A group of students is drawn into a dangerous investigation that uncovers secret passageways and a conspiracy powerful enough to endanger their friendship — and their lives. The story takes place in a real historical building: an old sanatorium that still stands intact today. A thrilling, fast-paced read full of mystery and adventure, perfect for the whole family.
Leocadio “Leo” Silva Culebras arrives at the Niñas Pájaro boarding school, located on the eerie island of Pedrosa, a place shrouded in old supernatural legends. There, he forms a group of friends as peculiar as they are loyal: Silvia, sharp and witty; Villotita, a socially awkward genius; Xiao, sarcastic and clever; Luis, a horror enthusiast; and Sara, a tough girl marked by her past in a juvenile center. For a school project, they write a play describing in detail the murder of Professor Casiopeo Bustamante… and, days later, that very crime occurs exactly as they imagined it.
Inspector Antúnez and Subinspector Santamaría suspect the group, prompting the friends to launch their own investigation to clear their names. Near the crime scene, they find a photographic negative showing a hidden tunnel leading to La Picota, an abandoned children’s sanatorium. Inside, they discover a cache of German rifles from the Spanish Civil War and clues suggesting a Nazi connection. Roales, Luis’s uncle, and his friend Munguía reveal that the negative was printed on Nazi paper and is linked to a legend about Hitler and other Nazi leaders hiding in Cantabria. Soon after, both men disappear.
During a nocturnal mission, Leo finds Roales and Munguía kidnapped inside La Picota. Sara proposes calling Antúnez for help, but Leo discovers that the inspector is not who he claims to be — and neither is Sara. Antúnez orders Sara to kill Leo by suffocating him with a bag, but she secretly saves him by using an inhaler to fake his death. Lost inside the sanatorium, Leo receives help from the ghost of a “bird girl,” who guides him to Silvia and Luis. Together, they uncover a hall decorated with Nazi flags and photographs of Antúnez standing beside several of their teachers.
Antúnez and the teachers capture the group and reveal that they are descendants of a Nazi doctor who arrived in Cantabria with Hitler in 1945 and hid five tons of gold beneath the island. The treasure map was divided into three negatives, and Casiopeo was murdered for refusing to hand over the last one. With the full map finally assembled, the conspirators locate the gold beneath the park’s pond — but the map also warns of explosives buried alongside it. Forced to dig, they uncover the treasure, but Sara — who had been struck by Antúnez and feels remorse for her friends — notices a hidden wire and pulls it, triggering the bomb.
The explosion opens a tunnel to the sea, flooding the area and dragging everyone with it. Leo rescues Sara, and as they are about to drown, the “bird girl” reappears with other child spirits, guiding them to the surface. They emerge on a beach, where the police rescue them. The narrator conceals Sara’s involvement, knowing she had been manipulated by Antúnez and was ultimately responsible for saving everyone. The surviving teachers are presumed dead from drowning or the explosions, but Antúnez’s body is never found.
The gold is recovered, sparking an international scandal. The friends remain united, while Leo keeps secret his connection with the “bird girl,” whom he believes he sees one last time waving to him from a window.
RELEVANT INFORMATION: Yves de Villegas is a civil engineer and writer. He has published two children’s books and one novel for adults.
Subject, Verb, Murder blends adventure with the tension of a mystery thriller as Leo and his friends uncover secrets hidden within their school’s walls — including underground tunnels that pull them into a full-fledged adventure.
The historical building where their investigation unfolds still exists today, offering a unique, atmospheric setting full of mystery and charm, easily accessible to modern audiences.
With sharp writing and endearing characters, this finalist for the 2024 Edebé Youth Literature Award is a fast-paced, addictive read with strong audiovisual potential. Its mix of thriller rhythm and group dynamics recalls Stranger Things or The Famous Five, featuring a charismatic, ensemble cast and an adventurous spirit.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Film, TV Film
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish
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