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Gabino Iglesias

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The Devil Takes You Home: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Gabino Iglesias (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 1,006 ratings

Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

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This genre-defying, Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker award-winning thriller follows a father desperate to salvage what's left of his family—even if it means a descent into violence.

Buried in debt due to his young daughter’s illness, his marriage at the brink, Mario reluctantly takes a job as a hitman, surprising himself with his proclivity for violence. After tragedy destroys the life he knew, Mario agrees to one final job: hijack a cartel’s cash shipment before it reaches Mexico. Along with an old friend and a cartel-insider named Juanca, Mario sets off on the near-suicidal mission, which will leave him with either a cool $200,000 or a bullet in the skull. But the path to reward or ruin is never as straight as it seems. As the three complicated men travel through the endless landscape of Texas, across the border and back, their hidden motivations are laid bare alongside nightmarish encounters that defy explanation. One thing is certain: even if Mario makes it out alive, he won’t return the same.

The Devil Takes You Home is a panoramic odyssey for fans of S.A. Cosby’s southern noir, Blacktop Wasteland, by way of the boundary-defying storytelling of Stephen Graham Jones and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY: NPR, Harper's Bazaar, Chicago Tribune, Vulture, Oprah Daily, CrimeReads, The Millions, and many more!

An Edgar Award Finalist • A Bram Stoker Award Winner • A Shirley Jackson Award Winner • A Book of the Month Club Pick • An August Indie Next List Selection • An ABA Indie Bestseller

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Review

"Some nightmares you wake from just leave you in an even worse nightmare. And then Gabino Iglesias holds his hand out from that darkness, takes you home."―Stephen Graham Jones, author of THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS

"Pure noir, overflowing with the rage and sorrow of our times, The Devil Takes You Home is brutal, hallucinatory, and somehow, beautiful. This novel confirms what some of us already knew: Gabino Iglesias is a fierce, vital voice."
―Paul Tremblay, bestselling author of SURVIVOR SONG

"Vintage noir, with an air of “Heart of Darkness,” played at America’s Southern border, for all the racism and heartache that implies. (Iglesias calls it “barrio noir.”) What you’re not expecting is magic realism (and that bit of horror) paired to pitch-dark crime fiction about cyclical violence."―Chicago Tribune

"The Devil Takes You Home begins with pain. Like life, it starts with tears. It ends with transcendence. In between we are treated to some of the finest, most terrifying and heartbreaking writing you will read this year. Gabino Iglesias is like one of the old baroque masters, painting hyper-realistic images directly into your brain. Images that will make you cry, make you gasp, and make you see the world in a new light. The Devil Takes You Home is not to be missed.”
―S.A. Cosby, New York Times-bestselling author of RAZORBLADE TEARS and BLACKTOP WASTELAND

“The Devil Takes You Home is carried by a voice and rhythm, shaving sharp and wholly indelible. Iglesias never fails to keep a masterful foot on the pedal, feathering off the gas at times only to inevitably press it to the floor and pin us to our seats.”―David Joy, author of WHEN THESE MOUNTAINS BURN

“Strap yourself in for this astonishing novel and its hallucinogenic mixture of crime and horror. Unforgettable characters, a pulse-pounding story, and a few scenes that will haunt you until the end of your days. Not since Denis Johnson’s Angels have we seen desperate characters like this, not to mention incandescent prose that is relentlessly brave, urgent, and honest. A page-turner with attitude…don’t miss it.”

―David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Anthony and Thriller Award-winning author of Winter Counts

“A grim rumination on the vacuum of loss, and who we become when we try to fill those gaps. Here there be bloodshed, oh yes, sudden lyrical frenzies peppers over the main course of calamity. Every time you think the book got quiet, it screams again. And note: you’ll never look at bolt cutters or crocodiles the same way again.”―Josh Malerman, New York Times-bestselling author of Bird Box and Daphne

“Though a young writer, Gabino Iglesias writes with the authority of a writer who’s been down this road many times before. The Devil Takes You Home moves at a lively pace and concerns a man who isn't any better than he ought to be but not a whole lot worse either. In classic noir fashion he becomes involved in messes he ought to have left alone, let others sort it out, but he just can't seem to do that. Iglesias' prose is smooth where smooth is called for and rough or a bit mean when smooth won't work.”―Daniel Woodrell, award-winning author of Winter’s Bone

“Full of violent truths, The Devil Takes You Home is one of the best books I have read in a long time. An incredible, unforgettable read.”―Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger and The Fervor

“A ragged-edged bloody bullet-hole of a book — Iglesias has written a dark-hearted tale about the burden of loss, the struggle of poverty, and the long and literal shadow of death.”―Chuck Wendig, bestselling author of WANDERERS

“Gabino Iglesias is a writer like no other, with a powerful, distinctive, savage voice that transcends genre. In The Devil Takes You Home, he blends elements of noir, thriller, and horror into a brutal and brilliant novel. Brace yourself for the ride—this is his best work yet.”―Jennifer Hillier, Thriller Award-winning author of Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts

“The Devil Takes You Home inarguably establishes Gabino Iglesias as one of our most innovative, exhilarating, and gifted novelists who, once again, blends genres with exquisitely dark, compelling, and provocative results. This novel takes no prisoners."―Daniel A. Olivas, Los Angeles Review of Books

"The world of The Devil Takes You Home is harsh and unforgiving, its desert the most treacherous terrain. Iglesias does such a place justice in his brawny, serpentine, and remarkably poignant novel."―Thane Tierney, Bookpage

“[A] haunting noir thriller…a borderlands odyssey that blends noir and magical realism, meditations on religiosity and human cruelty, and social commentary on guns, the drug trade and resurgent racism.”―Simon Romero, The New York Times

“This is no ordinary thriller…Scenes of magic, love, family, and faith are contradicted by brutality, violence, racism, and terror. This is a master class in discomfort, a Barrio Noir, and a raw crime story that unapologetically incorporates the ghosts, language, and traditions of the people it honors. It is also a compelling, revenge fantasy with a deadly twist, one that readers will be unable to forget. The violence is brutal and graphic, but the story is also lyrical and staggeringly beautiful. It is an entertaining and thought-provoking book about human truths and the monsters at their core. Suggest to fans of S. A. Cosby and Stephen Graham Jones, who also write stories told by marginalized, sympathetic, and complicated characters in which every detail matters.”―Library Journal, STARRED review

“Iglesias’s take on the one last job genre is a mediation on grief and rage.”―Keziah Weir, Vanity Fair

“Riveting…a barrio noir that invites readers to consider the depths of darkness in this world, its material effects, and the cycles of violence we both willingly and perforce enter into…The mix of religious, superstitious, and supernatural elements add a dimension to the novel that heightens its horror, but also its social commentary…The Devil Takes You Home may not be a cheerful book, but it still allows glimpses of love, moments of connection, and glimmers of beauty to exist. Even if those can't save us, they point toward what, with some effort and luck, just might.”―Ilana Masad, NPR.org

“[THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME] cycles between pulse-pounding thriller, diabolical horror, and violent narcoliterature…. Readers captivated by the characters’ motivations and the occult pyrotechnics will quickly devour it whole.”―Kirkus Reviews

"Iglesias effectively portrays Mario’s fragile mental state and builds a subtle but complex mythology out of chilling details. Readers should be prepared for some intense violence, as well as passages of untranslated Spanish (“Melisa y yo morimos en vida, and that’s the worst kind of death”). Fans of creepy but emotionally deep action novels will be satisfied."―Publishers Weekly

“If there is one title in this gathering that symbolizes everything that is right with the major publishers’ eagerness to embrace horror in 2022, it is The Devil Takes You Home . . . a barrio noir horror tour de force."―Library Journal's Summer Horror Preview

“There is nobody who writes quite like Gabino Iglesias. His prose combines lush, gorgeous, poetry with brutal metaphors in ways no other author has quite mastered.”―HorrorDNA

"There are real scares and supernatural ones, all enveloped in a propulsive, unforgettable journey."―Austin American-Statesman

“A gory journey through Texas and Mexican border towns. Iglesias describes his fiction as ‘Barrio Noir,’ a genre that combines crime and horror with multiculturalism and political issues. The incongruity of devotion to family with brutal vigilante justice creates dreadful tension as Mario tests his new moral compass.”
―Becky Meloan, Washington Post

"An excellent crime novel driven by righteous grief, fierce narration, and raw violence. Iglesias takes us on a vivid exploration of pain and rage, along the Southwest border where the horrors of reality and the supernatural intertwine."―John Woods, author of LADY CHEVY

“The line between noir and horror not only gets blurred in Iglesias's The Devil Takes You Home; it gets obliterated. His barrio noir is a new kind of fiction, profoundly moving, despairing and scary all at once.”
―Brian Evenson, author of LAST DAYS

“A brutal journey across America’s southern border and back again, through an underworld in which unearthly powers are used for unsavory purposes (there’s a scene involving bolt cutters that haunts our dreams). It’s a devastating book about cyclical violence, poverty, and love, one that posits that the true test of life in America may ultimately be deciding which devil you sell your soul to.”―Emily Hughes, NY Magazine / Vulture

“The Devil Takes You Home is an unforgettable neo-noir nightmare written with a poet's heart.”―Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of the Eddie Flynn series

"The Devil Takes You Home is a wild ride through grief, faith, loss and monstrosity. Gabino Iglesias's sharp prose and visceral, haunting vision have birthed a riveting novel no reader will soon forget. Fresh and genuinely scary."

―Tananarive Due, American Book Award-winner author of Ghost Summer and My Soul to Keep, producer of Shudder’s Horror Noire, and UCLA professor of Horror and Afrofuturism

"My pick put me through the ringer…It's the story about one man's descent into hell, with violence so relentless I kept grabbing my bookmark to take a break. But I also kept coming back, unable to resist his crisp, propulsive writing…Mario thinks he'll get a new start teaming up with two other men to hijack a drug cartel's cash shipment before it gets to Mexico. Instead, he gets a dark odyssey made even darker, and not necessarily by the beatdowns, shootings, not even that long, terrifying tunnel under the border, but by his own growing realization that he's not as morally bankrupt as he thinks he is."―Melissa Gray, senior producer, Weekend Edition, NPR/Weekend Edition Sunday

"Tackling everything from border racism to religious extremism and our country’s role in fueling the drug trade, it’s a page-turner that transcends genre. Yet with its blend of horror, noir, and magical realism, the book is also a dread-inducing read tailor-made for the spooky season ahead.”―Austin Monthly, Chris Hughes

"With a noir voice reminiscent of Jim Thompson, this book charges into rage and despair, sparing no one, least of all the reader. Strap yourself in."

―Chris Offutt, author of The Killing Hills and Country Dark

"an intoxicating story of a man in desperate financial straits who turns himself into a hitman and accepts a highly dangerous contract on a cartel transport operation. The job takes him and two others across Texas and further into an abyss of violence, existential dread, and paranormal happenings”―Crimereads

"Beautifully written and absolutely devastating, The Devil Takes You Home heralds the ascent of a major crime writer."―Crimereads, The Best Novels of the Year

"This book really stuck with me. Like, left a dark thumbprint on my soul days afterward. Gabino was always poised for great things and this is roaring proof of that. It's the kind of book I had to read during the day, or with all the lights on. Completely unexpected, uncompromising, and something no one else in the world but Gabino could write."―Rob Hart, LitReactor

“[A] very effective horror story… make no mistake: the conviction that our world is irredeemable is powerfully rendered here. It’s present in an utterly harrowing set piece that takes place in a shotgun shack in San Antonio, in the pitch-perfect plot twist at the end of the book, and, most viscerally of all, in Mario’s rage against the racism that has disfigured his life—an anger that couldn’t feel more of the moment if it donned a ‘Brown Lives Matter’ T-shirt.”―Jeff Salamon, Texas Monthly

“A man pushed to the brink takes a decidedly dark Walter White turn in this crime/horror hybrid with a distinctly Mexican flair. By combining a crime story with a Heart of Darkness road trip, Iglesias examines what happens to a man when his lines of morality become increasingly blurred.”
―The Source Weekly

“A compelling genre-bender fueled by unbridled and sometimes righteous wrath... part horror, part crime thriller, pure terror. Iglesias uses a fresh perspective to cast an unflinching eye on social issues, racism, and feelings of Otherness. More ingenious is how the author uses his deeply flawed protagonist to immerse the reader and confront them with social commentary. It’s a bleak thrill ride with no easy answers and no easy outs for any of its characters until its bittersweet end. You don’t want to miss this one, especially with an adaptation currently in the works.”―Bloody Disgusting

"Both a fast-paced thriller and a nuanced, elegiac tale of a man who’s forever fighting his way through strange, inhospitable lands, whether it’s a country where he’s forever an “other” or a monster-infested underworld. Like his previous books and his many short stories, Iglesias’s new novel is an exercise in navigating the spaces between: between cultures, between languages, between worlds, and between genres."―April Snellings, The Big Thrill

"The long-awaited new novel from frequent Vol.1 Brooklyn contributor Gabino Iglesias takes the noir genre into some thoroughly unexpected places. Iglesias’s novel traces the last job an unlikely gun for hire agrees to do, and the increasingly bizarre and harrowing array of events that it sends him down when things don’t go according to plan.”―Vol. 1 Brooklyn

"Iglesias’s newest is chock full of vibrant culture and grisly terror as one man undertakes an odyssey to put an end to his suffering – one way or another. Brimming with noir sensibility and delightfully unapologetic, this book weaves a tangled path of terror that reminds readers there’s no one straight path to redemption.”
―Rue Morgue

"One part road narrative, one part waking nightmare, and one part revelation.”―Tobias Carroll, Tor.com

About the Author

Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and literary critic living in Austin, TX. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning novels Zero Saints and Coyote Songs. Iglesias' nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Electric Literature, and LitReactor, and his reviews appear regularly in places like NPR, Publishers Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe, Criminal Element, Mystery Tribune, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. He's been a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards twice and the Millions Tournament of Books, and is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Mystery Writers of America, and the National Book Critics Circle.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09N5R5K8W
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mulholland Books (August 2, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 2, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 897 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #194,479 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,797 in Paranormal Suspense
- #3,055 in Supernatural Thrillers (Books)
- #4,142 in Crime Thrillers (Kindle Store)

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4.1 1,006 ratings

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Gabino Iglesias

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Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and literary critic living in Austin, TX. He is the author of ZERO SAINTS and COYOTE SONGS and the editor of BOTH SIDES and HALLDARK HOLIDAYS. His work has been nominated twice to the Bram Stoker Award as well as the Locus Award and won the Wonderland Book Award for Best Novel in 2019. His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Electric Literature, and LitReactor. His reviews appear regularly in places like NPR, Publishers Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, Criminal Element, Mystery Tribune, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and other venues. He's been a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards twice and has judged the PANK Big Book Contest, the Splatterpunk Awards, the Newfound Prose Prize, and the 2021 FIU Student Literary Awards, among others. He has offered keynotes at various institutions and events, including the Lighthouse Book Project, ARRTCon, the inaugural POP_UP Academic Conference on Popular Culture, and the Revolve Creative Conference. In 2021, he received the Horror Writer’s Association Diversity Grant. Iglesias has worked as a mentor with the San Francisco Creative Writing Institute and the Periplus Collective. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Mystery Writers of America, and the National Book Critics Circle. He teaches creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University's online MFA program. You can find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.

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Yvonna Rodriguez

Fantastic!

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023

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Synopsis-
Mario’s daughter has just passed away from cancer, his wife leaves him, medical bills are piling up. He needs money - NOW. The closest thing he has to a friend, Brian, comes to Mario with a dangerous job, one that involves violence, and the bounty of $200,000. Now Mario, Brian, and Juanca have to do the impossible and steal from a drug cartel. But there is so much more to this job than what Mario signed up for.

Review-
I tried reading this book in November, but was unable to do so for various reasons. What I did hear (it was an audiobook), made me realize this was a book I really wanted to read, but when I was ready.

Fast-forward 9 months, and I know I’m ready. This time, I read a digital version of “The Devil Takes You Home” and oh my goodness it was worth it [this is by no means a reflection of the audiobook, I remember it being a good listen, it’s just the first format available]. Gabino Iglesias’ writing is great; one that effortlessly weaves between beautiful descriptions to gut-wrenching, surprise gut punches. I’d like to start by saying that I tend to shy away from themes that have to do with cartels and gun violence, but for some unknown reason, I decided I’d give this one a try. I credit a booktoker/bookstagrammer I follow (Jessie: known as @exclusivepalmbeachliving on socials) with bringing this book to my attention.

There were times when I was reading that I was transported into the world of the book, forgetting where I was, feeling the fear, tension, and paranoia that eventually Mario would feel. Iglesias was able to make me get caught up in the environment of the story, lowering my defenses, and then quickly pull me back to the gravity of the situation within the same paragraph. Suffice it to say, my heart rate was going through it.

There were a quite a bit of scary moments, and a variety in the types of horror displayed that I enjoyed. It ranged from realistic horror, religious horror, and gore. It was awesome! At one point, I kept looking from the corner of my eye because A) I had to read with the light on and B) my chair’s shadow kept freaking me out.

Themes include: religion/faith, brujería, death, repentance.

Pick Up or Put Down-
Pick this up AFTER reading trigger warnings. When you’re ready, it’s worth it!

I mentioned I don’t ingest material that deals with cartels or gun violence (when I can help it), so an author that can make me not only continue reading it, but also enjoy it, is one I want to continue reading. I’ll be working through Iglesias’ backlist throughout the rest of the year.

Vibes-
Scary, whatever your choice of horror, I’m sure you’ll find it here.

6 people found this helpful

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HMMADNESS

Sad and scary

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2024

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I enjoyed the book, weird that I heard how brutal or violent his stories are and while there were moments that I can see someone who doesn't read or watch much horror would be suprised I read nothing I thought was over the top. Could just be me.

It is a sad tale with anger inducing scenes of racism by sad angry jerks and religious fevor.

The endless cycle of violence, greed, and heatbreak is truly depressing but the writer handles it well.

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2022

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Not many books reel me in the first few pages. However, in a snap, Mr. Iglesias managed to get me hooked in like that. I am not a mother, nor have I had an entire life similar to the main character, but it was as if I were being taken a walk in his shoes, feeling the anguish of the main character and spouse over their child (and I'm speaking as someone who is keen on having her own). While the book does entail some odd unexplainable things (not gonna spoil it), at the same time, I felt I was dragged into the reality of the dark side of life.

I am aware of the reviews. Some gave a bad rating for too much Spanish. I was under the impression that this book was mainly Spanish due to spotting these comments. Well, some of the Spanish I learned more than a decade ago in high school somewhat kicked in. There were words I had a hard time translating in my mind and did need the handy-dandy translator to know what the word was (if I'm not too lazy to do so). However, it was not to the point where I was unable to know what was going on. There really isn't all that much Spanish to me (I don't even think it surpasses 10%). Especially not to the point where an English speaker wouldn't have a clue what the book says.

The violence: Yes, there is bloodshed. I see people give a low rating saying it was too much. Well, people's scale of what's too violent differ since I've read some hardcore stuff from authors like Ash Ericmore, Judith Sonnet, Ryan Harding, etc. and I'm assuming these raters don't go for the works of these authors. I'm also a writer of extreme/splatter horror. However, I did get a different feeling from Gabino's work than I did with authors who write splatter horror or even my own works ( I'm the person who clacks on their keyboard and all "huurrhurrhurrhurr" whenever I write these things). Some fictions I read are 100x gorier than Gabino's, but in my mind, it looks like an over-the-top theoretical splatter film. As for this book, rather than the mental image of me sitting behind the TV watching gore films of theater blood gushing all over the place like a broken hydrant, I feel like I was actually there. I can't put my finger on it, but even though his book wasn't the goriest thing I've read, I just felt I was there. When it came to the scene of the El Milagrito, I was legitimately angry. I had this feeling in me that wanted to scoop up the poor thing, take him away, coddle him and tell him everything will be okay now (again, words of someone who isn't that keen on being around kids, but I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone to begin with).

Anyway, for those who lowered the rating due to violence: Honestly, if brutal violent stories aren't your thing, shouldn't a book with a synopsis that mentions the MC being a hitman and messing with a drug cartel be the last thing you'd buy? I'm just curious.

Anyhow, while I don't read for the sake of feeling things, I did feel things and the book was a thrill all in one. I'm glad to finally get around to reading it. I look forward to reading more of his stories. It was a pleasure. I'm talking too much and am gonna stop after this sentence.

18 people found this helpful

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DonaldK

Memorable - but for contrary reasons?

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2023

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I waited for this book in paperback. Had not read this author's previous work, bought this one because it won the 2022 Bram Stoker award. While it was an engaging and imaginative story, that I would recommend to fans of horror-fiction, I am taking 2 stars away in my rating of it for the following reasons...
- As several reviewers have noted, there were a bit too many times for my liking in the book where I felt I might be missing some context pertinent to the story because I do not speak (or read) Spanish.
- Yes, it is a 'horror' novel. The author might have toned down a bit on the gore. Sometimes the illusion to sex, violence / gore or horror can be just as effective as the 'in your face' details.
- The author is not shy about highlighting the racism that exists in this country against brown-skinned individuals, be they here legally or otherwise. Yet the crime in the center of the story is not commited against the perpetrators (rich, white, republicans) of that racism? I found that to be out of sorts.

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Heddy Johannesen

The Devil Takes You Home!!

Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2023

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I loved this book and devoured it. The front cover is beautiful and the book is eerie, unforgettable. I loved the book. The story was unabashedly violent, brutally honest and unputdownable. I found some scenes very hard to read. I loved the breathless pace of the book. A great read. I am proud to have this on my bookshelf. I wish I understood Spanish. I would have got more out of the book. That didn't deter me from enjoying this awesome novel. I want to read more by Gabino Iglesias.

Mae

A propulsive horror novel/crime thriller about life on the margins

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2023

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This is a very dark, very violent horror novel/crime thriller about a man who is driven to extremes after his daughter is diagnosed with cancer. It's something of a propulsive read, where the momentum of the story carries you forward through moments of dread and wonder.

I think some of the strongest moments in the book are ones which show the desperation of living in poverty, and also the injustice of racism. The protagonist is Mario. His mother was from Puerto Rico, his father from Zacatecas, their marriage was in part "an easy road to citizenship for my father", and Mario describes himself, lyrically, as having been "a little brown kid with veins packed with old ghosts, colonization, pain, desperation, and whatever else [his parents] were both running away from." Everything is stacked against Mario from before he was even born. His daughter's subsequent illness, the huge medical bills, these are added psychic and financial pressures on a top of a life that is already intimately familiar with deprivation. Because of that, Mario's descent into a deadly criminal underworld feels plausible.

There are supernatural elements alongside the systemic and direct violence dealt out by humans, and sometimes these two things meld together into some truly nightmarish scenes. The book is very effective at building atmosphere, and much of that atmosphere is foreboding or outright disturbing. I think this is one of those reads that will linger in the back of your mind for a long time afterwards.

If I'm adding a practical note to my review, it would be that an advantage to reading this book on Kindle for me was that I could highlight and automatically translate bits of dialogue that are in Spanish. I don't think it would have been a real problem if I couldn't do that; anything vital was translated a few lines later anyway. The rest is part and parcel of characters and cultures that aren't monolingual. I think many immigrants in particular will resonate with reading that kind of dialogue, even if it's not in one of your languages.

William Connors

Great book!

Reviewed in Germany on August 25, 2022

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The descriptions of poverty, lack of or excessively expensive health care, the hopelessness of those at the bottom of the economy are fantastic and hard-hitting. The use of Spanish makes the description of the milieu vivid and colorful, so that you can really sense the ambience (a few important passages include a subsequent translation) . The elements of magic realism fit perfectly, something I didn't expect but which enhance the story despite the horror connected with them. I don't normally ready detective stores or thrillers, but this book is a must read!

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Crime novel or monster story?

Reviewed in Canada on September 27, 2023

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A lot of dialogue was written in Spanish and not translated so it seemed like a waste of time to me. I was expecting more of a crime novel where bad things happen when you cross the cartel. The supernatural entities really detracted from the main story and never seemed to go anywhere. is it a crime novel or a supernatural story? Not sure.

C Brittain

Belting Read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2023

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Harrowing in parts, brilliantly written.
Religion themed superstitions running alongside a jaded Hitman’s journey on one last job.
I had nightmares about the room with the crosses and the sheer helplessness of the individual on the bed ( trying to avoid spoilers)
The greed and hypocrisy of the characters in this section of the book astounded me.
Such a good book, I read it over two days- I didn’t give it five stars as I hated the ending.

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