A challenging but rewarding read.

Thanks for this Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to World Editions, @netgalley, and the author, Ricardo Silva Romero, for an ARC of Rio Muerto, which comes out on 4 February 2025.

The author's note at the beginning had me gripped from the start. It claims to be an accurate account of events as told to the author by a taxi driver. The unnamed driver and the author have voted the opposite way in a referendum on peace with the paramilitary groups in Columbia. The taxi driver explains his reasons for voting against the bill, telling the author the tale of a man, Salomon Palacios, who is gunned down outside his home by paramilitaries for being "a rat" (his only crime is that he was a removals man who helped anyone who wanted help to move, regardless of whether they were aligned with the paramilitaries or not). The novel follows the aftermath of his death, particularly his wife Hipolita's descent into a temporary madness.

When his wife recovers from her catatonic state, she tells her two sons, Maximiliano and Segundo, that they are going to get themselves murdered so that they can return to be with their father. To do this, Hipolita confronts the people involved in the murders from their neighbours, to a corrupt police officer, to the head of the paramilitaries. However, getting someone to kill them is more difficult than Hipolita initially imagines.

Rio Muerto is an intense, compelling read that shines a light on a society where extra-judicial forces hold sway and almost everyone is complicit with them. (The title is the nickname given to the town's river because so many bodies are thrown into it.) The way in which the society depicted in the novel works reminded me a little of what I've read of the paramilitaries controlling various parts of Northern Ireland - although the death count was much more extreme in Colombia.

This book was published in Spanish in 2020 and this review is of the English translation with an expected publication date of February 2025.

Río Muerto is an absolutely beautiful and tragic story about political violence in Colombia told from the perspective of the ghost of a man, Salomón Palacios, who is murdered for helping the wrong people. He observes his wife Hipólita and their sons as she decides that she will die speaking the truth about his brutal murder and holding those accountable, however she decides to live after confronting those responsible. In life Salomón was mute, however his ghost finds ways to subtly communicate with his family and one member of his community who is able to speak with him directly.

The framing of this novel is interesting as while it's told from the perspective of Salomón's ghost, it's that perspective being re-told from a passenger in one of Salomón's son's taxicab about 15 years after the events of the novel and it states that this story was told to him while stuck in one of the worst traffic jams he'd encountered.

The English translation of the novel includes historical context explaining the brutal killings and warfare in Colombia throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. While this story is fiction, it is real in the sense that this was the lived experience of many people in Colombia during this time.

Many thanks to World Editions and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion

This is a harrowing novel about the brutal history of Colombia, and in the Afterword, the author wrote a heartfelt and much-needed context for the story. I enjoyed that very much. The main story, though, not so much.

The problem isn't with the premise (which is heartbreaking), or the writing (which is beautiful). I just find the story structure to be very repetitive: Hipólita, mad with grief and anger, went around town trying to get herself killed. Yeahhhh, her idea of justice or whatever it was she was trying to do, was to turn herself and her children into martyrs. I can see how she got to that point, but the rinse and repeat format wasn't working for me: she picked a fight with someone, hoping they will kill her and her children, they somehow don't, and so she moved on to the next one, and this next person also for one reason or another ended up not shooting her...

It got tiring. I'm sorry; for all the emotions packed into the prose, at one point I just thought, "Can someone just fulfill her wishes, but spare the kids?" because the horrible thing was, Max and Segundo didn't want to die. The boys were scared out of their minds, especially poor Segundo (he'd have a lifetime of therapy ahead of him). Not that Hipólita cared; she was deaf to reason, ignoring her children's protests and pleas. There was even a part where she actually got mad at the boys for not wanting to die, and in a segment where she had to confront this merciless commander, she suddenly realized that these evil men can do worse things to you than simply shooting you. Hmm... if only she'd listen or think for a moment. Now I don't want to be too judgemental, but I also find her actions to be entirely pointless in the context of the novel. We were told that killings and torture happen very often in this town, so what's another death or three? Can martyrdom be achieved if your deaths don't even register?

But that's kind of the point: insanity is immune to logic. As far as an exploration of how a woman can be driven to illogical ends by grief and oppression, this novel achieved that perfectly with Hipólita. I just wished it didn't take that many cycles to get the point across.

By any means, I really like the writing. There were parts where I felt emotional about Salomón's death, particularly with regards to how his children remember him and how his absence was felt. As he was mute, he communicated through writings on pieces of paper, and it was the way Segundo held on to one such piece that gave me all the feels. Incidentally, the way Max and Segundo begged their mother also made me want to slap the living hell out of Hipólita, especially when we've had cycles of her trying to get themselves killed and my patience was running thin. Really, that was my issue with the book: it kept going in maddening circles.

Overall, while this book made me feel really tired and annoyed at parts, I'd still say it's a worthwhile read. It is an crucial examination of the lives of Colombians living in a state of perpetual violence and oppression. Just... store up on some patience while you're at it.

Rio muerto is a haunting and powerful novel that will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate literary fiction that explores the complexities of human resilience, the power of the human spirit, and the struggle for justice in the face of violence and oppression.

As I, who have been swept away by the emotional tides of Jardim de Inverno's family drama and the sweeping romance of O Bangalô, found myrself drawn to the haunting world of Rio muerto, I've discovered a novel that echoes the same themes of family, love, and the unbreakable human spirit that resonated with you in those beloved books. In this poetic and hypnotizing tale, Ricardo Silva Romero masterfully weaves a story of a mother's unyielding determination to protect her children, much like the fierce love of the mother in Jardim de Inverno, as she confronts the brutal forces of paramilitarism in a small Colombian town. As you immerse yourself in the world of Rio muerto, you'll be transported to a place where the boundaries between life and death blur, much like the dreamlike quality of O Bangalô's island paradise.

Thank you NetGalley, World Editions, and Ricardo Silva Romero for giving me access to this ebook!

This novel was an anecdotal and partially mythical take on the very real Colombian violence that still plagues the country to this day. Following the family of Salomon Palacios after he is killed by a corrupt paramilitary group in front of their house, Silva Romero takes you on a fascinating journey that truly only spans a short period of time but was extremely well rounded from beginning to end. The writing is full of evocative imagery and magical realism that made me feel so connected to each member of the Palacios family as they conquered their grief, anger, sadness, and disillusionment. Every character in this novel was fully realized and felt like they could have been standing right next to you for how well they were fleshed out.

The only reason this was not a perfect score for me was that I did at some points get lost in the storyline as the chapters would sometimes signify a time change of mere moments to, at times, a different person’s perspective entirely and I had to reorient myself to figure out where I was in the story.

Overall, I was fascinated by this novel and learning more about Colombia in general. A four star read for me!

Definitely a dive into a culture I’m sadly not overly familiar with - but even given that ignorance on my part the interconnectedness of the characters is very visceral. The human moments shine all the more amid the bleak circumstances and it definitely hits home. The element of reflection and perspective thats able to be told with the premise of the book is creative and you feel like you’re haunting and watching all of it yourself with each turn of the page.

Tragic, beautiful, just full of the most amazing and pretty writing. How he's able to write about the true horrors is beyond me, it's definitely a scary honest read.

I was drawn to this book because I've been learning Spanish and don't know a lot about Spanish speaking countries and the cover looked intriguing. Below are my thoughts.


Ooh I'm shaking at the authors note!!! And the first sentence??? LETS GOOOI

The translation was a little jilted and awkward
Beautiful metaphor

I was initially drawn to this book as a avid reader of mysteries and thrillers and because I know some Spanish I thought this could be a good way to get some practice or historical context

I think that not having much understanding of what the history of that region is was hard for me to empathize with the characters. And I didn't totally buy in to their motivations. It definitely could just be the translation but it did feel a little choppy conceptualist conceptually especially understanding metaphores versus what was actually happening in real time.

One thing I really liked was a demonstration of how it would feel to see what's happening after your own death and what you leave behind. Really cool concept.

Mild but strange

I appreciate the matter of fact tone of the narrator as a ghost but def couldn't relate to some of the emotions without proper context of what it must be like to live in a far out village, ie why they had to bury him in the dead of night. The author also manages for some humor while keeping an ominous and fantastical tone regarding the hold the devil has on this small town

Also were there no chapters?


Um yikes the bar is on the floor, the mute cheated on his wife and she's thanking him for not hitting her

Jeez this book got really dark out of nowhere. Too flippant about hipolitas delusion


5/5 for making me feel something. I think all my reactions were the author's intention

The thing that most struck me about about this is how hipolita handles grief. I found it overwhelming but interesting in her articulation and actions of how she felt. This is not a long novel but packs a punch, throughly well developed.

4 stars for a book of literary/historical fiction about the tragic, ongoing civil war in Colombia. Although a peace agreement was signed in 2016, the war continues, thanks to the drug business.
The author explains that a conversation with a friend led to him writing this book. His friend's name was changed, but much of the book is based on his friend's experiences in 1992, when his father was murdered by right wing para military thugs, for helping someone leave town that they considered a traitor.
I have visited Colombia on a cruise stop. I found the people to be warm and friendly. I like to visit and read about other countries so I can learn about their culture and history.
One quote: "I am telling what I was told to me: that Salomon Palacios was gunned down only a few paces from his home and died and became a nameless thing in the gloom--the closing in--before returning from the dead. That he took an eternity in coming back, for the soul recovers memory in its own time, at its own rhythm, but that he must be out there now, and always will be, because death is the true present and because some murder victims do not depart."
The translation was excellent.
Thank You World Editions for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#RíoMuerto #NetGalley.

Pub Date Feb 04 2025

I sincerely hope this book receives widespread acclaim and recommendations. I’m not familiar with Romero’s work, but I feel this is a sensitive and sympathetic translation and his writing is poetic, haunting and evocative. I’ve visited Colombia and in all my travels, it’s the one place that haunts me. As a tourist, I didn’t experience the issues dealt with in this novel, but I sensed the threat and undercurrent. There were soldiers with sub machine guns escorting us everywhere, poverty beyond imagination alongside signs of extraordinary and obscene wealth. There was a sense of faded colonial elegance with magnificent European style buildings alongside shacks where communities were living in complete squalor. The country is rich in assets but greed, politics and gang sub cultures have corrupted.

Rio Muerto explores numerous issues in both an abstract and direct way. It’s difficult to explain because the narrative device of a ghost works really well. The ghost is ‘there’ and ‘not there’. Experiencing and observing. It’s often an uncomfortable read and so it should be because the violence and injustice is an every day fact of life. We have little idea what it feels like to live in such conditions and Rio Muerto is barely a taster, I found it incredibly moving, mostly because of resilience that shines through. This book is a journey and at some point, I’ll read it again. It’s an amazing story and so well told.

Rating: 4.3 Stars.

Ricardo Silva Romero is one of those Colombian authors that I have been wanting to read for at least two or three years. I had already heard about his works, but I didn't dare to give him a chance. This changed this year for two reasons: 1. My friend Angie told me about “Río Muerto” at Ulibro. And 2: This was one of the books chosen in the entremeses reading club, in which I participate very occasionally.

In other words, in my mind I said: I need an excuse to read this author, and this year two very good excuses appeared, both focused on this book: “Río muerto”.

Although this is a short book, Río Muerto is a novel full of pain, suffering, nostalgia, violence and death. It is a story that, according to the author, is real and is part of Colombia's history, which continues to experience a war that will soon be 60 years old.

Here we will get to know a town called Belén del Chamí, which is located in the depths of Colombia and is completely ignored by the Colombian government, so much so that it does not even appear on the map. Even so, this town has hundreds of inhabitants, among which are civilians, guerrillas and, of course, paramilitaries. In this context, we will witness the murder of the mute Salomón, who with his death begins this painful story.

Salomón leaves behind a wife and two children, whom we will follow from now on, witnessing the grief of departure, but also the challenges of survival in a community where everyone survives as best they can, without help from anyone else.

Without a doubt this has been a hard read, but I have enjoyed it from beginning to end. I think Ricardo Silva Romero clearly represents this town and its inhabitants who are not only victims of violence but also play a role in it. People like the police chief, the pastor, or even the neighbors themselves, all have a side in this conflict and all will play an essential part in the story.

After finishing this book, I was convinced to want to read more works by Ricardo Silva Romero, because I liked his narrative and how the story unfolds with his words. I recommend this novel to those who are looking for stories about the Colombian armed conflict, or even to those who are looking for a short book to devour in a week.

I really enjoyed the poetic writing style throughout the book. This short novel highlights how complex it is to be a human trying to live and survive in an environment of violence and injustice. How tiring or frustrating it can be.
And, sadly how in this process, there are often innocent lives taken, discarded, and forgotten. In this story we get invited to experience the grieving process of Salomon's family.
The dynamics of the town.
And it invites you to think about the thousands of families in real life who have been affected by the injustices of life in Colombia.

Right off the bat, I'm rating Río Muerto by Ricardo Silva Romero as five stars because the author writes about an issue that so many people have no clue about. I'm not going to do a deep dive into politics, the destabilization of Central and South American countries by the U.S., and their ongoing repercussions, but if anyone is interested, really take a critical look at the U.S.'s history in our neighboring countries.

It's hard to think through what to write on this one. All I have running through my mind is the couple I met over ten years ago who told me their story of how they had testified on the floor of Congress regarding atrocities that occurred in Brasil following a dictator coming to power in the 60s. The way she was haunted by what she had seen, even more so because nothing was done after her testimony to help those still experiencing horrors, has sat in my heart since our conversation. There is so much that if people knew about the history of Central and South American countries, they'd maybe have empathy and understanding for why there is still a lack of stability in many countries.

The story is an exploration of navigating grief and surviving impossible conditions. It's haunting, and haunted. After Salomon's death, Hipólita is pretty much completely shut down. As she comes out of her grief (maybe not exactly coming out of her grief, just expressing in a different way), we see her take on the town that turned an eye or abetted the killers when her husband was executed in the street. I feel like I need to re-read, because there was so much to take in. I really hope the book has tremendous success, as I really would love to see more books like this in the public narrative. We can't afford to be insular and ignore the pain of others. I really loved the way this story was told, and highly recommend it. It is dark, it is going to hit hard, but these are the stories that need to be told.

Please be advised that I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Rio Meurto</i> is a fictional poetic presentation of violent conditions in Columbia. The protagonist, Hipoilta Arenas has had enough of the brutal conditions surrounding her village and she is willing to pay he ultimate price. <i>Rio Meurto</i> is written by well-known author and poet Silva Romero.

Belén del Chamí, is a small town that does not appear any map of Colombia. The mute Salomón Palacios is murdered as he arrives home on evening. His widow, Hipólita Arenas, is so distraught that she challenges her husband’s murderers to kill her and her two sons. The two sons are not so certain that they wish to die but their mother insists that they should confront her husband’s murderers so that they all may join him the afterlife. At the last minute, Hipolita finds that she may wish to stay alive. The story is told in a very poetic format by Salomon’s ghost, who remains connected to his family throughout his wife’s period of insanity.

The story is told in such a way that is it difficult to follow. Although it is poetic and fascinating at times, the story as a whole did not hold my interest.

The characters are the strong points in the story. The widow is a strong and passionate character who insists that she and her sons be killed since they cannot live without her husband. She becomes a thorn in the side of her husband’s murderer. Her oldest son is the hardest of the two boys and he often takes his violent tendencies out on his younger brother. The younger of the two lives in fear all of the time and yet he feels he deserves the wrath he receives from his older brother. The overseer is Salomon the ghost who narrates the story for us and adds colour throughout. If not for these characters I would not have been able to finish the story.

This novel suits people who like Spanish stories told in a poetic fashion. I give the book a 3 on 5 since I found it difficult to follow at times.
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Very slow novela, heartbreakingly telling the story of many families in Colombia from a small village and dealing with the military, the police, the guerillas and the paramilitary.

The story drew me in very well, but upon finishing it, I was left very disappointed. We meandered painfully toward a lack of real resolution for any of the characters. Well written and capturing this period beautifully with details, but overall an unrewarding read.

Thanks to NetGalley and World Editions for the US edition ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Rio Muerto. The pace of the story was consistent throughout the whole story. It was definitely a marathon, not a race. There were a couple of parts that I reread for better understanding, but this didn't take away from the quality of the work. The characters were the stars. I especially enjoyed the widow. I think being a Latina helped me understand her POV a little deeper than most. The drama reminds me of my mother - also a widow. I look forward to purchasing a physical copy of this book. I will definitely order the original Spanish version. I believe some of the emotion of this book was lost in translation.

following the family as they deal with the death of a family member who is a traitor to the church.

the author translating the book has embodied catholicism in a accurate way.

the plot showcases familial grief in a wonderful way as well as dealing with the behaviour of corrupt public figures.

overall, this was a really powerful story. the last couple of chapters in particular made me really emotional.

This book had me in tears within the first few pages & I'm not one to cry often for books. This is a story of a strong female lead & 2 sons as told through the eyes of her husband's ghost. We see the journey of a rage-filled woman fueled by grief & loss & the pentup frustration of injustices in her community. We see characters coming into their own, stepping into new roles despite being unsure of how to navigate their new situation. We see the true strength & wisdom of the emotionally "weaker" character shine through. Overall, it is a great fictional story that brings awareness to the ongoing struggles of Colombia through a family dealing with grief as they figure out their next steps.