Author: Jorge Zepeda Patterson
- Fiction
- Planeta Publishing Co.
- ISBN: 9786070718113
- Release Date: 11-13-2013
-Reviewed by: Sara Martínez
Los corruptores is an excellent choice for translation into English. It is the gripping story about four friends, los azules – Tomás, the journalist; Amelia, president of the opposition PRD party; Mario, a professor and Jaime, an ex-DEA agent - and their collision with the narco-political culture in current day Mexico.
Like his protagonist, Tomás, Zepeda Patterson is a journalist and familiar with Mexican politics and recent history so the novel feels true. This gives the reader a sensation of immediacy which makes the suspense even more acute. There is violence but it is not over-done, it makes an impact without making sick. There is romance but it is not smarmy or simple. The mystery resembles more of the George Smiley, unwrapping of the onion type, which is appropriate as it deals with politics and corruption on national and international levels while keeping it personal as it explores the dynamic between the four friends and their families.
The writing is solid, the situations interesting and the dialogue authentic. The short chapters and changes in point of view make it an accessible and entertaining read.
