The Eye of the Sea

In the middle of the Atacama Desert there's a small lake that Chileans call The Eye of the Sea. Some say it's is bottomless, and if you submerge the truth there, it will never be known. However, in the fullness of time, and by fate or accident, fragments float up to catch the light.

When a woman dies in her upscale apartment during Chile's 2019 social uprising, the truth is meant to be buried with her. However, a front-line activist stumbles upon her family's scandalous past and briefly considers exposing it. Instead he finds himself confronted by his own long-held beliefs and his role in the family's demise.

Elena could care less about Chile's inequities but Bladimir has ambitious plans to make the world a better place. While Elena is tormented by confused childhood memories, all she needs are the pills she buys on the street and perhaps a fleeting affair with a stranger. Bladimir, on the other hand, is deep into social activism with a boss who has a reputation as a political fixer. After a casual encounter at a park, Elena and Bladimir begin a game of cat and mouse.

When Bladimir suspects that his boss's motives are less for the greater good and more for self-gain, he becomes disillusioned and makes a move that could cost his life. By chance, he takes refuge with a family that is indirectly related to Elena and he uncovers secrets that pivot around her and Vicente, a disturbed old man who is known to them both. As Bladimir puts two and two together, a web of crime and politics that goes back decades comes to light.

Wrapped in the stories of people from contrasting socio-economic backgrounds, The Eye of the Sea points to what may have been the driving force behind Chile's violent uprisings.

The book is for readers who are curious about foreign affairs and diverse cultures and who are intrigued by clandestine networks that influence events.