The Plaza

Guillermo Paxton

Gang warfare in the town of Juarez. The violence is relentless, the pace frenetic and the condemnation of the authorities searing. I found the short chapters, the choppy writing style and the constantly changing viewpoint unsettling and disturbing. This is a brutal, powerful and thought-provoking novel.

Extract

He drove to the office, quickly identifying possible escape routes in case of a firefight at every stop like usual. He had been at the office just long enough to pour himself a coffee when he got a call on his cell phone. His police informant, a police dispatcher that Saul paid with small gifts and occasional cash, told him of a new crime scene. Saul quickly finished his coffee in a few swallows, gathered up his belongings, and left immediately for the action.

Parallels