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Iberian Ties : The Iberian Ties Trilogy
Without a motive, how do you catch a killer? A gripping thriller in the vein of Harlan Coben, Paula Hawkins, and Lee Child.
A rising star psychiatrist, American Nate Shelley is in Spain’s Canary Islands, making his world debut at a convention. But after delivering his keynote address, he and his fiancée Miro are arrested for murder.
Nate knows he’s not guilty, but is his future wife involved in some way in the crime? Miro’s directly implicated when the murder victim is identified as her stalker.
Is Nate’s career ruined? Is he facing life imprisonment? Does the American couple stand a chance of convincing the Spanish authorities—and Interpol—that they’re innocent? Not in a post-Brexit, anti-Trump European environment.
Racing to clear their names, Nate and Miro will soon be embroiled in sham investigations, powerful cartels, and family secrets finally coming to light.
A rising star psychiatrist, American Nate Shelley is in Spain’s Canary Islands, making his world debut at a convention. But after delivering his keynote address, he and his fiancée Miro are arrested for murder.
Nate knows he’s not guilty, but is his future wife involved in some way in the crime? Miro’s directly implicated when the murder victim is identified as her stalker.
Is Nate’s career ruined? Is he facing life imprisonment? Does the American couple stand a chance of convincing the Spanish authorities—and Interpol—that they’re innocent? Not in a post-Brexit, anti-Trump European environment.
Racing to clear their names, Nate and Miro will soon be embroiled in sham investigations, powerful cartels, and family secrets finally coming to light.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2019
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 26, 2019
Iberian Ties starts off with a bang as our main character Nate discovers a dead body in his hotel room. From that dead body, we have a twisting and turning crime thriller, where the main characters are trying to solve the who and the why behind the body. The plot, and more importantly, the why behind the dead body, is the foremost driver of the novel. I was following along with the characters as the clues unfold, to the final reveal of the AH HA moment. I was really surprised at how the story unfolded, with shocks continuing to unfold around each corner.
A lot of the characters in the novel are quite slippery. From our main characters, Nate and Miro, to the lawyers and police officials, I was not sure if I could trust anyone! Take the chief of police, for instance. He plays his cards very close to the vest, revealing little tidbits of information to Nate, but holding back other vital information. I do want to avoid any spoilers as to why the chief is holding back information. We’ll leave it Mr. Vargas does a good job balancing the good and evil in all of us. I imagine Mr. Vargas thinking mwa-ha-ha while writing and tormenting his readers!
Being a psychoanalyst really does play well into Nate’s private investigative skills. Nate’s P.I. persona is quite the opposite of his normal, day to day life. He takes charge, hiding in plain sight, wearing a
“flowery yellow beach shirt, purple undershirt, khakis, and sneakers.”
Nate is observant, a good listener, analytical, and dives in to solve the various mysteries occurring around him. These are key characteristics of any sleuth, fictional or not.
Minnie, Miro’s daughter, is another character of note for me. She’s so enthusiastic about everything, and quite a joy to read her scenes.
I’m seriously struggling lately with reading anything. I’m just not in the reading mood. It’s more of an it’s me, not the book, situation that’s causing the problem. Iberian Ties took a good 40% of the book for the reading spark to hit me. There is a lot of backstory and discussion in the beginning of the novel. It also took quite a while for me to appreciate the characters, Miro especially. I was never sure I could trust her story. Once the action picks up in the novel, and PI Nate gets to solving the crimes, I became a much more enthusiastic reader.
I also labored with some formatting and editing issues in the e-book. (I do wonder if the formatting issues were just translation from using the Kindle App on my iPad or my NetGalley ARC.) There are some passages in italics that I couldn’t determine why. And in other cases, sentences would drop to the next line at random. I also wrestled with the need to use the 2016 U.S. presidential race as a timeline. Maybe I missed the link between the actual story and the presidential race?
I’m giving bonus points for the cover design of Iberian Ties. I love the cover. It drew my attention right away. And after reading the novel, the cover ties into the story very well!
I’m recommending Iberian Ties for any mystery reader. The twisty-turny plot is imaginative and original. I’m certainly in again, if P.I. Nate is out to solve any more crimes!
A lot of the characters in the novel are quite slippery. From our main characters, Nate and Miro, to the lawyers and police officials, I was not sure if I could trust anyone! Take the chief of police, for instance. He plays his cards very close to the vest, revealing little tidbits of information to Nate, but holding back other vital information. I do want to avoid any spoilers as to why the chief is holding back information. We’ll leave it Mr. Vargas does a good job balancing the good and evil in all of us. I imagine Mr. Vargas thinking mwa-ha-ha while writing and tormenting his readers!
Being a psychoanalyst really does play well into Nate’s private investigative skills. Nate’s P.I. persona is quite the opposite of his normal, day to day life. He takes charge, hiding in plain sight, wearing a
“flowery yellow beach shirt, purple undershirt, khakis, and sneakers.”
Nate is observant, a good listener, analytical, and dives in to solve the various mysteries occurring around him. These are key characteristics of any sleuth, fictional or not.
Minnie, Miro’s daughter, is another character of note for me. She’s so enthusiastic about everything, and quite a joy to read her scenes.
I’m seriously struggling lately with reading anything. I’m just not in the reading mood. It’s more of an it’s me, not the book, situation that’s causing the problem. Iberian Ties took a good 40% of the book for the reading spark to hit me. There is a lot of backstory and discussion in the beginning of the novel. It also took quite a while for me to appreciate the characters, Miro especially. I was never sure I could trust her story. Once the action picks up in the novel, and PI Nate gets to solving the crimes, I became a much more enthusiastic reader.
I also labored with some formatting and editing issues in the e-book. (I do wonder if the formatting issues were just translation from using the Kindle App on my iPad or my NetGalley ARC.) There are some passages in italics that I couldn’t determine why. And in other cases, sentences would drop to the next line at random. I also wrestled with the need to use the 2016 U.S. presidential race as a timeline. Maybe I missed the link between the actual story and the presidential race?
I’m giving bonus points for the cover design of Iberian Ties. I love the cover. It drew my attention right away. And after reading the novel, the cover ties into the story very well!
I’m recommending Iberian Ties for any mystery reader. The twisty-turny plot is imaginative and original. I’m certainly in again, if P.I. Nate is out to solve any more crimes!
August 1, 2019
"It's one thing to fight for what someone stole from you, quite another to eliminate bystanders."
Iberian Ties by Quintin Vargas starts right off with a dead body. Or does it? For Dr. Nate Shelley and his fiancée, Miró Epstein, the questions surrounding an alleged murder in their hotel room in the Canary Islands just keep piling up. Are Nate and Miró suspects? Are they victims of a hoax? Are they in danger? Who is Penny Rhoads, and why would anyone want to kill her? This plot-driven crime thriller leads the reader on a chase for answers to a baffling crime that seems to have too many suspects and too many seemingly unrelated pieces to the puzzle. Determining who is on the right side of the law also proves to be quite tricky. Trust no one appears to be the rule in Iberian Ties.
Nate and Miró quickly find themselves in an international quagmire involving Interpol, a well-guarded suspect/victim who is too afraid to speak, and immense danger at every turn. Miró's parents and her young daughter fly from Chicago to the Canary Islands to offer Miró and Nate their help and support, but are they now in danger as well? Questions abound, but the answers finally start falling into place one by one as the true colors of certain characters start showing and as evidence comes to light. While the unraveling of the mystery sometimes inches along, the overall pace is moderate, with the action quickly gaining speed in the ending chapters as Nate and Miró get too close to the truth and begin to see a possible motive for all the mayhem and murder.
Iberian Ties is heavy on the dialogue, the characters are engaging, and the overall motive for the murder and subsequent crimes is interesting as each detail is revealed. As with many crimes, greed plays a big role, with the ultimate perpetrator stopping at nothing to get what they want. As a side note, many chapters begin with bulletin-like headlines that position the timing in context with the most recent US presidential election and subsequent Trump administration. While the reason for this seems unclear at first, a passage toward the end might just offer an explanation for what at first appears to have no correlation at all to the plot and may or may not be off putting for some readers in today's political climate. Keep an eye out for that scene toward the end to see if you come to the same conclusion. Intrigued? Pick up your copy of Iberian Ties today and enjoy for yourself this debut fiction by Quintin Vargas.
If you enjoy international crime fiction that keeps you wondering who did it and why all the way to the end, then Iberian Ties is for you. And that ending will make you gasp and wonder if the nightmare really is over for Nate and Miró.
Iberian Ties by Quintin Vargas starts right off with a dead body. Or does it? For Dr. Nate Shelley and his fiancée, Miró Epstein, the questions surrounding an alleged murder in their hotel room in the Canary Islands just keep piling up. Are Nate and Miró suspects? Are they victims of a hoax? Are they in danger? Who is Penny Rhoads, and why would anyone want to kill her? This plot-driven crime thriller leads the reader on a chase for answers to a baffling crime that seems to have too many suspects and too many seemingly unrelated pieces to the puzzle. Determining who is on the right side of the law also proves to be quite tricky. Trust no one appears to be the rule in Iberian Ties.
Nate and Miró quickly find themselves in an international quagmire involving Interpol, a well-guarded suspect/victim who is too afraid to speak, and immense danger at every turn. Miró's parents and her young daughter fly from Chicago to the Canary Islands to offer Miró and Nate their help and support, but are they now in danger as well? Questions abound, but the answers finally start falling into place one by one as the true colors of certain characters start showing and as evidence comes to light. While the unraveling of the mystery sometimes inches along, the overall pace is moderate, with the action quickly gaining speed in the ending chapters as Nate and Miró get too close to the truth and begin to see a possible motive for all the mayhem and murder.
Iberian Ties is heavy on the dialogue, the characters are engaging, and the overall motive for the murder and subsequent crimes is interesting as each detail is revealed. As with many crimes, greed plays a big role, with the ultimate perpetrator stopping at nothing to get what they want. As a side note, many chapters begin with bulletin-like headlines that position the timing in context with the most recent US presidential election and subsequent Trump administration. While the reason for this seems unclear at first, a passage toward the end might just offer an explanation for what at first appears to have no correlation at all to the plot and may or may not be off putting for some readers in today's political climate. Keep an eye out for that scene toward the end to see if you come to the same conclusion. Intrigued? Pick up your copy of Iberian Ties today and enjoy for yourself this debut fiction by Quintin Vargas.
If you enjoy international crime fiction that keeps you wondering who did it and why all the way to the end, then Iberian Ties is for you. And that ending will make you gasp and wonder if the nightmare really is over for Nate and Miró.
July 31, 2019
“Sanchez walked down to the greenroom, and greeted Diego. Diego was using his hand lens and some tiny scissors to work on his infant plants. “You’re a real master, son. These exotic plants are the best I’ve seen,” said Sanchez. “They all foxgloves?”
My grandfather always said a man who owned land was way richer than anyone else. Wow – did Quintin Vargas write a twisting story around that concept and included a few murders, a kidnapping, and multi-level intrigue.
Iberian Ties starts off immediately with a dead body and then the dead bodies multiply. The story is woven around a newly engaged couple who are targeted for both being killed and being the killers.
The story is arresting all on its own but one of the personal connections I love is the references to foxglove plants. Foxglove was among the first toxic plants I learned about and its importance to human health, as well as its use as a poison for hundreds of years.
The item I found most disconcerting was the continual references to the US 2016 Presidential Election. I might have missed the connection within the book but the story would be so much more profound without the referrals back the election – unless the author intended to use it as a timeline reference. The author could have easily used just years for a timeline reference point.
Iberian Ties is well-written though it could have used another pass for editing and tightening of the storyline. What was refreshing was the non-cliché writing of bad cops who were actually trying to solve the murders. Major kudos also go to the cover image which is dark, draws your eyes to it and begs to be picked up from a bookshelf. The addition of the map at the very front put the location of the story into a good perspective.
If you love a good thriller mystery then give Quintin Vargas’s debut book a chance.
My grandfather always said a man who owned land was way richer than anyone else. Wow – did Quintin Vargas write a twisting story around that concept and included a few murders, a kidnapping, and multi-level intrigue.
Iberian Ties starts off immediately with a dead body and then the dead bodies multiply. The story is woven around a newly engaged couple who are targeted for both being killed and being the killers.
The story is arresting all on its own but one of the personal connections I love is the references to foxglove plants. Foxglove was among the first toxic plants I learned about and its importance to human health, as well as its use as a poison for hundreds of years.
The item I found most disconcerting was the continual references to the US 2016 Presidential Election. I might have missed the connection within the book but the story would be so much more profound without the referrals back the election – unless the author intended to use it as a timeline reference. The author could have easily used just years for a timeline reference point.
Iberian Ties is well-written though it could have used another pass for editing and tightening of the storyline. What was refreshing was the non-cliché writing of bad cops who were actually trying to solve the murders. Major kudos also go to the cover image which is dark, draws your eyes to it and begs to be picked up from a bookshelf. The addition of the map at the very front put the location of the story into a good perspective.
If you love a good thriller mystery then give Quintin Vargas’s debut book a chance.
May 8, 2021
“Sanchez walked down to the greenroom, and greeted Diego. Diego was using his hand lens and some tiny scissors to work on his infant plants. “You’re a real master, son. These exotic plants are the best I’ve seen,” said Sanchez. “They all foxgloves?”
My grandfather always said a man who owned land was way richer than anyone else. Wow – did Quintin Vargas write a twisting story around that concept and included a few murders, a kidnapping, and multi-level intrigue.
Iberian Ties starts off immediately with a dead body and then the dead bodies multiply. The story is woven around a newly engaged couple who are targeted for both being killed and being the killers.
The story is arresting all on its own but one of the personal connections I love is the references to foxglove plants. Foxglove was among the first toxic plants I learned about and its importance to human health, as well as its use as a poison for hundreds of years.
The item I found most disconcerting was the continual references to the US 2016 Presidential Election. I might have missed the connection within the book but the story would be so much more profound without the referrals back the election – unless the author intended to use it as a timeline reference. The author could have easily used just years for a timeline reference point.
Iberian Ties is well-written though it could have used another pass for editing and tightening of the storyline. What was refreshing was the non-cliché writing of bad cops who were actually trying to solve the murders. Major kudos also go to the cover image which is dark, draws your eyes to it and begs to be picked up from a bookshelf. The addition of the map at the very front put the location of the story into a good perspective.
If you love a good thriller mystery then give Quintin Vargas’s debut book a chance.
My grandfather always said a man who owned land was way richer than anyone else. Wow – did Quintin Vargas write a twisting story around that concept and included a few murders, a kidnapping, and multi-level intrigue.
Iberian Ties starts off immediately with a dead body and then the dead bodies multiply. The story is woven around a newly engaged couple who are targeted for both being killed and being the killers.
The story is arresting all on its own but one of the personal connections I love is the references to foxglove plants. Foxglove was among the first toxic plants I learned about and its importance to human health, as well as its use as a poison for hundreds of years.
The item I found most disconcerting was the continual references to the US 2016 Presidential Election. I might have missed the connection within the book but the story would be so much more profound without the referrals back the election – unless the author intended to use it as a timeline reference. The author could have easily used just years for a timeline reference point.
Iberian Ties is well-written though it could have used another pass for editing and tightening of the storyline. What was refreshing was the non-cliché writing of bad cops who were actually trying to solve the murders. Major kudos also go to the cover image which is dark, draws your eyes to it and begs to be picked up from a bookshelf. The addition of the map at the very front put the location of the story into a good perspective.
If you love a good thriller mystery then give Quintin Vargas’s debut book a chance.
March 31, 2021
This one is not for me , I'm afraid . I gave it up after about 100 pages . Having been to the Canaries many times , I got no feel whatever for the islands and their people - it seemed like the author might have had a short holiday there sometime and thought that adding a few Spanish words to the book would give it some authenticity . I also found the dialogue irritating . I realise that American English is very different from UK English but I find it hard to accept that this is how Americans talk to one another .Still, I may be wrong there. The 2 main characters were equally unlikeable and didn't seem to like one another albeit that marriage seemed to be on the cards . A big disappointment .
September 5, 2021
I did not FINISH this book. I've read 10% and the book is extremely poorly written. The characters are unbelievable, their dialogues are random and so are their thoughts. I don't think I can continue to read this book.
Among the other better books there are to read, I can't bring myself to read a book where the person's thoughts are so messed up within themselves that there is no logic or flow to them. It just didn't seem realistic.
Among the other better books there are to read, I can't bring myself to read a book where the person's thoughts are so messed up within themselves that there is no logic or flow to them. It just didn't seem realistic.
July 1, 2019
Here's a novel where a minimal and strange plot has been supplemented with loads of meaningless dialogue. No suspense, no action, very boring. And the Canary Islands belong to Spain, but they are not in Europe or Iberia.
May 25, 2019
Talented author!
An intriguing book with excellent storytelling, well-developed characters, and so much depth that it held my attention. It took me on an interesting journey. A page-turner until the end! I highly recommend!
An intriguing book with excellent storytelling, well-developed characters, and so much depth that it held my attention. It took me on an interesting journey. A page-turner until the end! I highly recommend!
June 1, 2019
Brilliant thriller!
I totally loved and enjoyed this book!! Interesting twists and turns, well-developed characters and suspense all along the way. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Can't wait for the next book!
I totally loved and enjoyed this book!! Interesting twists and turns, well-developed characters and suspense all along the way. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Can't wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews