Judge Prieto opens an investigation into how these private papers ended up in military custody.
The story covers the ebullient rise and eventual fall of a confectionery empire, set against the harsh backdrop of the Rif Wars and the "hard descriptions" of the Battle of Annual massacre.
(The Queen of Sugar) by Dolores García Ruiz is a sweeping historical epic that intertwines a mystery in modern-day Melilla with the vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere of the early 20th-century North African enclave. The Core Premise
García Ruiz, a native of Melilla herself, uses the novel as a "sincere homage" to her birthplace. She vividly depicts its modernist architecture —crafted by Catalan architect Enrique Nieto—and its unique blend of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu cultures.
Through Inés's memories, readers are transported from early 20th-century Paris to a bustling, exotic Melilla. Key Themes & Features
The narrative is ignited by the discovery of a hidden accounting book and the memoirs of —famously known as "the queen of sugar"—within a confidential military archive.