A review by andreeavis
Elena Knows by Claudia PiΓ±eiro

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

β€œπ‘Šβ„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 π‘‘π‘œ π‘Ž π‘€π‘œπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘Ž π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘β„Žπ‘–π‘™π‘‘? πΌβ€™π‘š π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘Ž π‘€π‘–π‘‘π‘œπ‘€, πΌβ€™π‘š π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘› π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›, π‘€β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘š 𝐼?”

Elena knows that her daughter did not commit suicide, despite all the evidence (or the lack thereof) suggesting otherwise. She knows her daughter because she was her mother and β€œπ‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿβ„Žπ‘œπ‘œπ‘‘β€¦ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘  π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”π‘ , π‘Ž π‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘˜π‘›π‘œπ‘€π‘  β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘β„Žπ‘–π‘™π‘‘, π‘Ž π‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘˜π‘›π‘œπ‘€π‘ , π‘Ž π‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘ β€. Losing hope in the justice system, with a body and mind slowly deprecating because of Parkinson’s, Elena is set to find the truth about her daughter’s death. 

This is the apparent plot of the most recent novel by the Queen of Crime Fiction. However, the book is more about what Elena ππ¨πžπ¬π§β€™π­ know and will learn in her journey to find out what happened to her daughter. She knows she wouldn't hang herself in the church on that day, because it rained. And Rita, her daughter, wouldn’t get in the church bell tower during a thunderstorm, because she was terrified of thunder. But what Elena knows might not be the truth at all.

While the book seems to be a mother’s journey to find justice for her daughter, it hides a deeper social commentary on women not owning their bodies (through Rita being forced by the doctor and her mother to be tested if she has a womb and can fulfil her duty to society; Elena losing control over her body and mind due to Parkinson; and the woman in whose life Rita interfered twenty years ago, causing consequences that Elena would not have expected). At the same time, it explores the tense relationship between Elena and her daughter. Elena doesn’t know if she was a good mother or if Rita loved her, as their relationship translates into arguments, humiliation, and contradictions. Motherhood and society’s expectations of mothers (how to love, treat their children, behave, or be mothers to begin with) are behind every step Elena takes to find out who killed her daughter.  

The story also showcases how unprepared society is to care for ageing people with an illness, by sharing the devastating consequences Parkinson's has on Elena’s body and mind and Rita’s burdened life in the role of a caregiver. The story is immersive, not necessarily telling you what Parkinson’s feels like, but having you walk in Elena’s shoes, having a limited perspective on the world (she can’t raise her head to look people in the eyes, so she only sees body movements and gestures) and being prohibited in movement and thinking. 

I have no criticism for PiΓ±eiro’s work: the writing is balanced, with the right amount of suspense to keep you engaged, smoothly transitioning from present to past; the atmosphere is perfectly built, becoming more engrossing and dim as we go ahead, synced with Elena’s suffering (from her disease and the grief caused by Rita’s death); the characters have incredible depth, which is unveiled slowly, alongside the plot; the ending is not entirely closed, which might bother some readers, but perfectly fits into the narrative; the social commentary is subtle and is shown, not told. The storytelling, overall, is one of the best in the genre.

There is no wonder this book got a Netflix adaptation, with its deep themes and controversial ending. Elena PiΓ±eiro is an author you must read if you love crime novels, thrillers, mysteries, and a quest for justice, written in a beautiful literary style.