A disillusioned detective faces a chain of ritual murders committed by a serial killer with biblical delusions, in a spiral of terror and supernatural forces.
After a childhood marked by violence, abuse, and a suicide attempt, a man experiences an epiphany: a dark entity he calls “Him” assigns him a sacred and macabre mission — to “harvest” the lives of false preachers. Thus is born “The Reaper,” an unrelenting killer. Guided by a quotation from the Book of Revelation, he begins a chain of murders of priests, burning them alive inside their confessionals.
In parallel, we meet Prudencia, an old witch consumed by resentment and cruelty. From childhood she showed sadistic impulses, and after causing the death of her own family, she was sent to an orphanage. There she met a deformed boy whom she later adopted and raised in isolation, feeding him raw meat and blood. Destiny unites Prudencia and the Reaper when he catches her stealing consecrated hosts. “Him” then orders the Reaper to form an alliance with the witch and her son.
Together they unleash a wave of brutal killings. The investigation falls to Javier Aguirre, a divorced and embittered detective who finds support in Gloria, an employee at the nursing home El Buen Reposo — where one of the victims is found — and in Baldo, an elderly witness to a church murder. His cryptic clues about “the tall man” and “the witch” begin to shape a terrifying puzzle.
The horror escalates when Prudencia’s son, consumed by his insatiable hunger, attacks the nursing home: he murders Virtudes Hinojosa, the director, and Baldo himself. The police chase ends with Prudencia and her son shot dead, but the Reaper escapes.
Enter Erik Miñambres, a young officer who falls in love with Gloria. Their emotional bond makes them easy prey, and the Reaper takes advantage to set a deadly trap. The investigation grows darker with the arrival of Gregorio, a bar owner and serial killer of women, whom the Reaper forces to collaborate in his rituals. That bar becomes the setting for kidnappings and sacrifices.
The climax reveals the most disturbing twist: the Reaper is not a stranger but Inspector Castro, from the judicial police. Gloria is kidnapped and taken to Gregorio’s house, where, under the influence of the Hostile — a demonic entity demanding human sacrifices — Castro unleashes the final confrontation against Aguirre and Erik. The Hostile manifests as a whirlpool of shadows and tentacles that devours its servants. Erik, gravely wounded, falls, while Baldo appears in spiritual form to protect Gloria with a final act of sacrifice. The ending is devastating, and the final revelation delivers a jolt: the Hostile is contained, but both Aguirre and Erik were already spirits — souls trapped in the world of the living by the unfinished business of their past — who at last find redemption. The novel ends with Gloria as the only living survivor, witness to the horror and to the battle against the forces of evil.
RELEVANT INFORMATION: J. E. Álamo is best known for his literary work in the fields of fantasy and horror. A member of Nocte, the Spanish Horror Writers Association, Álamo has published in numerous magazines dedicated to the genre and is a regular contributor to media and online forums.
The Penitents is a novel that masterfully combines horror and crime thriller around a series of ritual murders. With a plot filled with tension, suspense, and violence, powerful characters, and highly visual scenes, the story has strong audiovisual potential as a horror production.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Film, TV Film
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish
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