Olura

Book excerpt: An English university professor on holiday in Spain is drawn into a web of intrigue and murder surrounding an intoxicating woman of mystery Dr. Philip Ardower is fascinated by the stunning beauty in a red cape he encounters on a beach in Spain outside the Hostal de las Olas. While immediately charmed by the lady’s sophistication and pluck, the British academic knows nothing of the enchanting Olura’s personal history, or the rumors that have accompanied her recent arrival as the companion of an African politician. But when an Italian paparazzo in search of scandal is discovered dead in her hotel room, Olura has no one but Ardower to turn to for help. Suddenly they are on the run together, fleeing the police, the hungry press, and determined assailants who wish them grievous harm, on a furious flight that leads them into the treacherous mines and mountains of Basque Country. In a single day, Andower’s once-quiet life is transformed by passion, terror, and violent death into a desperate fight for survival—and a race against the clock to find answers to the perplexing and dangerous mystery of Olura Manoli. One of the twentieth century’s most prolific and acclaimed purveyors of intrigue and suspense, Geoffrey Household delivers a richly colorful and evocative thriller brimming with action, mystery, and romance. Recalling the very best of cinematic master Alfred Hitchcock, Household’s Olura introduces a heroine readers will not soon forget.