Death in Veracruz - Softcover

""Death in Veracruz "is not only an extraordinary thriller and love story, but also a heartbreaking critique of Mexican corruption, as relevant today, alas, as it was when it was first published decades ago to great acclaim. Ariel Dorfman, author, "Death in the Maiden""

"Death in Veracruz" is a marvel, the book provides us with lyric density we only find in genius. I will immediately read everything he has written. Jim Harrison, author, "Legends of the Fall" and "The Big Seven""

""Death in Veracruz "is a Byzantine knot of friendship, betrayal, love, ambition, politics, money, oil and murder . . . recommended for fans of politics, thrillers, history and Mexico." Michelle Newby, "Foreword Reviews""

"This ambitious novel memorably brings together recent history, horrific crimes, and an ever present sense of corruption." "Kirkus Reviews""

"Mexican author Camin makes his English-language debut with this gritty and convincing . . . tale of murder and corruption, first published in 1985. Camin s style recalls Robert Stone . . . he obviously possesses an intimate knowledge of the Mexican sociopolitical landscape." "Publishers Weekly""

'"Death in Veracruz," the first novel by Mexican author Hector Aguilar Camin to be translated into English, [is] . . . at its heart, the noir romance of one man s unquenched passion for an old college friend s wife." Tom Nolan, "Wall Street Journal""

"I wish "Speaking of Mysteries "was posting [an] interview with Hector Aguilar Camin, but I don t speak Spanish. After reading this book, though, I was sorely tempted to learn. I m taking Spanish lessons in anticipation of Aguilar Camin s next book." Nancie Clate, former editor, "LA Times" Magazine; author, "In the Spirit of Beverly Hills""

"Camin s novel speaks to the truth of today. The violent exercise of power, the brutal methods for retaining that power, and the bloody body counts . . . as portrayed in the novel, remain in place in Mexico, changed only by increases in number and frequency." Manuel Ramos, "Los Angeles Review of Books""

"The political scene may have changed . . . but thirty years after its initial appearance in Mexico, Aguilar Camin s first novel shows noir to still be a fruitful mode for exploring an intricate maze of links between crime and power." Charlotte Whittle, readingintranslation.com"

"Among the promising writers making their U.S debuts this year . . . Mexican journalist Hector Aguilar Camin probes the oil cartels takeover of land in southern Mexico through tactics of murder and extortion in his first English-translated noir, "Death in Veracruz." "Library Journal" "Death in Veracruz is a gripping read for those who are interested in Mexican culture and history or who enjoy a well-woven, riveting 'who-done-it' with an unexpected ending." Suzanne Adam, peacecorpsworldwide.org

This novel marks the long-awaited arrival—in English—of a masterful voice in Mexican and noir fiction

Death in Veracruz is a gritty and atmospheric noir centered on the so-called oil wars of the late 1970s, which pitted the extremely powerful and corrupt government-owned oil cartel PEMEX against the agrarian landowners in the coastal regions of Southern Mexico. This novel, translated for the first time in English since its publication 30 years ago, concerns a journalist who investigates the death of a colleague and friend Rojano in a bizarre shooting incident that takes place in a small rural village, and who finds himself up against crooked police and a charismatic and ruthless union boss . But, as he gets deeper into this Mexican Heart of Darkness, he finds Rojano was not all he seemed, and neither was his widow with whom he falls into a doomed affair.