he book is set in two time periods in Buenos Aires, Argentina: the time of the Generals, when a brutal dictatorship made its enemies - anyone who they felt threatened their rule - disappear, and in 2001, when popular demonstrations in the streets are challenging a more recent administration's grip on power. The main character, Joaquin Azada, is a police officer who was young when the military dictatorship was committing atrocities, and is now retirement age, but unable to quit because of austerity measures. His brother was one of the disappeared, along with the brother's wife. Their infant son was raised by Azada and his wife and is coming into his adulthood with a variety of problems, including severe panic attacks.

In 2001, Azada has two cases on his hands: The daughter of a prominent family has disappeared, and the body of a woman has been found, brutally beaten in much the way Azada's brother once was by the regime. His eager young assistant thinks the two cases are related.

While there is a murder and an investigation, the real drama is around Azada's moral predicament, trying to justify working for corrupt authorities while knowing the price his brother paid for resistance, and how that has affected his relationship with his brother and nephew, and all of that is a way of giving readers a feel for how Argentinians caught in the middle have navigated their tempestuous history.

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 know 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. It riches are so abundant that they can't possibly be fully experience in a single reading.

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

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. ( )

Eigentlich wollte Polizeiinspektor Joaquín Alzada in Rente gehen, doch die Pensionskasse ist leer und so muss er wohl oder übel noch weitermachen. Es herrschen Unruhen auf den Straßen in Buenos Aires. Alzadas Kollegen sind alle im Einsatz. So bleibt ihm nicht anderes übrig, als der Einladung des Gerichtsmediziners Dr. Petacchis nachzukommen, der eine unbekannte tote junge Frau auf dem Tisch hat. Dann taucht auch noch Hilfsinspektor Orestes Estrático auf, der wohl ein Auge auf Alzada haben soll. Kaum ist er in seinem Büro, als ein Paar auftaucht, welches das Verschwinden von Norma Eleonora Echegaray anzeigen will, einer jungen Frau aus wohlhabender Familie. Alzada muss sich wohl um den Fall kümmern. Er will auf keinen Fall, dass sich die Ereignisse von 1981 wiederholen, als sein politisch unbequemer Bruder und seine Frau verschwanden. Und Alzada seinen Neffen aufgenommen hat.
Dieses Buch ist als Krimi deklariert, aber obwohl es einen Fall zu klären gibt, würde ich es dennoch nicht diesem Genre zuordnen. Die politischen Verhältnisse nehmen doch einen gewissen Raum ein. Erzählt wird die Geschichte auf zwei Zeitebenen – 1981 und 2001. An den Schreibstil musste ich mich erst ein wenig gewöhnen, dann hat er mir doch gefallen.
Die Charaktere sind gut gezeichnet. Eigentlich will Alzada nur noch eine ruhige Kugel schieben und nicht weiter auffallen, aber nun muss er in diesen unruhigen Zeiten doch einen Fall aufklären. Dabei ist die Gefahr groß, dass er an höherer Stelle aneckt. Seine Gedanken pendeln zwischen dem Geschehen 1981 und der Gegenwart hin- und her.
Mir hat dieser Exkurs in die argentinische Geschichte gut gefallen, auch wenn darüber die Krimihandlung zu kurz kommt. ( )

1981: Argentina is in the midst of the Dirty Wars in which 30,000 so-called subversives were ‘disappeared’ by the military dictatorship, among them Inspector Alzada’s brother, Jorge. 2001: Argentina is rocked by civil unrest caused by a plummeting economy. Alzada, known for flauting authority is relegated to desk duty while the rest of the police are on riot patrol. A wealthy Buenos Aires woman is reported missing. Contrary to orders Alzada investigates, results pointing to her abduction by a prominent politician. The police commissioner is not eager to pursue the case and with no body there is no murder case to investigate. Fortuitously for Alzada, an unidentified corpse bearing a striking resemblance to the missing woman has been found in a dumpster. Can Alzada substitute one body for the other and build a case? Chapters dealing with Jorge’s disappearance reflect the chilling brutality of the time. Chapters occurring in 2001 are a cross between police procedural and social commentary.

This debut novel is a tense thriller with excellent characters and a timely, satisfying plot. Knowledge of recent Argentinian history would help with context between these two dark eras. ( )