiction. Her carefully crafted historical settings, the inclusion of mythological references, and her fascinating character construction have earned her a loyal readership.

With The Last Princess, her fifth novel, she takes us to the coasts and forests of Biscay through a mystery plot full of action and twists that grips from the very first page. An addictive thriller that blends the most chilling legends of Basque mythology with the dark secrets of a small town. An atmospheric, compelling, and original story with a fascinating protagonist and morally complex secondary characters dealing with grief and trauma, all woven into a narrative that enhances and reinforces the plot. Perfect for a thriller series in the vein of True Detective or Mare of Easttown, with strong protagonists and an addictive storyline.

AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Feature Film, TV Film.

AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish.