Overview
«Una ciudad, una verdadera, tiene dos caras: la que la mayoría de sus habitantes entiende, y otra, la que se aparece apenas cae la noche.»
México, 1977. En la penumbra de una cantina del Centro Histórico, el Güero, un legendario periodista de nota roja, revela a sus jóvenes compañeros de dominó el secreto mejor guardado de su carrera: la historia jamás contada detrás de su célebre crónica sobre el asesinato de León Trotsky. Así conocemos a Alfonso Quevedo, un brillante criminólogo de métodos científicos que, desde su estudio, La Torre de Cristal, busca la verdad en los pliegues de la mente criminal, y a Valentín Quintanilla, un teniente curtido en la Revolución cuyo olfato y puños son su mejor arma. Forzada a colaborar por el juez Robledo, esta pareja antagónica descubre que el magnicidio no fue un acto de venganza aislado, sino la punta de lanza de una conspiración donde se cruzan los intereses del Kremlin, las cloacas del gobierno cardenista, líderes sindicales, la crema y nata del arte mexicano, y hasta el fanatismo religioso del padre Salvatierra.
La Torre de Cristal no es sólo el cuartel general de una investigación imposible: es el eje de esta novela negra que desmonta la historia oficial para subrayar que, en México, el crimen, la política y la ideología siempre han compartido la misma alcoba.
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
“A city—a real one—has two faces: the one most of its inhabitants understand, and another that only emerges once night falls.”
Mexico, 1977. In the dim light of a cantina in the Historic Center, the Güero—a legendary crime reporter—reveals to his young domino-playing companions the best-kept secret of his career: the never-before-told story behind his celebrated chronicle of the assassination of Leon Trotsky. Through him we meet Alfonso Quevedo, a brilliant criminologist who relies on scientific methods and, from his study known as The Crystal Tower, seeks truth in the folds of the criminal mind; and Valentín Quintanilla, a lieutenant hardened by the Revolution, whose instinct and fists are his greatest weapons. Forced to collaborate by Judge Robledo, this unlikely pair discovers that the assassination was not an isolated act of revenge, but the spearhead of a conspiracy entangling the interests of the Kremlin, the underbelly of the Cárdenas government, union leaders, the crème de la crème of Mexican art, and even the religious fanaticism of Father Salvatierra.
The Crystal Tower is not merely the headquarters of an impossible investigation: it is the axis of this noir novel, which dismantles the official version of history to underscore that in Mexico, crime, politics, and ideology have always shared the same bed.
México, 1977. En la penumbra de una cantina del Centro Histórico, el Güero, un legendario periodista de nota roja, revela a sus jóvenes compañeros de dominó el secreto mejor guardado de su carrera: la historia jamás contada detrás de su célebre crónica sobre el asesinato de León Trotsky. Así conocemos a Alfonso Quevedo, un brillante criminólogo de métodos científicos que, desde su estudio, La Torre de Cristal, busca la verdad en los pliegues de la mente criminal, y a Valentín Quintanilla, un teniente curtido en la Revolución cuyo olfato y puños son su mejor arma. Forzada a colaborar por el juez Robledo, esta pareja antagónica descubre que el magnicidio no fue un acto de venganza aislado, sino la punta de lanza de una conspiración donde se cruzan los intereses del Kremlin, las cloacas del gobierno cardenista, líderes sindicales, la crema y nata del arte mexicano, y hasta el fanatismo religioso del padre Salvatierra.
La Torre de Cristal no es sólo el cuartel general de una investigación imposible: es el eje de esta novela negra que desmonta la historia oficial para subrayar que, en México, el crimen, la política y la ideología siempre han compartido la misma alcoba.
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
“A city—a real one—has two faces: the one most of its inhabitants understand, and another that only emerges once night falls.”
Mexico, 1977. In the dim light of a cantina in the Historic Center, the Güero—a legendary crime reporter—reveals to his young domino-playing companions the best-kept secret of his career: the never-before-told story behind his celebrated chronicle of the assassination of Leon Trotsky. Through him we meet Alfonso Quevedo, a brilliant criminologist who relies on scientific methods and, from his study known as The Crystal Tower, seeks truth in the folds of the criminal mind; and Valentín Quintanilla, a lieutenant hardened by the Revolution, whose instinct and fists are his greatest weapons. Forced to collaborate by Judge Robledo, this unlikely pair discovers that the assassination was not an isolated act of revenge, but the spearhead of a conspiracy entangling the interests of the Kremlin, the underbelly of the Cárdenas government, union leaders, the crème de la crème of Mexican art, and even the religious fanaticism of Father Salvatierra.
The Crystal Tower is not merely the headquarters of an impossible investigation: it is the axis of this noir novel, which dismantles the official version of history to underscore that in Mexico, crime, politics, and ideology have always shared the same bed.
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