Gran Hotel Cantabria By Heinrich von Starhemberg, Translated by Harvey I. Dunkle

"The author's extraordinary life as an Austrian aristocrat exiled in South America and later a long-time resident of Spain exposed him to a broad range of social strata and to the conditions in Spain under the Franco dictatorship and the powerful influence of Opus Dei, a reactionary religious order. His novel reflects all of these experiences as he designs a plot centering on a frustrated young love across a social divide with the inclusion of a number of subplots.
The epistolary form, through which the protagonist tries to explain to a friend why he is awaiting trial in prison, has dramatic effect and maintains the suspense concerning this mystery to the very end."