Description
The same people always pay
Book summary
In the city of Ofidia, where fortune is elusive for almost all its inhabitants, Inspector Herodoto Corominas faces a crime that shakes the foundations of a community marked by injustice. The discovery of a municipal officer's corpse with his belly slit open triggers an investigation that leads the policeman to unravel a plot woven with teenage desperation, a conspiracy, and the wisdom of a second-hand bookseller. This noir novel offers a raw and lucid look at human passions and the truth that emerges from the fragments of everyday life.
What is it about?
The story takes place in the city of Ofidia, a setting where poverty and hopelessness are common currency. Inspector Herodoto Corominas, a man of common sense who distrusts appearances, investigates the brutal murder of a municipal officer. As he advances in the case, he encounters an adolescent on the edge of the abyss, a conspiracy that hides dark interests, and a second-hand bookseller who has lost faith in the world. The plot is built from the fragments of daily reality, revealing how, in this environment, a small piece of truth can be almost the whole truth, and how, in the end, the scales of justice always tilt toward the same people.
Main themes
- Structural injustice and social inequality in an urban setting.
- The fragility of truth in a society marked by appearances and distrust.
- Human passions as a driver of conflict and violence.
- Teenage desperation as a reflection of a system that fails its youth.
- The role of common sense and intuition in the face of bureaucracy and corruption.
Who is it recommended for?
This work is aimed at readers of noir and crime novels who are looking for plots set away from major urban centers, with a focus on character psychology and social portraiture. It is also ideal for those who appreciate stories with a sharp and subtle tone, where a criminal investigation serves as an excuse to explore the human condition and power dynamics in small communities.
What this book offers
- A critical and realistic perspective on justice and inequality in marginalized settings.
- A well-constructed detective plot, with twists that maintain interest without resorting to artifice.
- Complex and credible characters, like Inspector Corominas, who bring depth to the narrative.
- A reflection on how truth is built from small fragments of reality.
Technical specifications
- Author: Bassas del Rey, Carlos
- Publisher: Editorial Alrevés
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION, CRIME AND MYSTERY GENRE
- Series: NOIR NOVEL
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: April 2015
- Number of pages: 256
- Weight: 290 g
Editorial review
The same people always pay is a noir novel that stands out for its ability to integrate social criticism into a criminal investigation plot. Carlos Bassas del Rey constructs an agile and restrained narrative, where the setting of Ofidia becomes a character in its own right, a reflection of an uncomfortable reality. The work is especially interesting for readers who value the detective genre as a vehicle for exploring human and social conflicts, offering a reading that is entertaining but substantial.