A young man disappears in the Basque Country, and an acquaintance decides to investigate on his own, despite being told that the missing man has been located in Chile. The investigation will lead the protagonist down dark and dangerous paths, but will also transform him emotionally—especially when he becomes romantically involved with a woman who holds the key to this enigmatic case.
An emotional thriller, full of secrets and dramatic twists, that keeps the tension high until the very last page.
Mikel lives a peaceful life as a photojournalist in San Sebastián. One day, he believes he spots Pablo Martiarena—a young man who was reported missing—in the back seat of a car driven by Iván Katz, a quirky artist and former schoolmate. The sight unsettles him, and he decides to investigate. No one takes him seriously, and the police insist that Pablo voluntarily left for Chile weeks ago. But Mikel senses that something doesn’t add up. With help from his cousin Lorena, an aspiring journalist, he begins to gather clues.
Early signs point to Erika, Pablo’s ex-girlfriend: a fascinating and mysterious woman with ties to Andoni Sagasti, a security guard who ends up murdering his mother during a psychotic break.
As Mikel and Lorena dig deeper, forgotten memories resurface—especially Mikel’s childhood trauma at the Katz family home. In Iván’s orbit, they uncover disturbing signs: another missing girl, strange rituals, fake social media profiles, mystical discourse, and evidence of psychological control and manipulation. Eventually, the trail leads them to Iván’s art academy and reveals a far more sinister environment: a cult known as The Poets of Hidden Earth, which uses spirituality, sex, drugs, and emotional coercion to recruit vulnerable individuals. The cult—of which Erika, Iván, and Andoni appear to be members—has operated under the guise of an artistic collective. Its leader is Silvano Katz, Iván’s eccentric father.
Meanwhile, Mikel, drawn to Erika, discovers that she is the secret daughter of Valentina, a domestic worker murdered years ago by Silvano. Branded as “punished” from birth, Erika has never been fully accepted by the group. As past traumas and new revelations emerge, the investigation becomes deeply personal and increasingly dangerous. Mikel comes to understand that Erika is more victim than villain—and that Pablo Martiarena is not missing, but an undercover agent for the Ertzaintza investigating the cult.
In the climax, Mikel and Erika confront Flora—Iván’s mother and a silent witness to Valentina’s murder—and together infiltrate the estate where the cult operates. There they find Pablo and a collective ritual that threatens to end in mass suicide. In the end, a police operation dismantles the cult and arrests Silvano and Iván, but they are too late to save Erika, who, fearing retaliation for her betrayal, has taken hemlock and dies.
The Beast’s Tricks is a psychological and intimate thriller that explores the power of cults, emotional fragility, and the need to confront the past in order to reclaim one’s freedom.
RELEVANT INFORMATION: Lide Aguirre (San Sebastián, 1979) worked as a journalist at Diario Vasco before dedicating herself fully to literature. She was a finalist for the Premio Planeta. The Beast’s Tricks is her second novel, inspired by an encounter with a young man who made her a strange invitation on the street.
Set in San Sebastián—which is more than just a backdrop; its bars, streets, and neighborhoods are characters in their own right—The Beast’s Tricks is a gripping thriller that keeps the reader on edge, concealing the core of the investigation until well into the story. With impeccable narrative structure, the novel combines drama, suspense, and an unsettling psychological undertone, centered on the power of mental manipulation and the ease with which some people dominate others for personal gain. It also includes a love story that runs through the suspense and adds an emotional layer to the characters.
The novel has strong audiovisual potential as a thriller, with a high-tension plot and striking revelations. The cult element introduces an esoteric and symbolic dimension that, in an adaptation, could enrich both narrative and visual style, creating a powerful and distinctive atmosphere. The story is also easily adaptable to other locations in the country.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Feature Film, TV Movie
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish
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