Description
Justo
Book Summary
In the streets of the old Barcelona neighborhood of Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera, a solitary man with an irascible character guards an ancient secret. Justo Ledesma is a tzadik, one of the thirty-six righteous ones who, according to tradition, maintain the balance between Good and Evil. Through sharp prose and a relentless pace, Carlos Bassas del Rey constructs a noir novel that transcends the genre to delve into the dilemma of absolute justice. The reader will witness a silent struggle, where morality blurs and violence becomes the only possible language in a neighborhood that no longer recognizes its inhabitants.
What is it about?
The novel immerses itself in the figure of Justo Ledesma, an old man living in a neighborhood undergoing a total transformation. Unaffected by gentrification and new social codes, Justo hides an ancestral mission: he is one of the thirty-six tzadik, the righteous ones chosen by God to maintain cosmic balance. His task is to apply a cold, dispassionate, and implacable form of justice, leaving no room for doubt or compassion. However, the environment he knows is crumbling around him, and his own nature, built on absolute certainties, clashes with the complexity of a world he no longer understands. The plot unfolds between the daily life of the neighborhood and the tension of latent violence, exploring how far a man is willing to go to fulfill his duty when the line between good and evil becomes blurred.
Main Themes
- Absolute justice and its moral dilemmas.
- The myth of the tzadik and the tradition of the hidden righteous one.
- Urban transformation and the loss of identity in historical neighborhoods.
- Individual solitude in the face of an unappealable duty.
- Violence as a tool for balance and as a personal condemnation.
Who is it recommended for?
This work is aimed at readers of noir novels who seek plots with a philosophical and moral background, beyond the mere police thriller. It will also interest those who enjoy urban stories with a strong symbolic charge, where the setting becomes another character. It is recommended for those who value a tense and reflective narrative, with a complex protagonist far removed from the genre's archetypes.
What this book offers
- An original reinterpretation of the myth of the thirty-six righteous ones within the noir genre.
- An immersion into the atmosphere of a changing Barcelona neighborhood, treated with detail and authenticity.
- A main character, Justo Ledesma, who defies conventional morality and forces one to question the concept of justice.
- A narrative that combines suspenseful tension with the depth of an existential dilemma.
- A brief but intense read, with precise pacing and no compromises.
Technical Sheet
- Author: Bassas del Rey, Carlos
- Publisher: Editorial Alrevés
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: CRIME AND MYSTERY GENRE, MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE WORK
- Collection: NOIR NOVEL
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication Date: August 2019
- Number of pages: 196
- Weight: 410 g
Editorial Review
Justo is a singular proposal within the contemporary noir novel. Carlos Bassas del Rey achieves a remarkable balance between contained action and moral reflection, supported by a powerful premise: that of a vigilante who acts not out of revenge, but by divine mandate. The setting in the Ribera neighborhood adds a layer of social realism that enriches the plot. It is a work that, without renouncing the tension of the genre, invites one to think about the nature of justice and the human cost of applying it. Recommended for those looking for a read that transcends mere entertainment.