The Summer of Dead Toys

A Thriller

By: Antonio Hill

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

A riveting crime thriller set in the midst of a sultry Barcelona summer, introducing the first book in the Inspector Salgado series

Argentine native Inspector Héctor Salgado is one of Barcelona's leading criminal detectives. After a stint on probation—he assaulted a suspect from a human-trafficking case—Salgado is back in the office and eager for something major.

To his dismay, he's assigned to a routine accidental death instead: a college student fell from a balcony in one of Barcelona’s ritzier neighborhoods. But as Salgado pieces together details from the victim's life, he realizes that his death was not all that simple: his friends are clearly hiding something and drugs might be involved. Salgado follows a trail that will lead him deep into the underbelly of Barcelona’s high society, where he’ll confront dangerous criminals, long-buried secrets, and, strangely, his own past. But Salgado thrives on pressure, and he lives for this kind of case—dark, violent, and seemingly unsolvable.

Gripping, sophisticated, and wickedly entertaining, The Summer of Dead Toys introduces a charismatic new detective and announces Antonio Hill as a new master of the crime thriller.

Critic reviews

“This dark thriller is an amazing debut—acutely observed and meticulously crafted. Long live Hector Salgado—a thoroughly human detective-protagonist. I look forward to meeting him again.” —John Verdon, bestselling author of Let the Devil Sleep

“Salgado’s rich inner life and Hill’s talents at plotting and prose bode well for a successful series.” —Publishers Weekly

“Penetrating, atmospheric. . . . The plot is first-rate, with plausible twists and revelations [and] the book transcends the mystery genre with its focus on the dark secrets families keep. . . . Thoroughly compelling.” —Kirkus

“Reminiscent of Ian Rankin's John Rebus or Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole, Héctor Salgado is an intriguing new sleuth that crime fiction fans will want to follow as they explore the gritty side of another European city.” —Library Journal


Praise from the UK

“Hugely impressive. . . . Hill’s book seems to have arrived fully-formed with confidence and authority, peeling back the skeins of deceit and betrayal in a most satisfying fashion.” —The Independent

“Entertaining.” —The Times

“A welcome corrective to snow-blindness from too much Nordic noir. . . . Excellent characterization, a sympathetic and engaging protagonist, and plenty of plot twists, with a cliffhanger ending that sets things up nicely for the next in the series.” —The Guardian