Description
I am the dead man's revenge
Book Summary
A noir novel that explores the thin line between justice and vengeance, set in two opposing Barcelonas: the inhospitable and provincial city of 1952 and the pre-Olympic, designer city of 1991. Through a choral narrative, the reader follows Inspector Guillermo Arganda in his pursuit of Miguel Morera, a man who has perfected the art of killing without taking a life. A story of unsettled scores that spans four decades, strewn with corpses and misery.
What is it about?
In 1952 Barcelona, Inspector Guillermo Arganda of the Criminal Investigation Brigade faces a case that transcends the conventional. His target is Miguel Morera, a man who has developed a sinister philosophy: he does not seek to kill his victims, but to condemn them to a living death, burying them in their own misery without stopping their hearts. The pursuit becomes an obsession that binds and tears apart the fates of both men for forty years, until 1991, when pre-Olympic Barcelona becomes the stage for a final reckoning. A choral narrative that intertwines the lives of the characters across a timeframe spanning from the postwar period to modernity, showing how the past is never truly over.
Main themes
- Vengeance as an existential sentence: the idea of a living death as a punishment beyond physical death.
- Justice and obsession: the border between police work and personal revenge.
- Dual Barcelona: the contrast between the provincial postwar city and the modern, designer metropolis of the 90s.
- The passage of time and unsettled scores: how past actions determine the characters' fates over four decades.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers of noir and detective fiction who look for complex plots with a strong psychological component and detailed historical setting. Especially recommended for those who appreciate stories of vengeance, choral narration, and time jumps that explore character development over the years.
What this book offers
- An original perspective on revenge, far from the conventional thriller.
- An immersion into two very different eras of Barcelona, with meticulous world-building.
- A narrative structure that maintains tension throughout forty years of history.
- A deep psychological portrait of two men pitted against each other by fate and obsession.
Technical sheet
- Author: Valle, Alberto
- Publisher: Editorial Alrevés
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: DETECTIVE AND MYSTERY GENRE
- Collection: NOIR NOVEL
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: March 2019
- Number of pages: 400
- Weight: 520 g
Editorial review
A solid entry in the noir genre that stands out for its original premise and ambitious temporal structure. The novel offers a reflection on the nature of vengeance and justice, supported by a historical setting that enriches the plot. Recommended for readers looking for a suspense story with psychological depth and a well-defined social backdrop.