La Cola de la Serpiente [Review in English]
Leonardo Padura. Barcelona: Tusquets Editors, 2011. 185 pp. $20.32. ISBN-13: 9788483833629
Sometimes the most tragic events in life lead us to make decisions that break the law. This is what happens to Mario Conde in the new detective novel by author Leonardo Padura. In a plot full of surprises and some humor, Conde uses all his skill as a police detective to decipher a mysterious death in Havana's China Town (“Barrio Chino”). Padura effectively portrays the Asian people who populated this neighborhood in Cuba and their experience adapting to a country so different from their home. Conde is able to move in this atmosphere to finally solve the mysterious death.
The language used in this novel is simple and colloquial. It is an entertaining novel although it does contain some facts that may have historical significance. It is a book dedicated to enthusiasts of detective novels and is directed primarily at an adult audience since it has some erotic content. The edition is printed in good quality paperback.
The language used in this novel is simple and colloquial. It is an entertaining novel although it does contain some facts that may have historical significance. It is a book dedicated to enthusiasts of detective novels and is directed primarily at an adult audience since it has some erotic content. The edition is printed in good quality paperback.
A good and entertaining detective novel. RECOMMENDED