Sparire a Buenos Aires

by Eloísa Díaz

Una giovane donna scomparsa nel nulla.
Un’Argentina divisa tra passato e futuro.
Un giallo forte e intenso, come l’amato café cortado dell’ispettore Alzada.
È il 19 dicembre del 2001, e per l’ispettore Joaquín Alzada quella non sarà una giornata come le altre. L’Argentina è stravolta da una delle crisi economiche più gravi di sempre, e per le strade di Buenos Aires, tra i manifestanti che minacciano di raggiungere la Casa Rosada e le forze di polizia dispiegate per fermarli, dilaga il caos. In quel clima di fervore, per l’ispettore è impossibile non ripensare ai terribili giorni del 1981, quando il regime militare portava via gli oppositori politici dalle loro case, desaparecidos in una notte, mentre le Madres si riversavano in Plaza de Mayo. Alzada, all’epoca un promettente giovane poliziotto, aveva provato sulla propria pelle il dolore di vedersi portare via qualcuno che si ama, e non poter fare niente per impedirlo.
Gli anni sono passati e Joaquín, ormai prossimo alla pensione, ha imparato a rimanere a galla, andando avanti a testa bassa. Ma quando inizia a indagare sulla scomparsa della rampolla di una delle famiglie più ricche della città, grazie all’aiuto del giovane collega Orestes Estrático e ai geniali suggerimenti della moglie Paula (è lei, si ripete sempre Joaquín, che avrebbe dovuto fare la detective), Alzada scopre che dietro quel mistero si nasconde qualcuno di potente, uno di quelli considerati intoccabili. E, questa volta, l’ispettore non ha intenzione di restare in silenzio.
Sullo sfondo di una Buenos Aires ribollente di rabbia e passione, Eloísa Díaz ci presenta Joaquín Alzada: scontroso, irascibile, non esattamente amante delle regole, costretto a fare i conti con un passato in sospeso e un mondo che cambia – ma, forse, non poi così tanto.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Crime, Thriller, Noir

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A word of advice before I get started: disregard the "thriller" label that pops up in the book description. This is not a thriller. Yes, there are mysteries to be solved but if it must be put in a box, historical literary fiction is a better fit. Ok, onward....

What we have is an engrossing & poignant read that follows the life of an Argentinian police officer in Buenos Aires. Told in dual timelines 20 years apart, we watch as Joaquin Alzada gradually transforms from cautious idealist to world weary realist. Like the country itself, his life has been one of upheaval & sorrow.

The historical side of the story is set in 1981 & Argentina is suffering under brutal military rule. Joaquin is quietly trying to do his job while keeping his head down to protect his family. It's a balancing act made more difficult by the actions of his brother Jorge, a union agitator. Then one night Jorge & his wife vanish. They've joined the ranks of the "disappeared". As this side of the story progresses, we follow Joaquin's desperate search & the choices he makes in order to learn their fates. He can't know it yet but some of his decisions will come back to haunt him.

In the present (2001) Joaquin is tasked with babysitting Estrático, a shiny new recruit who immediately gets on his last nerve. When a young woman's body is found, the case takes on a special urgency after she's identified as belonging to a wealthy family with political connections. Meanwhile, the country is once again tearing itself apart. The economy is in crisis & as rioters fill the streets, Joaquin must tread carefully to avoid attracting the attention of corrupt cops & politicians.

These are the mysteries that propel the plot lines but it's really a story about Argentina. The country seems to pinball from one crisis to the next. Military coups, revolutions, dictators, economic meltdowns.......it's a revolving door of corruption that preserves the distinct rift between haves & have-nots.

The prose is richly evocative of the time & place. It's obvious the author loves this country & her people but doesn't shy away from the truth. Through Alzada's eyes, we watch as sudden bursts of violence temporarily relieve the constant claustrophobic fear of daily life. But in quiet scenes between Alzada & his clever wife, we also witness a tenderness & humour that sustains them both. And so I began to see him as Argentina personified.

My genre comment above was not a criticism. It's more about helping readers find their next book. This is Latin Noir written by an author whose elegant prose can swing from poignant to gut wrenching in a heartbeat. Those who pick this up will be treated to a dark yet ultimately hopeful tale with a compelling MC.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Repentance two nights ago. I had several other books going, but none of them were exactly the read I was looking for, so I played the "might as well start something new" card. I am so glad I did! Repentance is one of those detail-rich mystery novels that doesn't just provide a puzzle to poke at, but gives us a detailed portrait of a particular place and time or, in this case, one place and two times.

The action in Repentance is set in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and takes place in 1981 and 2001—during the Dirty War and the economic crisis known as the Great Argentine Depression, two absolutely pivotal points in the history of a country that has seen ongoing cycles of revolution and repression. Eloísa Díaz brings Buenos Aires to life in all its complexities: the class divisions, the compromises required for success, the uneasy alliances, the widely varying neighborhoods pressing up one against another, the power of the past in the present.

In 1981, Inspector Joaquín Alzada had a promising career in the police force (Buenos Aires' youngest Inspector ever!), but his career is stagnating during the Dirty War, during which he carefully avoids taking sides and keeps his head down. Alzada's younger brother Jorge, a university professor, is less cautious, making his political opinions known, ignoring Alzada's warnings, and unaware of the many strings Alzada is pulling to keep his brother safe. Inevitably, Jorge and his wife become two of Argentina's disappeared.

In 2001, Alzada and his wife Paula are raising their orphaned nephew, who is eager to take part in this new round of protests. Alzada continues working as an Inspector (no career breakthroughs since his early success) and, in the midst of the protests, finds himself handling a missing persons case involving a wealthy family and, possibly, other powerful figures.

The narrative arc of both timelines is gripping, so I never had that experience one often has reading two-timeline novels of "oh bother, now we're back to that *other* timeline." I was hungry to follow both arcs and willingly moved between them under Eloísa Díaz' guidance. This is Díaz' first novel, so I face the frustration of not being immediately able to seek out other titles she's written—on the other hand, this means I can look forward to more writing by Díaz in the future.

There are so many reasons to read Repentance. If you're interested in the history of democracy and its betrayal in Latin America, if you enjoy noir, if historical mysteries are a favorite genre, if you regularly find yourself turning over questions of how to make ethical choices in unethical times, if you enjoy top-notch fiction of any kind—for any of these reasons and so many more, Repentance is a read-it-now-not-someday title. In my case, I think it's also going to be a title I'll return to every few years for another read. Its riches are so abundant that they can't possibly be fully experienced in a single reading.

I received a free electronic review copy of Repentance from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[Daniel Shindler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her stunning debut novel,Eloisa Diaz examines the notion of how a person can try to live a coherent, normal life within a turbulent, dysfunctional society.The novel takes place in Buenos Aires during two chaotic years, 2001and 1981. It chronicles a man’s efforts to endure these troubling years while maintaining a semblance of dignity and self respect.

Joaquin Alzada is a police inspector in Buenos Aires. In 2001 he is in his sixties.He had been a fast rising star in the department until his veiled resistance to authority stalled his prospects for promotion. He wants to retire but cannot because the economy has collapsed and there is no money in the pension fund. He has been shunted off to the robbery division, ignoring his talents for homicide investigation.Most of the police force is deployed containing civil disturbances protesting the collapsed economy. Alzada is languishing at his desk when a dead body is found in a dumpster and only Alzada is available to investigate.It becomes apparent that the victim is a rich woman who has been deliberately and professionally murdered.

This brutal execution revives Alzada’s memories of Argentina’s “ Dirty War” in 1981.The Argentinian dictatorship “ disappeared “ thirty thousand political dissidents.During this reign of terror, Alzada’s younger brother and sister in law were two of the people murdered.Alzada has been haunted by his inability to protect his younger brother.The trauma of this event has influenced his career choices, causing him to look away from atrocities and go along with questionable policies. Because he is a policeman, he is part of the justice system for citizens and yet is an instrument of their repression. He has never satisfactorily resolved this paradox.

Through skillfully alternating timelines, a portrait emerges of a man beset with regrets and of a society struggling to decide between democracy and military dictatorship.Alzada’s outward reaction to events in both time periods immerse us in the uncertainty and terror of surviving a government that has abandoned its citizens.His internal musings bring forth the anguish caused by the compromises necessary to survive these conditions.We become aware that the consequences of a brutal regime leave personal and societal scars that linger forever. The journey through this maze presents a portrait of one man’s attempts to atone for his past choices and seek redemption through his current actions.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Latin noir and debut novel Repentance, written in English by Eloísa Díaz is a tribute to her parents’ nationality. It is set in two separate timeframes, initially Buenos Aries of 1981 under military dictatorship and then twenty years later with the economic collapse of 2001. Inspector Joaquín Alzada is a police officer, the youngest ever appointed and this is the story of his professional career in turbulent times. Summoned by a telephone call, he discovers his brother, a university professor and his wife, have been disappeared by the military junta. Whist there is a crime, this saga is more a reflection on a man and the impact of these two major events on his family, work and personal values. A powerful story of two momentous periods of Argentine history, despite its somewhat misleading crime fiction label and so a three-star read rating. With thanks to Polis Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

[Eilonwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-1/2 stars, rounded up.

In 2001, Inspector Alzada of the Buenos Aires police force is called on to investigate the death of a young woman found in a trash repository behind the morgue. The case brings him into contact with people he knew "in another life" -- 20 years before, the time of desaparecidos, when Alzada's brother and sister-in-law were disappeared.

This has a Mystery sticker on it at my library and the cover blurb calls it a thriller, but I wouldn't call it either of those. It's a literary novel, and should be read that way. Yes, "solving" what happened to the dead woman is a bit of plot, as is the horrifying buildup to what happened to Alzada's brother. But most of this book is about the awful tension that exists with Alzada, as he navigates the continuing appalling corruption in Argentina, and the ever-present trauma in him and his remaining family members. The story alternates between the 2001 present and the events in 1981.

This was a very painful read. Life under a dictatorship that disappeared tens of thousands of dissidents and tortured many of them as horribly as any Nazi concentration camp before allowing them to die is captured here all too well. (What is this terrible impulse in too many people, to be willing to participate in this? And I suppose there is the fear from knowing that this will happen to you or your family if you refuse to participate.) And yet it's written so well that I could not put it down despite the fact that I couldn't breathe while I was reading it. I knew these things, and yet I didn't quite understand them in my bones the way I do after reading this book.

There is so much history in so many countries to which we all need to promise, "Never again."

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently started to dip my toe into the world of Argentinian crime fiction through Sergio Olguin, and the upcoming Like Flies From Afar by K. Ferrari, I leapt at the chance to take part in the publication launch for Repentance from Eloísa Díaz. Needless to say I was very impressed indeed…

Eloísa Díaz has an incredibly concise yet sophisticated writing style, and I was soon fully immersed in this bleak tale with its parallel timelines, recounting not only the darkest years of Argentinian history with suppression and kidnap or disappearances an everyday occurrence, but also the more contemporary storyline showing the continuing societal and political issues facing its citizens. Unlike some books with contrasting timeframes, it is perhaps a testament to the strength of Díaz’s writing that I was equally engaged with both and the subtle and not so subtle connections of events past and present. With her journalist’s eye for detail, and her seemingly natural skill at the brevity of description packing a powerful punch, this book is not only a vivid and interesting testimony to Argentina’s chequered history without overwhelming the reader with factual detail, but manages to balance this beautifully with the engaging and compelling mystery element too.

At the heart of this dark tale is the mesmerising character of Inspector Joaquín Alzada who has himself experienced the darkest days of Argentine suppression and sedition both as a law enforcement officer, but also on a much more personal level with the shady disappearance of his brother some years previously. The repartee between himself and his wife Paula is a pure delight, and equally his less complimentary opinions of his immediate superiors bring a liveliness and energy to his character, outside his more serious and dedicated role as a police officer. As he finds the discomfort of the past encroaching on the latter days of his career, he becomes drawn into the pursuit of justice and a personal redemption as the past and present become inextricably intertwined with dangerous ramifications for himself and those closest to him.

As I’ve already touched on, Díaz’s melding of history with the thriller form in Repentance works beautifully throughout, and this is further bolstered by her innate eye for atmosphere and location, with the city of Buenos Aires becoming a character in itself. Her skill at balancing and drawing away at critical moments from the contrasting storylines serves the tension building and pace of the plot incredibly well, leading to the reader becoming absorbed by both storylines equally. I read this book very quickly, as I was so drawn into the narrative, and emerged the other side with not only an enhanced knowledge of the politics and history of this country, but having thoroughly enjoyed a well structured and compelling thriller. Recommended.

[Juuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aitäh, Eesti Raamat, raamatu eest.
Kummaline segu krimiromaanist ja Argentiina verisest ajaloost. Seda raamatut lugedes oli kogu aeg tunne, et autori kirjapandu on tähtis, kuid veel olulisem on see, mis jäi ridade vahele. Soovitan lugeda. Pikemalt kirjutasin blogis.

[Ollie Skyba · Rating 3 out of 5]

С интересом беру книги неизвестных авторов с других материков, внезапно переведенные на русский. Тут уж впору удивляться - заявленный детективом, триллером, этот роман на самом деле чрезвычайное актуальное чтение в поле социально-историческом. Советую пробежаться по геополитической справке Аргентины, вспомнить о военном перевороте и терроре в 70х, экономическом кризисе в 80-е и дефолте в 2001, тогда события в книге выстраиваются в стройную линию.
Читать не сказать чтобы страшно, но местами до горечи неприятно, правдиво и неприукрашенно говорит автор о том, почему аргентинцы не сопротивляются режиму, принимая репрессии, смиряясь с похищениями и убийствами родных. Хотя, надо понимать, что сама Элоиса Диас - не аргентинка, она живет в Испании.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ersilia F. - per RFS
.
È complicato vivere a Buenos Aires e l’ispettore Alzada lo sa benissimo.

Lui sa cosa è la paura per l’ennesimo colpo di stato, sa cosa si prova quando l’esercito si presenta a casa e fa sparire letteralmente le persone, come se non fossero mai esistite. Esattamente quello che è successo a suo fratello Jorge, scomparso insieme alla moglie Adela negli anni ’80. E adesso, a distanza di vent’anni, l’Argentina è di nuovo stravolta da una crisi economica che sta mettendo in ginocchio la popolazione con le sue restrizioni. Si respira aria di protesta, di barricate, di molotov lanciate contro le centrali di polizia… e per l’ispettore è impossibile non pensare agli anni terribili che ha vissuto, al suo non essere riuscito a fare niente per impedirlo. Sentendosi perennemente in colpa e arrabbiato.

Attraverso due archi temporali, raccontati in terza persona, ci viene descritto un pezzo di storia terribile che, a causa della memoria corta degli esseri umani, qualcuno sembra aver dimenticato, o messo a tacere in un angolo della mente. I racconti degli Desaparacidos, delle Madres di Plaza de Mayo, fa sentire un brivido dentro, come una stalattite che si insinua nel cuore trasmettendo freddo, molto freddo. Almeno, questo è ciò che provo io quando leggo qualcosa su quel periodo.

Attraverso un’indagine per omicidio, l’autrice fa riflettere sulle conseguenze di quegli anni, sul comportamento di alcuni uomini, sul loro guardare dall’altra parte tenendo un profilo basso, non facendo domande scomode, non sentendosi toccati da ciò che succede. Ma se chi scompare è qualcuno che si ama e che abbiamo sempre cercato di proteggere per i suoi ideali rivoluzionari? Come ci si deve comportare?

È quello che si chiede ogni giorno della sua vita l’ispettore Alzada. Un uomo irascibile, scontroso, poco avvezzo alle regole che forse ha deciso di non voltarsi più dall’altra parte e di guardare dritto in faccia la realtà, questa volta.

Sparire a Buenos Aires è una storia introspettiva che ti scava dentro, induce a porti delle domande, ti mette con le spalle al muro raccontando una vicenda cruda e crudele nella sua iniquità. Una storia in cui i responsabili sono rimasti impuniti; dove c’è stata solo indignazione da parte degli altri Stati, senza che davvero mai venisse chiesta giustizia.

Ho trovato questo libro pieno di passione e rabbia. Con la sua prosa asciutta e quel modo di non dire tutto, ma facendo immaginare l’accaduto, tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine, portandolo a immedesimarsi nelle scelte dei vari protagonisti ma senza mai giudicare.

Un libro notevole ma che, a mio parere, ha una piccola pecca: la parte relativa al ritrovamento del cadavere di una giovane donna è stato trattato con poca enfasi, quasi se fosse solo il pretesto per mettere a nudo le decisioni del protagonista. Da buona amante dei thriller avrei preferito che il focus restasse sull’omicidio invece, Eloisa Diaz lascia alcuni dubbi in sospeso, non ci da un finale ma una serie di domande che non trovano risposta.

Un romanzo per gli amanti dei thriller con uno sfondo storico.

[Agirlandabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alternating between two key moments in the life of a man and his country, Repentance follows Inspector Joaquín Alzada, a police officer working in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1981 as the country is in the grip of a brutal military dictatorship. When his revolutionary brother Jorge is disappeared, Alzada must put aside his obligations as a police officer and his own political allegiance in order to rescue him.

Jump forward twenty years and we in the midst of yet another period of political unrest as riots are building in the streets of Buenos Aires. Despite trying to avoid trouble waiting out his time for retirement two new cases appear that of a dead body discovered in a skip behind the morgue and a woman from one of the city's wealthiest families goes missing. In investigating their connection Alzada is forced to confront his own past.

Alzada reminded me of old school detective shows I watched with my grandad when I was younger. He was just what you wanted in a detective, too many years in the job, a dislike of authority and a proclivity to do things his own way. Add in his new young and eager partner for him to corrupt and you have a tried and tested recipe of a detective story.

The inclusion of Alzada’s inner dialogue alongside the story added a wonderful extra dimension to his character, as what he thought and what he did wasn’t always aligned. His seasoned rough exterior was often betrayed by a softer more complex internal narrative. As a character I grew to enamour him greatly.

What I found most interesting is this book surprised me in its execution. The case of the disappeared woman unlike in many a detective story isn’t at the centre of the story with us learning about our detective along the way. This was my expectation going in. Instead however the investigation acted as a catalyst before slinking back just out of shot leaving Alzada centre stage as he seeks to repair the past. It is very much a character driven novel which I was not unhappy with.

As a debut novel I fully commend Diaz her writing was fluid and engaging I became fully immersed in the streets of Buenos Aires and the timeline was seamlessly interwoven so that each progressed with the correct speed in which to enhance the other.

[Becca Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Anne at Random Tours & W&N for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

BUENOS AIRES, 1981.
Argentina is in the grip of a brutal military dictatorship.
Inspector Joaquín Alzada's work in the Buenos Aires police force exposes him to the many realities of life under a repressive regime: desperate people, terrified people and - worst of all - missing people.
Personally, he prefers to stay out of politics, enjoying a simple life with his wife Paula. But when his revolutionary brother Jorge is disappeared, Alzada will stop at nothing to rescue him.

TWENTY YEARS LATER...
The country is in the midst of yet another devastating economic crisis and riots are building in the streets of Buenos Aires.
This time Alzada is determined to keep his head down and wait patiently for his retirement. But when a dead body lands in a skip behind the morgue and a woman from one of the city's wealthiest families goes missing, Alzada is forced to confront his own involvement in one of the darkest periods in Argentinian history - a time of
collective horror and personal tragedy.

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn’t know anything about what happened in Argentina 🇦🇷 in 1970-80s. Military dictatorship made 30,000 people ‘disappeared’. How did I not know that? Those poor people! This story goes between 1980s and 2001. Alzada is a great character! Funny and a little hot headed. Like typical police characters I think. The story ended with so many cliff hangers so I am hoping there’s going to be a second book. The story between the periods really tie in well together. A great debut!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book from the start, the writing style was perfectly matched to the narrative. I was concerned the dual timelines would be distracting, but when the shifts came they were seamless and ended up being interesting backstories. I found the title a bit misleading, or maybe just not handled as I would have expected, but the sentiment was there, just a bit muted. The historical backdrop was superbly woven throughout the story, we were given just enough information to get a sense of whys and hows of events, but there was no info-dumping or unnecessary straying from the fictional characters. And those characters! Very well developed but also enigmatic enough to leave conversations, motivations, and emotions a bit open-ended and less fatalistic. Not really anything to dislike, I read it front to back, only stopping for food, and that is always fun. The emotional punch was a smidgen underwhelming and the ending a bit muddy, else this would have been a 5-star book for sure, so take that for what it's worth.

[Runalong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting recent historical detective story exploring Argentina at the time of one of its most brutal regimes in 1981 and the subject of the Disappeared and a more recent event in 2001 when history began to repeat itself. A focus on one man and his family who has never yet done to terms with what happened - very very well done

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great thriller of the best kind - you rush to finish it and it lingers in your thoughts for long after. Feels extremely timely in its discussion of complicity, guilt and freedom. There’s also much super interesting exploration of masculinity and power. Highly recommended!

[Triinu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patukahetsus" algab prügikastist leitud noore naise surnukeha juhtumiga, mida hakkab uurima politseiinspektor Joaquin Alzada. Raamatu sündmused hüppavad edasi-tagasi 2001. ja 1981. aasta vahel. 1976 - 1983. aastal valitses Argentiinas diktatuur, paljud inimesed kadusid tol ajal jäljetult ja ära viidi ka Alzada vend ning vennanaine.
Kuigi raamat algab surmajuhtumiga ja tapmise uurimisega, siis pole see puhas kriminaalromaan. Minu arvates on mõrv on vaid teljeks, mille ümber tegelasi ja tegevusi koondada ning minevikust rääkida ja keskmes on hoopis see, kuidas inimesed pärast sellist režiimi edasi elavad. Kuidas on töötada koos inimestega, kellest musta minevikku sa tead? Kuidas kasvatada vennapoega, kes tolle aja sündmusi täpselt ei mõista?
Minevikumeenutused polnud kerge lugemine, kuid mulle meeldis, et sain pilgu heita maailma, millest ma mitte midagi ei teadnud. Ainuke etteheide on puudulik lõpp. Oma peaga suudan muidugi otsad kokku tõmmata, kuid oleksin tahtnud seda ka kirjapandult lugeda.
Soovitan siiski teilegi, kui tahate midagi teistsugust lugeda.

[Keith Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regret

Financial crisis in Argentina at the turn of the Twenty First Century and police inspector Joaquin Alzada, once the youngest inspector in the police force, now entrusted only to an unfulfilling desk job, is on the point of retirement. In the midst of riots and civil unrest the body of an unidentified young woman is brought to the Buenos Aires morgue. In the absence of anyone else Alzada must investigate. The next day, a young woman, a member of one of Buenos Aires wealthiest families, reports the disappearance of her wayward sister. Are the two women, the corpse and the disappeared, one and the same?

Twenty years earlier, in the days of the Junta, Alzada’s radical brother is disappeared by agents of the Argentinian armed forces. The police stand by and do nothing. Alzada, however, risks his life and his career to seek out and attempt to rescue his brother.

The mystery doesn’t matter here. The novel is a Trojan Horse into the murky violence and political corruption of Argentina then and now. There is much that the reader does not learn. There are no pat resolutions. But for the family of Alzada and his wife and the nephew who is as a son to them, there is ultimately hope of a better future.

Well written, surprising, sometimes shocking, moving and gripping, in the end optimistic.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latin Noir.

In the Buenos Aires police force, Inspector Joaquín Alzada is looking forward to retirement. Twenty years' earlier, his revolutionary brother was disappeared.

The narrative alternates between two dark periods of Argentina's history: the dirty war of the early eighties, and the economic collapse and subsequent riots at the turn of this century. Repentance is steeped in the culture of Argentina and blends its political history with the personal.

Spanish author, Diaz, writes in English for her debut novel. The smattering of Spanish (with accompanying appropriate Spanish-style punctuation) adds just enough flavour without overpowering the whole. Her building of tension is skilled.

The use of italics for an inner monologue is too conspicuous, pulling the reader out of the moment. Some metaphors are laboured. The characters get up to a significant amount of treading and shuffling around their setting.

My thanks to NetGalley and to W&N, Orion Publishing for the ARC.

[Duncan Beattie (Fiction From Afar) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eloísa Díaz is a writer and lawyer from Spain. Born of Argentinian parents, she wrote her debut novel “Repentance” in the English language as part of her MFA in Creative Writing from Colombia University. It was released by W&N on 4 February 2021.

This is a gripping and multi-faceted story based in the home country of her parents during two recent periods in the country’s history. Featuring a contemporary police investigation into a missing woman which alternates with a historical storyline from 20 years earlier when the key protagonist’s brother was ‘disappeared’ during the state run dirty war on dissidents. The key theme to the story how one man is able to reflect on his actions in the past and try to prevent history repeating itself. As a regular reader of Argentine fiction there was a lot in “Repentance” to learn about the darker periods in the country’s history. I did consider that possibly as a relative outsider Díaz found it easier to discuss these than a native Argentinian author writing to a domestic audience.

Inspector Joaquín Alzada once gained distinction as the youngest inspector in the Buenos Aires police force. Yet as we meet him at the start of “Repentance” his career has not progressed beyond this level meaning he now has the dubious distinction of being the oldest inspector. Not only is he told that he cannot yet retire, he has also been allocated a new partner Estrático who is keen to do his work exactly by the police manual.

Yet Joaquín is fortunate in one sense. During the economic crisis of 2001 many of his colleagues have been sent to the streets in an attempt to maintain order with rising inflation and economic and political turbulence. Yet he left to deal with desk bound duties in the police station. They view a body of a young female in the local mortuary who appears to have succumbed to a drug habit before he is visited by a couple from the wealthy Echegeray family whose daughter has gone missing.

In scenes from twenty years earlier we learn that in his youth Joaquín was politically active and forged his younger brother Jorge’s ID so he could join a union but was the rebel who turned cop while the teacher became a revolutionary. Joaquín warns Jorge to be careful and keep away from bad company. Jorge argues that he and his fellow university professors are not part of the military faction of Montoneros, while admitting that they do agree politically with the terrorists. He accuses his brother of being on the other side, but Joaquín states he just wants order.

The historic aspects of the novel explain that by the early 1980s the government would send squads drive fear in the population which no longer respected them. The army took control of the Buenos Aires area leaving the police as bystanders. Sadly, Joaquín’s fears are recognised when he receives a call to inform him that his brother has been taken away. How he reacts to the disappearance of his brother is crucial. As his wife Paula points out even a police officer is not untouchable. Leading to the tensest sections of the novel, he chooses to approach Commissioner Vukić for help. The latter is cryptically likened to a shark who can’t survive without swimming.

We realise how Joaquín is haunted by past events in his interaction with his younger colleague Estrático. Already exasperated with the recruit’s reliance on procedure, Joaquín resents the younger man’s self-righteousness about how the law should be upheld, particularly with the implication that if the current crop of policemen had been serving in the previous troubled timed that they would have acted differently. “He didn’t know what is was like to wake from a nightmare, only to discover it was not a dream, but a memory.”

He also has a dislike of his former partner Galante who is now immediate superior and who has continually curried favour with the army since the dictatorship was established. Gradually Estrático does start to prove his worth as he and Joaquín use unorthodox methods to try to investigate the missing woman. It becomes clear that it will not be easy to bring a killer to justice if he has a position in society and Galante disapproves. Yet the significance of the case to the inspector diminish as the soclai disorder becomes increasingly volatile. As the novel progresses to the final quarter the human aspects of his personality come to the fore ahead of the hanging threads of the police investigation. While he has always tried to protect his family, his sence of injustice starts to reignite as he is forced to explain the dark memories that made him so protective.

This is a startling good debut novel from Eloísa Díaz which powerfully combines multiple threads in an enlightening read. While illuminating the dark histories of the past with the crimes and corruption of the present day, "Repentance" is also a book of loyalty and indeed hope. It's far more then a crime fiction or historic fiction and will definitely going to encourage me to read other novels set in this time frame by Eduardo Sacheri and Ernesto Mallo.
While Inspector Joaquín Alzada may not be of prime age for an extended series, I certainly look forward to reading more novels by Eloísa Díaz in the future.

[Delena Caagbay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok for me. The story gave detail into the time periods outlined in Argentina but I didn’t feel invested in the characters story arc. The tension build up was disappointing and left until the end of the book

[Ersilia Facciolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

È complicato vivere a Buenos Aires e l’ispettore Alzada lo sa benissimo.
Lui sa cosa è la paura per l’ennesimo colpo di stato, sa cosa si prova quando l’esercito si presenta a casa e fa sparire letteralmente le persone, come se non fossero mai esistite. Esattamente quello che è successo a suo fratello Jorge, scomparso insieme alla moglie Adela negli anni ’80. E adesso, a distanza di vent’anni, l’Argentina è di nuovo stravolta da una crisi economica che sta mettendo in ginocchio la popolazione con le sue restrizioni. Si respira aria di protesta, di barricate, di molotov lanciate contro le centrali di polizia… e per l’ispettore è impossibile non pensare agli anni terribili che ha vissuto, al suo non essere riuscito a fare niente per impedirlo. Sentendosi perennemente in colpa e arrabbiato.
Attraverso due archi temporali, raccontati in terza persona, ci viene descritto un pezzo di storia terribile che, a causa della memoria corta degli esseri umani, qualcuno sembra aver dimenticato, o messo a tacere in un angolo della mente. I racconti degli Desaparacidos, delle Madres di Plaza de Mayo, fa sentire un brivido dentro, come una stalattite che si insinua nel cuore trasmettendo freddo, molto freddo. Almeno, questo è ciò che provo io quando leggo qualcosa su quel periodo.
Attraverso un’indagine per omicidio, l’autrice fa riflettere sulle conseguenze di quegli anni, sul comportamento di alcuni uomini, sul loro guardare dall’altra parte tenendo un profilo basso, non facendo domande scomode, non sentendosi toccati da ciò che succede. Ma se chi scompare è qualcuno che si ama e che abbiamo sempre cercato di proteggere per i suoi ideali rivoluzionari? Come ci si deve comportare?
È quello che si chiede ogni giorno della sua vita l’ispettore Alzada. Un uomo irascibile, scontroso, poco avvezzo alle regole che forse ha deciso di non voltarsi più dall’altra parte e di guardare dritto in faccia la realtà, questa volta.
Sparire a Buenos Aires è una storia introspettiva che ti scava dentro, induce a porti delle domande, ti mette con le spalle al muro raccontando una vicenda cruda e crudele nella sua iniquità. Una storia in cui i responsabili sono rimasti impuniti; dove c’è stata solo indignazione da parte degli altri Stati, senza che davvero mai venisse chiesta giustizia.
Ho trovato questo libro pieno di passione e rabbia. Con la sua prosa asciutta e quel modo di non dire tutto, ma facendo immaginare l’accaduto, tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine, portandolo a immedesimarsi nelle scelte dei vari protagonisti ma senza mai giudicare.
Un libro notevole ma che, a mio parere, ha una piccola pecca: la parte relativa al ritrovamento del cadavere di una giovane donna è stato trattato con poca enfasi, quasi se fosse solo il pretesto per mettere a nudo le decisioni del protagonista. Da buona amante dei thriller avrei preferito che il focus restasse sull’omicidio invece, Eloisa Diaz lascia alcuni dubbi in sospeso, non ci da un finale ma una serie di domande che non trovano risposta.
Un romanzo per gli amanti dei thriller con uno sfondo storico.
 

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s 2001 in Buenos Aires and Inspector Joaquin Alzada is called to the city morgue after the body of a young woman is found in a dumpster. Getting there is easier said than done because the city is at a standstill due to protesters filling the streets. Argentina is in crisis brought on by near economic collapse and political misrule and it seems the entire country is in revolt. Not Alzada though, as apart from having a job to do (he’s unable to retire because the state can’t afford to pay police pensions) he likes to steer clear of politics. This is something he’s always done (apart from a brief period in his youth), but his reticence is also due to a brush with the forces of the state back in 1981. Then Argentina was in the grip of a military dictatorship, and his activist brother and his brother's wife were abducted.

Repentance is told in two timeframes: 2001, with Inspector Alzada lumbered with a new partner and investigating the death of the woman in the dumpster, and 1981, when his brother and his wife are disappeared, and he desperately tries to get them back. Both timeframes complement the other and both give an insight into Argentina at the time. Indeed, Repentance is much more about Argentine society than it is about either case – the murdered woman, or the abduction of his brother and his wife – and these events serve more to guide us through their respective periods. It’s an effective method, because while I knew something of Argentine history, Repentance brought these periods to life for me and I feel like the book opens a window into the history of the times.

Repentance is a well-written story that gives a real insight into the twin periods in which the author sets her narrative. Alzada and the other characters are compelling and likeable enough to drive the story forward, and while the plot, especially that set in the 2001 timeline, is somewhat sparse, it’s more than compensated for by the novel’s compelling sense of history and place.

[Book-Social · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted to Repentance initially because I didn’t know much about Argentina’s past and thought a detective novel would be the perfect in. I wasn’t wrong, especially as this detective – Joaquín Alzada – is right in the thick of some very dark times in Buenos Aires. Alzada in the book is trying to read Montalbano and fans of Camilleri’s series will love the similarities and the nod.

Boy what a life Alzada has lived, glimpsed at via flashbacks, there is a whole series of back story right there. In some ways that’s very much what Repentance felt like, an introduction. It sieves out the most important things but you want to read what’s been passed through. Jorge, Galante, Petacchi are all characters I now NEED to know more about. And doesn’t Estratico just make the perfect side kick?

With so much back story the present day murder is almost not needed. Yet Diaz uses it to perfectly illustrate the difficulties of operating within the system. The dangers of trying to police properly when you are hated by the public and shadowy senior figures block your every move. Do you keep your head down just to get by? Or do you risk everything and try to do what is right? Once again Estratico plays the perfect rookie, naive and hopeful to Alzada’s resigned frustration.

I really appreciated how Diaz steered away from the predictable by making Sorolla different to his father. He may have similarities but he has to battle his own demons. The man he will become is only just emerging and, again, it would be interesting to read more about him. Come on Diaz give us a series, please!

My thanks go to Weidenfeld & Nicholson via The Random Thing Tours for a copy of Repentance in exchange for an honest review. It’s a strong, tension filled debut that wets the appetite for further books. I for one am in the queue waiting.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Possible Spoilers***
I could have agreed with those that gave this novel three stars, but I'm giving it two because I have a particular critique that isn't like any of the other reviews. I know a lot about this era, so I was wanting to like this book. Argentinian writers need to come to grips with their country's history just as every nation's writers need to examine their own societies. This book neither says anything new or enlightening about a horrific period, nor does it work on other levels, for me. This is a book for entertainment, you may say, and I agree that Diaz seems to have written it as such and perhaps even with an eye to the movies. But should The Dirty War, with 40,000 dead, young people mostly, be used for entertainment? I personally would not want to write or read a book that uses the My Lai massacre, for example, as a plot point in a mystery novel. I'm only speaking for myself when I say that is disrespectful. Moreover, the plot is so hackneyed--the cynical older detective, the young inquisitive one, the spoiled relationships with superiors, the faithful wife--that it only disappoints more the more you try to find something fresh in it. So, on both counts--relevance to historical events and entertainment value--this book, for me, fails. It is particularly striking that the brother's ordeal and the infamous torture cells of the regime are used as a bait to draw the reader through the story, then the actual end scenes are cursory and flat. What happened to the brother's wife? I guess we're supposed to write that bit in our own heads, or we don't care, or the author doesn't. After all that build-up, Diaz needed to do more.

[First Clue · Rating 5 out of 5]

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It’s 1981 and Inspector Joaquín Alzada has one goal: to keep his head down and avoid trouble. Not so easy when you are a cop in Buenos Aires during a period of extreme political turmoil, with Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo bearing daily witness to the thousands of citizens who have been made disappeared. But when his activist brother Jorge is among the missing, Joaquín has no choice but to use his political chips and try to save his brother. Flip to twenty years later, when Argentina is facing a serious economic crisis, with middle-class citizens going hungry and taking to the streets. Again, Joaquín’s reaction is to lie low—he’s close to retirement, after all—but circumstances won’t allow it. For one thing, the body of a woman is found, dumped near the morgue, while at the same time one of Buenos Aires’s wealthiest women has gone missing. Are they a match? Then, the twenty-something son of Jorge—raised by Joaquín and his wife—joins the protestors. Repentance isn’t so much crime fiction as it is fiction embedded in crime, and Díaz skillfully uses Joaquín’s inner voice—poignant, dryly witty, anxious—to move the narrative along. A powerful first novel that brilliantly illuminates a country, a historical period, and an individual. —Brian Kenney

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully evocative and gripping dual-time narrative set in Buenos Aires. In 1981 Argentina is under a military dictatorship. In 2001 the country is in the grip of another economic crisis and riots are breaking out on the streets. Back in 1981 Inspector Joaquin Alzada wanted to keep his head down but had to put his neck on the line when his brother was arrested. Still haunted by what happened back then, he again wants to ride this latest crisis out, but once more, when the body of a young woman is discovered in a dumpster he is again forced to question his own duty and responsibility. It’s a multi-layered and complex novel, well-written and well-paced, which explores many of the issues that have beset Argentina over recent decades. It looks at individual moral decisions and explores just what compromises people often have to make to survive under dictatorships and corrupt government. I found it a compelling and atmospheric tale, with an authentic sense of time and place, and Alzada himself an interesting and complex character who exemplifies the moral choices we often have to make. A great read.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Latin noir and debut novel Repentance, written in English by Eloísa Díaz is a tribute to her parents’ nationality. It is set in two separate timeframes, initially Buenos Aries of 1981 under military dictatorship and then twenty years later with the economic collapse of 2001. Inspector Joaquín Alzada is a police officer, the youngest ever appointed and this is the story of his professional career in turbulent times. Summoned by a telephone call, he discovers his brother, a university professor and his wife, have been disappeared by the military junta. Whist there is a crime, this saga is more a reflection on a man and the impact of these two major events on his family, work and personal values. A powerful story of two momentous periods of Argentine history, despite its somewhat misleading crime fiction label and so a three-star read rating. With thanks to Polis Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Sparire a Buenos Aires” si sviluppa su due piani temporali: il 2001 (la parte attuale del libro), dove l’ispettore Joaquin Alzada assieme ad un suo sottoposto vengono chiamati dal medico legale ad investigare sul cadavere di una giovane ritrovato in un cassonetto e sulla sparizione di una giovane dell’alta borghesia argentina e il 1981, in cui un giovane Joaquin si ritrova alla ricerca del fratello, scomparso, vittima della dittatura argentina, in quanto militante dei sindacati e professore universitario, scomodo alle autorità fasciste.
L’idea iniziale del libro sarebbe stata anche interessante e a suo modo geniale, ma non mi è piaciuto come l’autrice ha scelto di sviluppare la storia, creando buchi di trama e rimpolpando di aneddoti la storia, per finire a leggere qualcosa che non c’entra molto con l’idea iniziale; per questo il mio voto è solo di 3 stelline, poiché l’idea era carina, ma il romanzo in se per me è stato un flop.

[Sille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romaani tegevustik toimub Argentina pealinas Buenos Aireses aastatel 1981 ja 2001. Politseinik Joaquin Alzada on jäänud ellu ja säilitanud terve mõistuse kaootilises ühiskonnas, mida raputavad riigipöörded, rahva ülestõusud, inimeste kadumine.
Alzada elab koos oma naise Paula ja vennapojaga lihtsat elu, kui rahutused taas kord pead tõstavad ning samal ajal leitakse tundmatu noore naise laip ja kaduma läheb linna ühe mõjukamasse perre kuuluv naine. Koos uue noore partneriga üritatakse tegeleda uurimistööga, samal ajal ei anna Alzadale jätkuvalt rahu minevikuvarjud - tema venna ja vennanaise kadumine.

[Kathleen (itpdx) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book in my quest to understand Argentina. It tells the story of policeman Alzada in two time periods—1980 and 2001. It is a peek at a middle class family in Buenas Aires during times of protest and turbulence. The reader sees the political balancing act that the police have to navigate to follow the commands of their superiors, to respond to crimes among the wealthy and to catch other criminals. And we see how careful the middle class has to be to survive.
I understand that the author wrote the book in English even though it isn’t her first language. I find that there is a very nuanced difference in her use of language that adds a delightful flavor to the book.