Part of Series

Mario Conde

Series · 10 books

By Leonardo Padura

Mario Conde investigates a murder in the Barrio Chino, the rundown Chinatown of Havana. Not his usual beat, but when Conde was asked to take the case by his colleague, the sultry, perfectly proportioned Lieutenant Patricia Chion, a frequent object of his nightly fantasies, he couldn’t resist. The case proves to be unusual. Pedro Cuang, a lonely old man, is found hanging naked from a beam in the ceiling of his dingy room. One of his fingers has been amputated and a drawing of two arrows was engraved with a knife on his chest. Was this a ritual Santería killing or a just a sordid settling of accounts in a world of drug trafficking that began to infiltrate Cuban society in the 1980s? Soon Conde discovers unexpected connections, secret businesses and a history of misfortune, uprooting and loneliness that affected many immigrant families from China. As ever with Padura, the story is soaked in atmosphere: the drinking of rum in deliciously smoke-filled bars, the friendships, the food and beautiful women.

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Author

Leonardo Padura

Author · 19 books

Leonardo Padura Fuentes (born 1955) is a Cuban novelist and journalist. As of 2007, he is one of Cuba's best known writers internationally. In English and some other languages, he is often referred to by the shorter form of his name, Leonardo Padura. He has written movie scripts, two books of short stories and a series of detective novels translated into 10 languages. In 2012, Fuentes was awarded the National Prize for Literature, Cuba's national literary award and the most important award of its kind. Leonardo Padura nasceu em Havana, em 1955. Licenciado em Filologia, trabalhou como guionista, jornalista e crítico, tornando-se sobretudo conhecido pela série de romances policiais protagonizados pelo detetive Mario Conde, traduzidos para inúmeras línguas e vencedores de prestigiosos prémios literários, como o Prémio Café Gijón 1995, o Prémio Hammett em 1997, 1998 e 2005, o Prémio do Livro Insular 2000, em França, ou o Brigada 21 para o melhor romance do ano, além de vários prémios da crítica em Cuba e do Prémio Nacional de Romance em 1993. Sua tetralogia Las cuatro estaciones, com histórias do detetive Mario Conde, começou a ser publicada em inglês. Os livros são: Pasado perfecto ("Havana Blue", 2007), 1991 Vientos de cuaresma ("Havana Yellow", 2008)), 1994 Mascaras ("Havana Red", 2005), 1997 Paisaje de otoño ("Havana Black", 2006), 1998. Padura publicou também dois livros subseqüentes apresentando o detetive Conde: Adios Hemingway e La neblina del ayer Neste momento, Padura está a finalizar um romance em que os protagonistas são o revolucionário russo León Trotsky e o seu assassino, Ramón Mercader. Livros de Padura editados em português (Portugal, Edições ASA) Adeus, Hemingway Morte em Havana (Máscaras) A neblina do passado Paisagem de Outono O Romance da Minha Vida Um Passado Perfeito Ventos de Quaresma http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo...