Captain Alatriste

The first in a magnificent series of historical novels from the acclaimed, bestselling author ofThe Club Dumas and The Queen of the South The novels of Arturo Pérez-Reverte have captivated readers around the world and earned him a reputation as “the master of the intellectual thriller” (Chicago Tribune). His books have been published in fifty countries. Now, beginning with Captain Alatriste, comes Pérez- Reverte s most stunning creation to date: a riveting series featuring the adventures of an iconic hero. Captain Alatriste is the story of a fictional seventeenth-century Spanish soldier who lives as a swordsman-for-hire in Madrid. Needing gold to pay off his debts, Alatriste and another hired blade are paid to ambush two travelers, stage a robbery, and give the travelers a fright. “No blood,” they are told. Then a mysterious stranger enters to clarify the job: he increases the pay, and tells Alatriste that, instead, he must murder the two travelers. When the attack unfolds, Alatriste realizes that these aren t ordinary travelers, and what happens next is only the first in a riveting series of twists and turns, with implications that will reverberate throughout the courts of Europe. “A twenty-first century literary phenomenon . . . The clash and dash are thrilling; the swordplay is a bonus. A-.” Entertainment Weekly “Written with courtly panache and contagious enthusiasm.” The New York Times Author Biography Internationally acclaimed and bestselling author ARTURO PÉREZ-REVERTE was born in 1951 in Cartagena, Spain, where he currently lives. Originally a war journalist, he now writes fiction full time. His six books, including The Fencing Master and The Club Dumas, have been translated into twenty-eight languages in fifty countries and have sold millions of copies.