Necropolis

About this book

An author visiting Jerusalem is pulled into a strangers mysterious death in this gripping moving novel by one of Colombias major literary voices. Winner of the La Otra Orilla Literary Award Upon recovering from a prolonged illness an author is invited to a literary gathering in Jerusalem that turns out to be a most unusual affair. In the conference rooms of a luxury hotel as war rages outside he listens to a series of extraordinary life stories: the saga of a chess-playing duo the tale of an Italian porn star with a socialist agenda the drama of a Colombian industrialist who has been waging a longstanding battle with local paramilitaries and many more. But it is Jos Maturanaevangelical pastor recovering drug addict ex-conwith his story of redemption at the hands of a charismatic tattooed messiah from Miami Florida who fascinates the author more than any other. Maturanas language is potent and vital and his story captivating. Hours after his stirring presentation to a rapt audience however Maturana is found dead in his hotel room. At first it seems likely that he has taken his own life. But there are a few loose ends that dont support the suicide hypothesis and the author is moved by Maturanas life story to discover the truth about his death in a literary mystery from one of the most interesting Latin American writers . . . his most ambitious novel yet (La Nacin). A modern Decameron.La Libert