First published 2018
A failed theft at a Colombian museum sets off a chain of obsessions with political assassinations. The narrator becomes drawn into investigating the attempted stealing of a murdered politician's bloodstained clothing. This incident connects him to others who believe they alone understand the truth behind Colombia's most notorious killings. As conspiracy theories multiply and spread, the investigation reveals how historical violence continues to wound the present. The narrator must navigate a world where everyone claims to know secret truths about political murders. Vásquez weaves together personal memory and national trauma, showing how past assassinations create lasting scars on individuals and society. The story moves between the museum incident and deeper explorations of Colombia's violent political history. Characters become consumed by their need to uncover hidden connections between killings. The novel examines how conspiracy thinking shapes both personal relationships and collective memory in a country marked by political violence.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: obsession, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Colombia
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
509 pages · Hardcover · Riverhead Books
Content warnings: violence