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Inspector Lascano #1
Needle in a Haystack
Superintendent Lascano is a detective working under the shadow of military rule in Buenos Aires in the late 1970s. Sent to investigate a double murder, he arrives at the crime scene to find three bodies. Two are clearly the work of the Junta's death squads, murders he is forced to ignore; the other one seems different.
The trail leads Lascano through a decadent Argentina, a country poisoned to its core by the tyranny of the regime. The third corpse turns out to be that of Biterman, moneylender and Auschwitz survivor. When Lascano digs too deep, he must confront Giribaldi, an army major, quick to help old friends but ruthless in dealing with dissenters such as Eva, the young militant with whom Lascano is falling in love.
Born in 1948, Ernesto Mallo is a published essayist, newspaper columnist, screenwriter, and playwright. He is a former anti-Junta militant who was pursued by the dictatorship. Needle in a Hay Stack is his first novel and the first in a trilogy with superintendent Lascano. The first two are being made into films.
The trail leads Lascano through a decadent Argentina, a country poisoned to its core by the tyranny of the regime. The third corpse turns out to be that of Biterman, moneylender and Auschwitz survivor. When Lascano digs too deep, he must confront Giribaldi, an army major, quick to help old friends but ruthless in dealing with dissenters such as Eva, the young militant with whom Lascano is falling in love.
Born in 1948, Ernesto Mallo is a published essayist, newspaper columnist, screenwriter, and playwright. He is a former anti-Junta militant who was pursued by the dictatorship. Needle in a Hay Stack is his first novel and the first in a trilogy with superintendent Lascano. The first two are being made into films.
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
47 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
About the author
Ernesto Mallo
25books63followersErnesto Mallo en su página oficial de Internet, se define de esta manera: "Nací demasiado joven y sin la debida preparación para enfrentar este mundo. A los seis años tuve que abandonar mi educación para asistir a la escuela. A los veinte pensé que era mi deber cambiar el mundo. Lo cambié, es éste, disculpe."
Director teatral, guionista, dramaturgo, traductor y periodista, comenzó su carrera como novelista con La Aguja en el Pajar (Planeta, 2006), obra que fue primer finalista del Premio Clarín de Novela (2204) y ganadora del premio Memorial Silverio Cañada (2007) que se imparte en la célebre Semana Negra de Gijón, España, y resultó un gran éxito de público y crítica. La continuación, Delincuente Argentino, (Planeta 2007) fue finalista del Premio Dashiell Hammet (2008). Sus novelas se han traducido al inglés, francés y alemán. Las versiones cinematográficas de ambas novelas, con guión del mismo autor, están en vías de realización. Vive y trabaja en Buenos Aires.
Director teatral, guionista, dramaturgo, traductor y periodista, comenzó su carrera como novelista con La Aguja en el Pajar (Planeta, 2006), obra que fue primer finalista del Premio Clarín de Novela (2204) y ganadora del premio Memorial Silverio Cañada (2007) que se imparte en la célebre Semana Negra de Gijón, España, y resultó un gran éxito de público y crítica. La continuación, Delincuente Argentino, (Planeta 2007) fue finalista del Premio Dashiell Hammet (2008). Sus novelas se han traducido al inglés, francés y alemán. Las versiones cinematográficas de ambas novelas, con guión del mismo autor, están en vías de realización. Vive y trabaja en Buenos Aires.
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October 14, 2024
Ernesto Mallo, born 1948
A military dictatorship ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983, marked by ruthless human rights violations, including abducting people from their homes or workplaces and taking them to secret camps where they were tortured and murdered without the benefit of a trial. Additionally, the military controlled all media and news outlets.
Needle in a Haystack is a scathing indictment of Argentina under the military dictatorship, where, as noted on the novel's cover published by Bitter Lemon Press, absolutely no one is innocent. Author Ernesto Mallo writes from first-hand experience, as he was a former member of the anti-Junta guerrilla movement.
In the opening pages, Superintendent Lascano, a detective working under the current military regime, is sent to investigate the murder of two individuals. However, upon arriving at the scene, Lascano discovers three bodies - two brutalized victims of the Junta and a third, unrelated murder victim, which draws his attention for further investigation.
Needle in a Haystack possesses a propulsive energy from the first page to the last, with an unrelenting narrative drive fueled in two distinct ways. First, the entire novel is written in the present tense, giving readers the feel that we're right there, witnessing the events as they unfold. “Lascano wakes up feeling like this today, as he has every day since his wife’s death.� Secondly, Ernesto Mallo employs a compressed style of dialogue - each exchange is written in paragraph form and italicized. Is it loaded? It should be. The two kids were executed, but this one’s different. I thought so too. Hello big guy. Are you going to tell me your secrets?
The novel is under 200 pages and can be read in two or three sittings. However - and this is a key point - each character is so fully drawn, and the connections between these men and women are developed with such sharpness and precision, it feels as though we’re reading a much lengthier saga.
The unfolding plot is best left to each reader, so I’ll segue into what could serve as a trailer for the novel - perhaps fitting, since Ernesto Mallo's book, first published in 2006, is currently being adapted into a film in Argentina.
Lascano, One � The detective dearly loved Marisa, his wife of eight years, but, alas, a traffic accident some months ago ended darling Marisa's life. “At first the shock had stunned him, left him disorientated, detached from reality. Then a blind fury awoke in him, directed at everyone and no one, but mainly against himself. Then her absence became a knife to the chest, twisting deeper by the day.� Lascano continues to sense Marisa's ghost in his apartment, most especially at night when he attempts to sleep.
Lascano, Two - Fortunately, Lascano had a friend to help him through his darkest period - Fuseli, a forensic doctor. Fuseli knew Lascano was on the verge of suicide and asked if he could stay in the detective's apartment for a while. "With perfect patience, Fuseli brought him from the depths of despair back to the surface where life, absurdly, continued." Oh yes, Fuseli gave Lascano something to live for: making the world a fairer place, even if only a little fairer.
Lascano, Three - As part of his investigation, Lascano encounters Eva, a militant on the run from the dictator's death squads. Events transpire that lead Lascano to bring Eva back to his apartment, creating one of the most appealing, charming, and provocative parts of the story. Given Eva’s age, appearance, and movements, she is, without question, a second Marisa. The resemblance is so striking that Lascano is driven into a madness we can only call love.
Elías - There’s a substantial backstory for moneylender Elías Biterman. As a young boy, he was crammed into a train with hundreds of fellow Jews, watched over by SS soldiers with machine guns, en route to Auschwitz. Eventually, Elías escaped, joined a group of bandits, and headed south, pushing a wheelbarrow (a perfect prop for safe passage) as he crossed through Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Austria. He then became a stowaway on a ship and, five years later, reached Buenos Aires in search of his mother. With Elías Biterman, we see an example of the many tough, battle-scarred men and women residing in the Argentine city.
Maisabé - The wife of Major Giribaldi, a task force commander and key player in the unfolding drama, desperately longs for a child of her own. Sadly, despite her and Giribaldi's efforts, they are unable to conceive. Giribaldi arranges to adopt a baby boy, and once he brings the child home, what transpires with Maisabé - especially after her visit with a particular priest - highlights the crucial role the Catholic Church played in the lives of thousands of individuals of strong faith enduring the horrors of el Proceso from 1976 to 1983.
Needle in a Haystack is both a crime fiction novel and a compelling historical documentation of the Argentine dictatorship, during which any citizen, as noted above, could be rounded up and taken to one of the many military prisons scattered throughout Buenos Aires to be tortured. Ernesto Mallo is a first-rate storyteller, and I look forward to reading the second novel in the Lascano series, Sweet Money.
February 17, 2015
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2012
It must be hard to live in a world where every woman is either a whore or a manipulator,or a frigid religious fanatic. And every man is handsome, tough, walks with his genitals thrust forward (or in his hand) , and is a sexual target for every female he comes across. Enough with the machismo already! This is a great book for a guy who hates women. However, if you are looking for a good mystery, I recommend Connolly or Sanford. This story is very disjointed with no apparent connection. It bounces around from character to character. I'm sure he ties it all together somehow, but I got so tired of reading the word whore (the main character describing his wife) that I finally quit reading. Not sure where this author is coming from. This is another one that I'm glad I didn't spend money on. Sorry,but I found it very offensive and I usually have a pretty thick skin. This crossed the line for me. I hope he finds a nice girl someday.
September 25, 2011
I read a review that said that "the reader will find (the book) suffocating and yet impossible to put down" and I couldn't agree more. The unusual writing style, once I got used to it, only helped in the forward momentum of this horrifying, yet eminently believable, story.
I know little of Argentine history except for the internal conflict some 30 years ago known as the "Dirty War". It was astonishing how while the military junta waged a bloody campaign of repression daily life went on more or less as normal. The book has captured this reality astonishingly well.
It is not an easy book, but definitely worth persevering with.
This is the first in a trilogy, and I can't wait to read the rest.
I know little of Argentine history except for the internal conflict some 30 years ago known as the "Dirty War". It was astonishing how while the military junta waged a bloody campaign of repression daily life went on more or less as normal. The book has captured this reality astonishingly well.
It is not an easy book, but definitely worth persevering with.
This is the first in a trilogy, and I can't wait to read the rest.
November 11, 2010
If you are at all interested in the time period of Argentina's "dirty war," you will definitely not want to miss this novel. It is very well crafted and the writing is most excellent.
I wrote my thoughts about this book on my reading journal -- feel free to go on over and take a look.
I wrote my thoughts about this book on my reading journal -- feel free to go on over and take a look.
December 28, 2016
3+
Malo neobičan krimić .Zaokupit će vam misli na jedan dan...
Malo neobičan krimić .Zaokupit će vam misli na jedan dan...
March 29, 2024
Corto e intenso.
April 25, 2024
Probably 4.5/5.
A gritty literary crime novel set in Argentina during the Dirty Wars� a bit slow, but effective, the first of a series of just two books (in English). Moody, but not with the feel of US noir; intelligent. Tightly written
A gritty literary crime novel set in Argentina during the Dirty Wars� a bit slow, but effective, the first of a series of just two books (in English). Moody, but not with the feel of US noir; intelligent. Tightly written
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February 24, 2010I'm the author
June 3, 2010
Like most Americans, I know almost nothing of Argentine history -- however, unlike most, I do at least know that there was a very nasty internal conflict known as the "Dirty War" some thirty or so years ago (like everything relating to the Dirty War, different people have different ideas on the start and end dates). I knew, in broad terms, that a military junta seized power and waged a brutal campaign of repression against various left-wing elements in society, ranging from armed guerrilla groups to leftist intelligentsia. I know that people were snatched from their homes, the streets, wherever, never to be seen again ("disappeared" in the infamous phraseology), while daily life went on more or less as normal.
What I didn't know is what that era felt like. This first in a trilogy featuring Buenos Aries police Superintendent "Perro" Lascano, takes place in the midst of the Dirty War, and brings it to life. As the book opens, he is called out to look into a report of two bodies lying at the end of a dirt road. However, when he gets there, he finds three bodies -- two executed leftists, and a third man completely unlike the others. What follows is a pretty straightforward procedural, as Lascano methodically assembles clues, interviews people, and figures out who the mystery man is and why he was killed. Of course, his investigation takes him into the murky waters of the junta and its friends, and he has to tread carefully to avoid being disappeared himself.
He's a classic Chandleresque detective, a loner, haunted by the memory of his dead wife, world-weary, etc., but along the way he acquires a love interest who rekindles his spark. The investigation isn't particularly clever, as the Lascano is easy able to trace them, literally picking up clues along the way. But the lurking danger of military involvement hangs over everything and gives the story a deep sense of menace. The book's one big flaw is in how it renders dialogue: speech is set in italics in long unbroken blocks of alternating sentences, so that you have to keep careful track of whose "turn" it is to speak. It's a really strange decision, and makes dialogue a total pain for the reader. For those with an interest in modern Argentine history, or the international crime fiction, it's worth making the effort.
What I didn't know is what that era felt like. This first in a trilogy featuring Buenos Aries police Superintendent "Perro" Lascano, takes place in the midst of the Dirty War, and brings it to life. As the book opens, he is called out to look into a report of two bodies lying at the end of a dirt road. However, when he gets there, he finds three bodies -- two executed leftists, and a third man completely unlike the others. What follows is a pretty straightforward procedural, as Lascano methodically assembles clues, interviews people, and figures out who the mystery man is and why he was killed. Of course, his investigation takes him into the murky waters of the junta and its friends, and he has to tread carefully to avoid being disappeared himself.
He's a classic Chandleresque detective, a loner, haunted by the memory of his dead wife, world-weary, etc., but along the way he acquires a love interest who rekindles his spark. The investigation isn't particularly clever, as the Lascano is easy able to trace them, literally picking up clues along the way. But the lurking danger of military involvement hangs over everything and gives the story a deep sense of menace. The book's one big flaw is in how it renders dialogue: speech is set in italics in long unbroken blocks of alternating sentences, so that you have to keep careful track of whose "turn" it is to speak. It's a really strange decision, and makes dialogue a total pain for the reader. For those with an interest in modern Argentine history, or the international crime fiction, it's worth making the effort.
May 26, 2013
from
Ernesto Mallo's Needle in a Haystack is a wonderful, terrible, tragic book. It is a police procedural--not to be confused with a mystery--and so we know who committed the crime and why, but not how the investigation will go.
The setting for the novel is Dirty War Argentina. Lascano is a police superintendent who becomes involved in a case where a body is dumped along with two others. The two were "subversives" killed by the army, but the third was planted there to make it seem like all three were together. Lascano quickly realizes they weren't, and investigates. This eventually gets him noticed by the army (particularly one Major Giribaldi, who has just adopted a stolen baby). Meanwhile, he is getting involved with a woman who is wanted by the government for her supposedly subversive activities.
It is a depiction of the corruption and impunity of the era. Ford Falcons are everywhere, with authorities doing absolutely anything they want to anyone they want. Lascano wants to follow clues and find out who killed whom--he is almost rigidly apolitical--but the politics of the situation make it very difficult.
Next time I teach Latin American Politics, I am going to give a lot of thought to using it. In a very engaging way, it lays out the fear and loathing of Latin American dictatorships during the Cold War. Right now I use Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden to evoke that period and its aftermath.
Ernesto Mallo's Needle in a Haystack is a wonderful, terrible, tragic book. It is a police procedural--not to be confused with a mystery--and so we know who committed the crime and why, but not how the investigation will go.
The setting for the novel is Dirty War Argentina. Lascano is a police superintendent who becomes involved in a case where a body is dumped along with two others. The two were "subversives" killed by the army, but the third was planted there to make it seem like all three were together. Lascano quickly realizes they weren't, and investigates. This eventually gets him noticed by the army (particularly one Major Giribaldi, who has just adopted a stolen baby). Meanwhile, he is getting involved with a woman who is wanted by the government for her supposedly subversive activities.
It is a depiction of the corruption and impunity of the era. Ford Falcons are everywhere, with authorities doing absolutely anything they want to anyone they want. Lascano wants to follow clues and find out who killed whom--he is almost rigidly apolitical--but the politics of the situation make it very difficult.
Next time I teach Latin American Politics, I am going to give a lot of thought to using it. In a very engaging way, it lays out the fear and loathing of Latin American dictatorships during the Cold War. Right now I use Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden to evoke that period and its aftermath.
February 13, 2017
Not an easy story to read, contents not withstanding. The killing and the corruption would be enough, but the kidnapping and disappearing are so blatant and hard to take. A few good men cannot make a difference under the conditions in Argentina during this time in history. There is no chance for them to succeed. They die or have to try to get away.
I enjoyed the writing, but struggled with the dialogue. Without parentheses and breaks between lines, it is hard to pick out at first. It adds an ethereal quality to the storytelling, making it not quite real. It was a struggle in the beginning, to understand what was going on because there were so many characters and even some ghosts thrown down in the first several chapters.
Once I finally got to know the characters and appreciate a few of them, the story was over.
This is the last line in the book: "For the moment, she'd rather not know that the future is a place that only exists in the imagination."
Maybe it was a dream...
I enjoyed the writing, but struggled with the dialogue. Without parentheses and breaks between lines, it is hard to pick out at first. It adds an ethereal quality to the storytelling, making it not quite real. It was a struggle in the beginning, to understand what was going on because there were so many characters and even some ghosts thrown down in the first several chapters.
Once I finally got to know the characters and appreciate a few of them, the story was over.
This is the last line in the book: "For the moment, she'd rather not know that the future is a place that only exists in the imagination."
Maybe it was a dream...
March 4, 2023
katastrofa. ovu abominaciju nisam mogla završiti do kraja, došla sam do pola (jedva) i ne mogu dalje. užas! mislila sam da će ovo biti neki kolko-tolko ok krimić, kad ono softcore pornografija (i to još nezanimljiva i odvratna). svaki ženski lik koji se pojavljuje se objektificira (čak i adolescentska djevojčica koja prvi put dobiva menstruaciju). stvarno ne razumijem kako ova knjiga ima toliko visok rating, ali ako je čitate, više ćete čuti o tome koliko određeni likovi masturbiraju i pričaju o ženama kao objektima nego o radnjama koje se odvijaju na argentinskim ulicama. marketing ove knjige me totalno prevario. do not recommend!
September 20, 2010
Like the idea of setting a crime thriller in Buenos Aires at this time -
Lots of violence - but clever in its plot - and very much enjoyed. Characters great - a scary time to be in Argentina
Lots of violence - but clever in its plot - and very much enjoyed. Characters great - a scary time to be in Argentina
August 7, 2021
Ova je knjiga bila jedna od četiri ponuđene u anketi u kojoj ste glasali za moje čitalačko štivo mjeseca kolovoza. Moram priznati da sam se nemalo iznenadila kad sam vidjela da je ovo djelo pobijedilo. Ipak se radi o starijem djelu, a i starijem izdanju.
„Zločinu židovskoj četvrti� dio je trilogije o inspektoru Lascanu prema kojem je snimljen i film naziva „La aguja en el pajar� (Igla u plastu sijena). Znanje je izdalo 2014. godine nastavak serijala pod nazivom „Argentinac�, a treći dio nije preveden na engleski, pa tako ni na hrvatski. Možete ga naći pod nazivom „Los hombres te han hecho mal�, u mom slobodnom prijevodu „Ljudi koji su ti učinili zlo�. Šteta jer me priča zaintrigirala.
�...𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘩 𝘫𝘦 𝘬𝘳𝘶𝘩 𝘷𝘰𝘫𝘯𝘪𝘬𝘢.�
𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒋𝒔𝒌𝒊 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐, 𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒕𝒋𝒆š𝒂𝒏 𝒊 𝒊𝒛𝒈𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒋𝒆𝒏, 𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒎𝒓𝒕𝒊 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒋𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒆, 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒋𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒍𝒖. 𝑻𝒐 𝒋𝒆 𝒋𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒊 𝒏𝒂č𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆ž𝒊𝒗𝒊 𝒖 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒖 𝒊 𝒛𝒆𝒎𝒍𝒋𝒊 𝒖 𝒌𝒐𝒋𝒐𝒋 𝒗𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒋𝒖 𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒋𝒆 𝒊 𝒌𝒂𝒐𝒔.
𝑹𝒊𝒋𝒆č 𝒋𝒆 𝒐 𝑩𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒔 𝑨𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖 1979., 𝒗𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒖 𝒌𝒂𝒅𝒂 𝒗𝒐𝒋𝒏𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂 𝒖𝒌𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒋𝒂 𝒔𝒗𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒈𝒂 𝒌𝒐𝒈𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒎. 𝑵𝒐ć𝒏𝒊 𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒊, 𝒌𝒐𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒄𝒊𝒋𝒂 𝒖 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒋𝒊 𝒊 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒎 𝒅𝒊𝒐 𝒔𝒖 𝒔𝒗𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒏𝒐𝒈 ž𝒊𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒂 𝒌𝒂𝒅 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒐č𝒊𝒏𝒋𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒖 𝒐 𝒏𝒂𝒐𝒌𝒐 𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒌𝒐𝒎 𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒗𝒖. 𝑰𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒃𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒓𝒆ć𝒆 𝒎𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒖 𝑬𝒗𝒖 č𝒊𝒋𝒂 𝒋𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒊č𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒔 𝒏𝒋𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒐𝒌𝒐𝒋𝒏𝒐𝒎 ž𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 𝒛𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒋𝒖ć𝒂...
Meni je ovo solidan kriminalistički roman, zanimljivih likova i radnje. Prikaz društvenog života je brutalan, realan i pomalo zastrašujuć. Vrlo dobro je opisana transformacija bogatih buržuja u sirotinju, kao i novopečenih bogataša, nastalih preko noći krađama i nasiljem. Često se osoba koja nije od „suradnje� na svoju štetu (dakle da se mirnim putem odrekne velikog dijela imovine), proglašavala političkim neprijateljem, odnosno u ovoj knjizi guerrillcem i bila smaknuta.
„𝘒𝘢� 𝘴𝘦 č𝘰𝘷𝘫𝘦𝘬 𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘢š, 𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢š𝘵𝘷𝘰 𝘥𝘰ž𝘪𝘷𝘭𝘫𝘢𝘷𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘥𝘶. 𝘚𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘬𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢 š𝘵𝘰 𝘻𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘶ž𝘶𝘫𝘦. 𝘈 𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘫𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘫𝘦 𝘥𝘢 𝘻𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘶ž𝘶𝘫𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘫𝘪 ž𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘵, 𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘫.�
Naime, guerrille su bile male skupine ljudi, najčešće pučana, obničnih građana, koje su se borile za promjenu vlasti. Financirale su se napadima na vladajuće, a cilj im je bio postići jednakost i boljitak uvođenjem drugačijeg ustroja države, poput demokracije. Najčešće su funkcionirale iz divljine, planina, prašume, poput nekadašnjih partizana. Obično se pojam veže uz civilne ratove po Španjolskoj i drugim latinskim zemljama južne Amerike.
„𝘓𝘫𝘶𝘥� 𝘵𝘦ž𝘦 𝘻𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘰 ž𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘥𝘢 𝘫𝘦𝘥𝘶 𝘴𝘷𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘥𝘢 𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘶𝘫𝘶 𝘴𝘷𝘰𝘫𝘶 𝘥𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘶 𝘪 𝘱𝘰𝘷𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘥𝘶 𝘯𝘢 𝘰𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘳.�
Lascano je policijski inspektor, nadimak mu je Pseto, a racijom javne kuće nailazi na mladu Evu, pripadnicu guerilla, koja se tamo uspješno skrivala od policije. Njena pojava podsjeća ga na mrtvu suprugu i on joj odluči pomoći. Ta se tematika veže kroz cijelo djelo, a krasi ju još neobjašnjiva trupla mladih guerillaca među kojima se nalazi i jednu „nepripadajuće� � truplo starijeg židova lihvara, čovjeka više klase, gospodina Bitermana. Čitatelj upoznaje još par likova i njihove životne priče, ali brzo se može povezati tko tu kolo vodi.
Fuseli je forenzičar, Amancio je propali bogataš, Horacio i Biterman su braća toliko različitog karaktera i osobina, a Giribaldi je visokopozicionirano vojno lice. Svatko od njih preživljava na svoj način, sve dok ih sudbina ne spoji Bitermanovim truplom.
„𝘏�, 𝘰𝘷𝘥𝘫𝘦 𝘫𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘰𝘷𝘶𝘥𝘢 𝘵𝘪 𝘫𝘦 𝘶š𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘳𝘵, 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘰 ž𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘵...�
Stil pisanja je izuzetno čitljiv, jednostavan i smatram da je u potpunosti prilagođen čitatelju. Podsjeća me na malo na Edgara Wallacea. Jedino što bih navela kao zamjerku jest tekst pisan kurzivom, a odnosi se na razgovor između likova. Niti u jednom pročitanom djelu dosad nisam vidjela da se dijalog između likova odvija u odlomcima, bez razmaknice ili navoda. Tako da mi je ta mana što se tiče stila pisanja, a što se tiče radnje, kraj je toliko nedorečen, naravno da ima nastavak, ali nekako mi knjiga naglo staje. Kao da se autor odjednom smislio, tu ćemo sve prerezat i gotovo. Konec. Fin. Kraj.
Možda je to napravljeno namjerno, ako jest svaka čast, ali ja nisam htjela završiti na način da ne znam gdje je Pseto. (Joooj, najrađe bih vam sve otkrila, a ne smijem.)
Preporuka ljubiteljima krimića. Mene je kupila, a ako netko ima Argentinca viška, čujemo se u inbox. ;)
„𝘚𝘷� ć𝘦𝘮𝘰 𝘶𝘮𝘳𝘪𝘫𝘦𝘵𝘪 𝘫𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘢. 𝘕𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘫𝘦𝘵𝘪 𝘪𝘻 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢 𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘯𝘫𝘦 𝘫𝘦 𝘬𝘢𝘰 𝘯𝘦 ž𝘪𝘷𝘫𝘦𝘵𝘪 𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘫𝘦𝘮.�
„Zločinu židovskoj četvrti� dio je trilogije o inspektoru Lascanu prema kojem je snimljen i film naziva „La aguja en el pajar� (Igla u plastu sijena). Znanje je izdalo 2014. godine nastavak serijala pod nazivom „Argentinac�, a treći dio nije preveden na engleski, pa tako ni na hrvatski. Možete ga naći pod nazivom „Los hombres te han hecho mal�, u mom slobodnom prijevodu „Ljudi koji su ti učinili zlo�. Šteta jer me priča zaintrigirala.
�...𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘩 𝘫𝘦 𝘬𝘳𝘶𝘩 𝘷𝘰𝘫𝘯𝘪𝘬𝘢.�
𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒋𝒔𝒌𝒊 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐, 𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒕𝒋𝒆š𝒂𝒏 𝒊 𝒊𝒛𝒈𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒋𝒆𝒏, 𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒎𝒓𝒕𝒊 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒋𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒆, 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒋𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒍𝒖. 𝑻𝒐 𝒋𝒆 𝒋𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒊 𝒏𝒂č𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆ž𝒊𝒗𝒊 𝒖 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒖 𝒊 𝒛𝒆𝒎𝒍𝒋𝒊 𝒖 𝒌𝒐𝒋𝒐𝒋 𝒗𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒋𝒖 𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒋𝒆 𝒊 𝒌𝒂𝒐𝒔.
𝑹𝒊𝒋𝒆č 𝒋𝒆 𝒐 𝑩𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒔 𝑨𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖 1979., 𝒗𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒖 𝒌𝒂𝒅𝒂 𝒗𝒐𝒋𝒏𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂 𝒖𝒌𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒋𝒂 𝒔𝒗𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒈𝒂 𝒌𝒐𝒈𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒎. 𝑵𝒐ć𝒏𝒊 𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒊, 𝒌𝒐𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒄𝒊𝒋𝒂 𝒖 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒋𝒊 𝒊 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒎 𝒅𝒊𝒐 𝒔𝒖 𝒔𝒗𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒏𝒐𝒈 ž𝒊𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒂 𝒌𝒂𝒅 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒐č𝒊𝒏𝒋𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒖 𝒐 𝒏𝒂𝒐𝒌𝒐 𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒌𝒐𝒎 𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒗𝒖. 𝑰𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒃𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒓𝒆ć𝒆 𝒎𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒖 𝑬𝒗𝒖 č𝒊𝒋𝒂 𝒋𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒊č𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒔 𝒏𝒋𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒐𝒌𝒐𝒋𝒏𝒐𝒎 ž𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 𝒛𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒋𝒖ć𝒂...
Meni je ovo solidan kriminalistički roman, zanimljivih likova i radnje. Prikaz društvenog života je brutalan, realan i pomalo zastrašujuć. Vrlo dobro je opisana transformacija bogatih buržuja u sirotinju, kao i novopečenih bogataša, nastalih preko noći krađama i nasiljem. Često se osoba koja nije od „suradnje� na svoju štetu (dakle da se mirnim putem odrekne velikog dijela imovine), proglašavala političkim neprijateljem, odnosno u ovoj knjizi guerrillcem i bila smaknuta.
„𝘒𝘢� 𝘴𝘦 č𝘰𝘷𝘫𝘦𝘬 𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘢š, 𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢š𝘵𝘷𝘰 𝘥𝘰ž𝘪𝘷𝘭𝘫𝘢𝘷𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘥𝘶. 𝘚𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘬𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢 š𝘵𝘰 𝘻𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘶ž𝘶𝘫𝘦. 𝘈 𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘫𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘫𝘦 𝘥𝘢 𝘻𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘶ž𝘶𝘫𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘫𝘪 ž𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘵, 𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘫.�
Naime, guerrille su bile male skupine ljudi, najčešće pučana, obničnih građana, koje su se borile za promjenu vlasti. Financirale su se napadima na vladajuće, a cilj im je bio postići jednakost i boljitak uvođenjem drugačijeg ustroja države, poput demokracije. Najčešće su funkcionirale iz divljine, planina, prašume, poput nekadašnjih partizana. Obično se pojam veže uz civilne ratove po Španjolskoj i drugim latinskim zemljama južne Amerike.
„𝘓𝘫𝘶𝘥� 𝘵𝘦ž𝘦 𝘻𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘰 ž𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘥𝘢 𝘫𝘦𝘥𝘶 𝘴𝘷𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘥𝘢 𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘶𝘫𝘶 𝘴𝘷𝘰𝘫𝘶 𝘥𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘶 𝘪 𝘱𝘰𝘷𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘥𝘶 𝘯𝘢 𝘰𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘳.�
Lascano je policijski inspektor, nadimak mu je Pseto, a racijom javne kuće nailazi na mladu Evu, pripadnicu guerilla, koja se tamo uspješno skrivala od policije. Njena pojava podsjeća ga na mrtvu suprugu i on joj odluči pomoći. Ta se tematika veže kroz cijelo djelo, a krasi ju još neobjašnjiva trupla mladih guerillaca među kojima se nalazi i jednu „nepripadajuće� � truplo starijeg židova lihvara, čovjeka više klase, gospodina Bitermana. Čitatelj upoznaje još par likova i njihove životne priče, ali brzo se može povezati tko tu kolo vodi.
Fuseli je forenzičar, Amancio je propali bogataš, Horacio i Biterman su braća toliko različitog karaktera i osobina, a Giribaldi je visokopozicionirano vojno lice. Svatko od njih preživljava na svoj način, sve dok ih sudbina ne spoji Bitermanovim truplom.
„𝘏�, 𝘰𝘷𝘥𝘫𝘦 𝘫𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘰𝘷𝘶𝘥𝘢 𝘵𝘪 𝘫𝘦 𝘶š𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘳𝘵, 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘰 ž𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘵...�
Stil pisanja je izuzetno čitljiv, jednostavan i smatram da je u potpunosti prilagođen čitatelju. Podsjeća me na malo na Edgara Wallacea. Jedino što bih navela kao zamjerku jest tekst pisan kurzivom, a odnosi se na razgovor između likova. Niti u jednom pročitanom djelu dosad nisam vidjela da se dijalog između likova odvija u odlomcima, bez razmaknice ili navoda. Tako da mi je ta mana što se tiče stila pisanja, a što se tiče radnje, kraj je toliko nedorečen, naravno da ima nastavak, ali nekako mi knjiga naglo staje. Kao da se autor odjednom smislio, tu ćemo sve prerezat i gotovo. Konec. Fin. Kraj.
Možda je to napravljeno namjerno, ako jest svaka čast, ali ja nisam htjela završiti na način da ne znam gdje je Pseto. (Joooj, najrađe bih vam sve otkrila, a ne smijem.)
Preporuka ljubiteljima krimića. Mene je kupila, a ako netko ima Argentinca viška, čujemo se u inbox. ;)
„𝘚𝘷� ć𝘦𝘮𝘰 𝘶𝘮𝘳𝘪𝘫𝘦𝘵𝘪 𝘫𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘢. 𝘕𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘫𝘦𝘵𝘪 𝘪𝘻 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢 𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘯𝘫𝘦 𝘫𝘦 𝘬𝘢𝘰 𝘯𝘦 ž𝘪𝘷𝘫𝘦𝘵𝘪 𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘫𝘦𝘮.�
July 29, 2021
El dicho de "lo bueno si breve..." define perfectamente la primera novela del comisario Lascano.
Es difícil dibujar con precisión tantas cosas en tan pocas páginas. Una ciudad, un país y una sociedad en descomposición. Personajes sólidos. La corrupción que todo lo mancha.
Y me encanta cómo el autor construye los diálogos. Todo un descubrimiento del que espero seguir conociendo cosas buenas en sus siguientes obras.
Es difícil dibujar con precisión tantas cosas en tan pocas páginas. Una ciudad, un país y una sociedad en descomposición. Personajes sólidos. La corrupción que todo lo mancha.
Y me encanta cómo el autor construye los diálogos. Todo un descubrimiento del que espero seguir conociendo cosas buenas en sus siguientes obras.
January 12, 2020
Novela negra de la buena ambientada en una época oscura de Argentina. Otro autor para seguir.
May 14, 2012
Needle in a Haystack is a noir crime novel blended with social/political observation. The story is not driven by a ‘whodunnit� or ‘howdunnit� narrative, as it is fairly clear from the start who killed the third body and why. Rather the hook is who will win out between Lascano and Giribaldi; whether justice will prevail. I’ll avoid a spoiler, but needless to say the book has one of the best endings to a novel I’ve read so far this year. Throughout the characterisation and social relations are keenly portrayed and the prose is well crafted. The plot is relatively straightforward, but that doesn’t detract from the reading experience. There were one or two things that didn’t quite ring right, such as Biterman’s backstory, but otherwise one felt immersed in the claustrophobic life of Buenos Aires in the late 1970s. Overall, an informative and entertaining slice of noir, lifted by a great ending.
March 28, 2011
pretty kickass Argentinian noir set in 1979, with ghosts. kind of a very funny way of doing dialog, all set together in all italics at the end of chapters usually, with the majority of chapters being in the head of the police superintendent or omniscient voice. this is book one of a proposed three, and they are making a movie of books.
reminds me of Robert wilson's Sevilla police detective chasing terrorists (and ghosts) in his series
also reminds me of an amalgamation of james cain, chandler, jim thompson, ken bruen, and solares or izzo. pretty good job now that i've thought about it for a few day. 4 stars.
reminds me of Robert wilson's Sevilla police detective chasing terrorists (and ghosts) in his series
also reminds me of an amalgamation of james cain, chandler, jim thompson, ken bruen, and solares or izzo. pretty good job now that i've thought about it for a few day. 4 stars.
September 13, 2011
Great book! I love how often the author's perspective switches between characters. It is a little confusing at first, trying to find out what the characters have in common, but when the action gets going at the end, you can clearly see why. Can't wait for the rest of the series to be translated into English.
January 30, 2023
Had high expectations for this one! Sadly Ernesto Mallo's story line was too poor in my opinion, the story feels very unconcitent. Even though the writing was beautiful, poetic and had a very dark atmosphere, it seems like the writter has a problem with women, all of female caracters live through their looks and are seen as sexual object which was very disturbing.
May 16, 2018
Interesting storytelling format with reveals that occur before the end. It started to feel mystery-ish to me midway in the book.
Lots of good character development of several different characters that paint a picture of the place and time period.
Lots of good character development of several different characters that paint a picture of the place and time period.
May 29, 2014
noir, junta, argentina. cant be bad
May 16, 2015
"...nema ničega pogibeljnijeg nego biti u pravu kada su svi u krivu. Ali ja sam već na to naviknut."
November 3, 2020
El Comisario “Perro� Lascano recibe un llamado. Hay una escena del crimen para relevar junto al Riachuelo. Las víctimas son dos, le informan. Pero cuando llega al lugar hay un cuerpo de más. Las diferencias saltan a la vista. Dos jóvenes con disparos en el rostro y otro, mucho mayor, con un disparo en el pecho. Lascano sabe que por los dos fusilados no puede hacer nada. Es obra de los militares que atestan las calles y está fuera de su jurisdicción. El otro, en cambio, puede haber terminado ahí por otras razones. Allí comienza una carrera por encontrar al asesino mientras en paralelo se da una carrera por borrar rastros.
Crimen en el barrio del Once me tomó por sorpresa. Me apareció de casualidad en los recomendados de Scribd y la sinopsis me pareció interesante.
Escuché el audiolibro (de casi 6 horas) en un solo día. Es un libro ágil, atrapante y la construcción de la trama me pareció muy bien pensada.
La historia sigue a varios personajes, pero no es difícil seguir el hilo como a veces pasa con otros libros. Tenemos al Comisario Lascano, quien en un allanamiento se encuentra con una chica que es el doble de su esposa muerta y en un impulso la lleva a vivir con él; a Elías Biterman, un prestamista judío con poca paciencia y un hermano que está esperando el momento para librarse de él; al Mayor Garibaldi, un militar que “consigue� un bebé para su mujer, quien piensa que el crío la odia; a Amancio Pérez Lastra, personaje de clase alta que está en la ruina y que estafa a medio mundo para darle los gustos a Lara, su esposa; y a Eva, miembro de los llamados subversivos, que escapa de la represión y se encuentra con un Comisario que sin explicar mucho decide no entregarla. A lo largo de la novela se van intercalando estas diferentes vidas y recolectamos información desde cada punto de vista hasta llegar a un final muy bien entretejido.
Los hechos tienen lugar durante la dictadura militar en Argentina (década de los 70). A medida que avanza la historia principal -la investigación de un homicidio-, el fondo está pintado con detalles de la vida diaria de la época (fusilamientos, redadas, los Falcon verdes “patrullando� las calles, apropiación de bebés).
Los personajes reflejan, a mi entender con mucha precisión, los distintos protagonistas de este período. Están construidos concienzudamente y la picardía porteña está bien replicada, lo cual le agrega un condimento extra. Me hubiese gustado que el audiolibro estuviera narrado por un argentino, porque era un poco extraño escuchar términos como “guita�, “me las tomo� y otras expresiones típicas en acento neutro. Le quitaba la magia. Y un detalle gracioso es que no estaba familiarizado con la calle Juan B. Justo y lo leía como si fuesen dos frases separadas por un punto.
Leí reseñas reprochando algunos aspectos machistas. Al respecto, debo decir que es importante distinguir entre un personaje y un autor machistas. En ningún momento me dio la impresión de que se tratara de lo segundo. No podemos pretender que todos los personajes que se escriben caigan en nuestras categorías de “lo correcto�. Creo que estas características son fundamentales para crearlos de manera realista.
Por otro lado, me sorprendió el estilo de escritura. Tiene grandes momentos en que roza lo poético sin alejarse del género. También hay mucho humor y crudeza, pero siempre con narrativa agradable y bien adaptada al contexto.
Hay dos libros más en la serie: El policía descalzo de la plaza San Martín y Los hombres te han hecho mal. El segundo lo estaré empezando en cuanto pueda.
Crimen en el barrio del Once me tomó por sorpresa. Me apareció de casualidad en los recomendados de Scribd y la sinopsis me pareció interesante.
Escuché el audiolibro (de casi 6 horas) en un solo día. Es un libro ágil, atrapante y la construcción de la trama me pareció muy bien pensada.
La historia sigue a varios personajes, pero no es difícil seguir el hilo como a veces pasa con otros libros. Tenemos al Comisario Lascano, quien en un allanamiento se encuentra con una chica que es el doble de su esposa muerta y en un impulso la lleva a vivir con él; a Elías Biterman, un prestamista judío con poca paciencia y un hermano que está esperando el momento para librarse de él; al Mayor Garibaldi, un militar que “consigue� un bebé para su mujer, quien piensa que el crío la odia; a Amancio Pérez Lastra, personaje de clase alta que está en la ruina y que estafa a medio mundo para darle los gustos a Lara, su esposa; y a Eva, miembro de los llamados subversivos, que escapa de la represión y se encuentra con un Comisario que sin explicar mucho decide no entregarla. A lo largo de la novela se van intercalando estas diferentes vidas y recolectamos información desde cada punto de vista hasta llegar a un final muy bien entretejido.
Los hechos tienen lugar durante la dictadura militar en Argentina (década de los 70). A medida que avanza la historia principal -la investigación de un homicidio-, el fondo está pintado con detalles de la vida diaria de la época (fusilamientos, redadas, los Falcon verdes “patrullando� las calles, apropiación de bebés).
Los personajes reflejan, a mi entender con mucha precisión, los distintos protagonistas de este período. Están construidos concienzudamente y la picardía porteña está bien replicada, lo cual le agrega un condimento extra. Me hubiese gustado que el audiolibro estuviera narrado por un argentino, porque era un poco extraño escuchar términos como “guita�, “me las tomo� y otras expresiones típicas en acento neutro. Le quitaba la magia. Y un detalle gracioso es que no estaba familiarizado con la calle Juan B. Justo y lo leía como si fuesen dos frases separadas por un punto.
Leí reseñas reprochando algunos aspectos machistas. Al respecto, debo decir que es importante distinguir entre un personaje y un autor machistas. En ningún momento me dio la impresión de que se tratara de lo segundo. No podemos pretender que todos los personajes que se escriben caigan en nuestras categorías de “lo correcto�. Creo que estas características son fundamentales para crearlos de manera realista.
Por otro lado, me sorprendió el estilo de escritura. Tiene grandes momentos en que roza lo poético sin alejarse del género. También hay mucho humor y crudeza, pero siempre con narrativa agradable y bien adaptada al contexto.
Hay dos libros más en la serie: El policía descalzo de la plaza San Martín y Los hombres te han hecho mal. El segundo lo estaré empezando en cuanto pueda.
June 12, 2020
Needle in a Haystack
Ernesto Mallo has written a dark and intriguing tale in this mystery set in Argentina during the dictatorship of the �70s. Anyone aware of the history knows the scope of horror that prevailed, from hundreds of thousands “disappeared� to stolen babies (over 500 by estimations) to ad hoc prisons and jails in Buenos Aires to clandestine military night flights over the Rio de la Plata where prisoners were dumped into the water. The legacy of the period leaves an indelible stain on a country that has a very similar profile to the United States. It’s not a stretch to say it couldn’t happen here. And it happened with the USA’s tacit approval (benign ignorance).
The book is very well written, the characters well-drawn, and the situations real. For readers who like a South American narrative incorporating philosophical themes and devices (more on that in a moment) the book delivers. The story ultimately is compelling.
Having said that, Needles in a Haystack is no beach read. Don’t expect clues to be spoon-fed. Differentiating the characters at times can be murky. Names are difficult to follow and characters have too many similar overlaps which doesn’t help to keep things separate. After a very powerful opening scene, the book falls into several chapters of wandering interior monologue by the key characters and the pacing falls off, especially for what is essentially a mystery. But thankfully it picks up again and the second half of the book will have the reader turning pages. Perhaps the most difficult part for this reader was the dialog convention, where blocks of dialog are presented as just that: blocks of discourse between characters packed together with absolutely no dialog tags. It’s work to follow and there’s no good reason for it, except that the author is following a convention similar to many South American writers. But it draws attention to itself in a pretentious sort of way and certainly doesn’t help the reader follow the story. It’s my biggest issue with this book, a book I otherwise really liked. They say your reader should be wondering what’s going to happen and not what’s going on and for me, this book violated that rule.
But Needle in a Haystack is a very good and unique mystery in many ways and I recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about a very dark period in human history.
Ernesto Mallo has written a dark and intriguing tale in this mystery set in Argentina during the dictatorship of the �70s. Anyone aware of the history knows the scope of horror that prevailed, from hundreds of thousands “disappeared� to stolen babies (over 500 by estimations) to ad hoc prisons and jails in Buenos Aires to clandestine military night flights over the Rio de la Plata where prisoners were dumped into the water. The legacy of the period leaves an indelible stain on a country that has a very similar profile to the United States. It’s not a stretch to say it couldn’t happen here. And it happened with the USA’s tacit approval (benign ignorance).
The book is very well written, the characters well-drawn, and the situations real. For readers who like a South American narrative incorporating philosophical themes and devices (more on that in a moment) the book delivers. The story ultimately is compelling.
Having said that, Needles in a Haystack is no beach read. Don’t expect clues to be spoon-fed. Differentiating the characters at times can be murky. Names are difficult to follow and characters have too many similar overlaps which doesn’t help to keep things separate. After a very powerful opening scene, the book falls into several chapters of wandering interior monologue by the key characters and the pacing falls off, especially for what is essentially a mystery. But thankfully it picks up again and the second half of the book will have the reader turning pages. Perhaps the most difficult part for this reader was the dialog convention, where blocks of dialog are presented as just that: blocks of discourse between characters packed together with absolutely no dialog tags. It’s work to follow and there’s no good reason for it, except that the author is following a convention similar to many South American writers. But it draws attention to itself in a pretentious sort of way and certainly doesn’t help the reader follow the story. It’s my biggest issue with this book, a book I otherwise really liked. They say your reader should be wondering what’s going to happen and not what’s going on and for me, this book violated that rule.
But Needle in a Haystack is a very good and unique mystery in many ways and I recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about a very dark period in human history.
September 10, 2020
I have to admit that for a long while, this one was proceeding in ho-hum fashion - Perro Lascano hunting the murderer of the Jewish moneylender Biterman while harbouring his dead wife's doppel in his flat, etc etc. But then what really lifted up the story, elevated it above the run-of-the-mill policier was the context. In this case, it's a brutal context indeed - Argentina in the late 1970s, bang in the middle of the worst savagery of the military junta, with their execution squads, their torture chambers, their special night flights above the Atlantic. It says on the cover that the writer himself was a rebel against the junta, and Mallo does a half-decent job of evoking the era; it is really towards the frenetic end, with Perro being chased down by the relentless Major Giribaldi that the true nightmarish tension of existing in those times comes alive. The arbitrariness. The impunity. The casual liquidation of victim, witness and evidence.
I'm not really sure what happens at the end, because from what I understand, there are a few more books in the Lascano series. Would sure like to read a couple more.
I'm not really sure what happens at the end, because from what I understand, there are a few more books in the Lascano series. Would sure like to read a couple more.
February 28, 2024
2.5/5
Al final se puso mejor, porque si fuera por el inicio esto sería una review de 0 estrellas. La verdad que intento leer literatura latinoamericana, y más, de Argentina, pero mientras he visto el patrón de que los hombres escriben como hombres de los 70, tan básicos, tan misóginos, tan poco interesantes, las mujeres son joyitas, no solo en mi país, sino en latam.
Y no quiero encerrar a TODOS los autores varones en la categoría de rancios, peeeeero... Sigo esperando al que me demuestre lo contrario y no pasa.
Me gustó mucho el setting de este libro, ya que hablaba de un policía honesto dentro del periodo de la dictadura militar. Pero terminó siendo tan aburrido, siendo tan corto, que es una pena.
Al final se puso mejor, porque si fuera por el inicio esto sería una review de 0 estrellas. La verdad que intento leer literatura latinoamericana, y más, de Argentina, pero mientras he visto el patrón de que los hombres escriben como hombres de los 70, tan básicos, tan misóginos, tan poco interesantes, las mujeres son joyitas, no solo en mi país, sino en latam.
Y no quiero encerrar a TODOS los autores varones en la categoría de rancios, peeeeero... Sigo esperando al que me demuestre lo contrario y no pasa.
Me gustó mucho el setting de este libro, ya que hablaba de un policía honesto dentro del periodo de la dictadura militar. Pero terminó siendo tan aburrido, siendo tan corto, que es una pena.
February 5, 2023
Dictadura militar en Argentina, dioses encolumnados en el poder que el Estado les suministra. Un día a día donde la calle se completa de historias de persecuciones y jóvenes que interponen sus ideales a una cruda dictadura donde pensar distinto es pagado con la vida. En este contexto el comisario Lascano descubre un nuevo y prohibido amor, y también un asesinato que interpelará su condición. Muertes, y una realidad contada por sus protagonistas describen cómo se vive en 1979 en una ciudad de Buenos Aires tomada por los militares.
Lealtad, honestidad y obediencia de vida marcan la vida de los protagonistas.
Lealtad, honestidad y obediencia de vida marcan la vida de los protagonistas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2022
Una novela que rompe con los estereotipos de la novela negra tanto por su temática como por su estilo. La novela es un caústico retrato de la dictadura argentina y por ella circulan todos los estratos sociales.El comisario Lezcano, protagonista de la novela intenta hacer su trabajo en un sistema absolutamente viciado y podrido pero no resulta posible. Una historia de amor no me pregunten cómo da un poco de esperanza en medio de la barbarie. Y tampoco pregunten por qué en medio de tanta sordidez; la vida sigue y se abre una ventana al futuro.
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