1981

Argentina is in the grip of a brutal military dictatorship.Inspector Joaqun Alzada's work in the Buenos Aires police force exposes him to the many realities of life under a repressive regime: desperate people, terrified people and - worst of all - missing people.Personally, he prefers to stay out of politics, enjoying a simple life with his wife Paula. But when his revolutionary brother Jorge is disappeared, Alzada will stop at nothing to rescue him.

TWENTY YEARS LATER...The country is in the midst of yet another devastating economic crisis and riots are building in the streets of Buenos Aires. This time Alzada is determined to keep his head down and wait patiently for his retirement. But when a dead body lands in a skip behind the morgue and a woman from one of the city's wealthiest families goes missing, Alzada is forced to confront his own involvement in one of the darkest periods in Argentinian history - a time of collective horror and personal tragedy.

"Repentance is an apt title for this very impressive debut... It is an evocative crime thriller with a likeable, self-aware protagonist, and also skillfully explores the darkest period in Argentina's modern history."— The Financial Times

"This is an astonishingly assured first novel, written in English by a Spanish lawyer, that is both funny and moving." — The Sunday Times Crime Club

"Aficionados of mysteries with a hard edge will welcome Inspector Alzada." — Publishers Weekly

"A dark political thriller guaranteed to satisfy fans of Andrea Camilleri, Donna Leon, and Leonardo Padura." — Booklist