A years-old ARC courtesy of NetGalley that I finally got around to reading, this is probably a 3.5 for me. It is, in some ways, a pretty standard detective story (what’s an intrigue without the protagonist falling into bed with a woman half his age?!), but it also weaves in Chilean politics, history and cultural elements in a way that is both intriguing and discouraging. Overall an engaging read. Heredia’s adventures will keep you guessing, and the odes to detective fiction are a nice bonus. Worth checking out.

Chile noir.

I have liked this novel quite better than the previous one in the series, I must confess.

While I do not connect with detective Heredia (too much ladies' man for me and also there is nothing to make him stand out in the literary sea of tough guys with more cultured side in them), I see that his personality can work for the genre of political noir, which this novel is for me. Generally the plot moves fine, the politics-connected mystery is good and the information about Chile is worth learning about.

This was a good read and kept me guessing right up until the end. It began well and made me become invested in the story very early on, something which does not easily happen. I love tales of corruption, fact or fiction and with the level of corruption that is occurring globally today it's difficulty whether novels are based on fact or fiction, but the intertwining of the chemical weaponry story into this investigation contributed well to she story, in much the same way as I enjoyed it woven into I Am Pilgrim when I read it many years ago. I'd give this book four stars and would recommend it to those who enjoy crime, thriller and corruption tales.

This was a well translated and interesting detective-style fiction. I liked how it balanced the drama and the relationships of the characters. The action was interesting and I fully believed what was happening in the story as the world-building was done well. I definitely would pick up more by this author and translator as the overall story was written well and it helped me out of a slight reading slump.