The Final Problem
Spain

The Final Problem

by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Summary

In June 1960, a violent storm traps nine travelers on the secluded Greek island of Utakos, where they are staying at the island’s only hotel. Their isolation takes a sinister turn when Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead in a beach pavilion. Although her death initially appears to be suicide, the circumstances suggest something far more mysterious. With the island cut off from the outside world, the guests find themselves trapped in a classic locked-room mystery, and everyone becomes a potential suspect.

Their unlikely investigator is Ormond Basil, a once-famous actor whose most celebrated role was Sherlock Holmes. Although Basil has spent his career portraying the legendary detective rather than solving real crimes, his familiarity with Holmes’s methods may be the group’s only hope. When another body is discovered, the mystery deepens into a deadly game involving literary clues, carefully staged murders, and a killer who seems to understand detective fiction as intimately as Basil himself.

A witty homage to the golden age of crime fiction, the novel explores the boundaries between fiction and reality, the nature of storytelling, and the intellectual duel between a detective and a murderer—and between an author and a reader.

Reviews

Login to leave a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first!

You might also like

Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Arturo Pérez-Reverte is a Spanish novelist and former war correspondent, born in Cartagena, Spain, in 1951. He spent 21 years reporting on international conflicts for newspapers and television, covering 18 armed conflicts before turning his attention to literature full-time. His experience as a journalist in dangerous and politically complex environments has influenced his interest in history, power, violence, and human nature. Pérez-Reverte is the internationally bestselling author of numerous novels, including The Club Dumas, The Queen of the South, The Fencing Master, and the historical adventure series featuring Captain Alatriste. His books have been translated into more than 40 languages, and several have been adapted for film and television. Known for combining historical detail, suspense, intellectual puzzles, and morally complex characters, he has become one of Spain’s most widely read contemporary authors. In 2003, Pérez-Reverte became a member of the Royal Spanish Academy, an institution dedicated to preserving and developing the Spanish language. He lives in Spain and continues to write fiction while pursuing his passion for sailing.

View author page
Published
2026
Author
Arturo Pérez-Reverte