Elena White and Carmen Mola de Alfaguara at the Planeta Prize
The inspector brings forward Elena White alongside Carmen Mola de Alfaguara, presenting the drama before the Planeta award ceremony. The Spanish thriller unveils three men concealing themselves behind the dazzling author, with a prize of one million euros at stake: Antonio Mercero, Agustín Martínez, and Jorge Díaz.
Inside Mom’s, the novel unveiled today at the Valencia Botanical Garden marks the fourth entry in the Gypsy Bride cycle, which includes Purple Net and Girl. The project reconfigures a plot threaded with brutal murders attributed to Carmen Mola, where men are dismembered and a fetus is placed where the intestines would normally lie. The narrative probes violence against women through the lenses of surrogacy and police corruption.
Yet the central theme predates the plot, as explained in a four-way video call with Mercero. Upgrade-EMV. The team found the image of a man’s corpse containing a fetus compelling not for its horror but for the questions it provokes. Why was a fetus placed inside the body? Who is this man? Who is the mother? Who are these people? The questions push the story in multiple directions and eventually lead to discussions about surrogacy farms and the broader topic of surrogacy.
Martínez adds that the intention was to continue exploring this topic and to invite readers to consider moral judgments about such a business and its outcomes. Violence appears as a manifestation of evil, an element present since the earliest Carmen Mola novels. This violence often targets women or children because that is the human reality. Las madres examines how the female body can become a commodity to be bought and sold, akin to prostitution or surrogacy.
In this way, Las madres aligns with the classic purpose of noir fiction: to reveal the corrupt or compromised facets of society. Mercero emphasizes the need to acknowledge the presence of evil, noting that it is not always carried out by obvious psychopaths. The serial crimes in Spain are framed as femicide, committed by a spectrum of offenders, including collaborators who may not fit the conventional profile.
Surrogacy emerges in the story not as glamorous hospital moments but as women’s farms where pregnancies are manufactured under controlled conditions. Martínez notes that while the practice may not reflect a typical Spain reality, it exists in other regions and markets. The authors stress that the aim is not a polemic against surrogacy but a thoughtful examination that leaves room for reader interpretation and debate.
All three writers express tinged opinions, yet Díaz acknowledges that taking a rigid stance on surrogacy is difficult. The principle of commercialization of the female body raises ethical concerns, even as there can be situational acceptability. The writers invite readers to engage in the thinking process and to form their own conclusions.
Mercero, Martínez, and Díaz began composing the fourth installment of the Gypsy Bride saga before uniting the project with Creature and securing the Planeta prize. If not for the turn of events, Las madres would not have reached publication within a year of Carmen Mola’s distinctive emergence in the literary scene.
Mercero reflects on a busy but fruitful year, noting that the Beast’s introduction required effort but ultimately connected the authors with their audience after Carmen Mola retreated behind an established brand. Martínez adds that the group learned a humbling lesson: the collective may be replaceable, yet the Carmen Mola identity endures because of style and notoriety built over time.
“We Understand the Criticism”
The revelation that Carmen Mola is a collaboration of three men provoked widespread discussion on social networks and in the press. Some readers suspected deception and accused the authors of opportunism for using a female name to appeal to a female readership. Díaz condemns the persistent disrespect toward writers who historically had to hide behind male pseudonyms, a practice long embedded in literary culture.
Nevertheless, Díaz notes that while controversy was intense, it gradually faded from collective memory. He recalls meeting thousands of readers across Spain and South America who did not voice harsh judgments about the trio.
Concerning Carmen Mola’s return to Alfaguara after a stint with Planeta, Mercero frames change as an inherent part of the craft. Alfaguara invited the team to write the fourth installment featuring Elena Blanco, and the authors accepted. They describe themselves as professionals who adapt to evolving circumstances. Martínez points out that there were no fixed steps and that publishers recognized two strands for the Carmen Mola brand. Elena Blanco’s origin lies with Alfaguara, which gave the persona an identity, while the Beast continues to unfold at Planeta, inviting ongoing exploration of the historical thriller genre. A sense of joint custody emerges as a metaphor for the publishing relationship.
What seems clear is that the arc may extend beyond Las madres, pointing toward a fifth installment in the saga. The writers express contentment with the series’ momentum and the success of the new A3 Series, centered on Elena Blanco and the Case Study Brigade. Díaz notes that the trajectory has allowed room for changes and personal touches while delivering a product that satisfies the audience. Directors and collaborators have adapted the format, and the overall result remains compelling.