Translated by Miranda France — Here at Crime Fiction Lover, we have loved the Verónica Rosenthal series of novels since the very beginning. All three previous titles in the series – The Fragility of Bodies, The Foreign Girls and There Are No Happy Loves – have been reviewed, and this month we brought you an interview with their Argentinian author, Sergio Olguín.
The previous books have been intimate examinations of the series protagonist, the beautiful but fragile investigative journalist Verónica, daughter of the influential lawyer Aaron Rosenthal. Veronica’s job and Aaron’s client list of powerful Buenos Aires businessman have given Olguín a vehicle to examine the corruption at the heart of Argentinian society, however the mysteries Verónica has solved to date have always had a parochial setting.
The Best Enemy takes the series international. The action may occur in the Buenos Aires, but the story has its roots in the Middle East, and in particular events in Gaza. To get there, Olguín has written an ambitious, almost epic novel that explores the power of journalism, how an all-powerful business elite is muzzling the press, and the complicity of nation states when they turn a blind eye to war crimes.
To do this, the author has to pull on several narrative threads: exploring Verónica’s childhood; a personal history of rivalry between a previous generation of Argentinian Communist Party members; and a bitter divorce handled by the Rosenthal firm. Alongside this, Olguín hasn’t neglected Veronica’s often steamy and complex personal life, giving her a couple of thorny dilemmas to deal with.
Initially, at least, The Best Enemy can be confusing. There number of characters makes it a little overwhelming to remember who they all are, never mind what they’ve been up to. The first few chapters are particularly heavy in exposition and action, and I did worry if I would finish the novel without understanding what exactly had happened.
Thankfully the narrative does become easier to follow, and on reflection there really isn’t anything that could have been left out. It does make condensing the plot for review purposes rather difficult, so I am going to keep to the basic mystery here. Just be assured that there is much more to the book than this.
Verónica becomes involved in the search for a missing laptop. It belonged to her old boss, Andres Goichea, who had in retirement begun an investigation in to corruption amongst Argentina’s elite. Goichea is dead – murdered – and Veronica’s current editor, Patricia Beltran, was also shot at the scene. The senior management at Nuestro Tiempo magazine don’t want to run the story, but Verónica and her colleagues are undeterred.
Meanwhile, her lover, Federico, a senior lawyer in Aaron’s firm, is overseeing the dealings for their client Sergio Mayer. Mayer has his fingers in many pies including part ownership of Nuestro Tiempo. A real estate deal is being held up over environmental concerns raised by a number of NGOs. He is going through an acrimonious divorce from his wife Roxana, and both parties are playing hardball over the eventual ownership of a security firm, Tuentor. Federico delegates the task of bringing Roxana round to his junior colleague, Angeles Basualdo, who is also his lover.
It soon becomes apparent that more than one party is after the encrypted laptop. Firstly, whoever killed Andres and shot Patricia, but also a second group, a pair of young lovers whose motivation is a mystery. There are kidnappings, bangs on the head, and chloroform knock-outs; it’s not easy being an investigative journalist in Buenos Aires. In fact, the author’s admiration for Verónica and her colleagues comes across repeatedly, as does his disdain for those who choose to turn a blind eye to crime, whether that be diplomats or senior press management.
Just as enjoyable is the author’s attention to Verónica’s life outside work, her lovers, her friends, her family. He leaves a couple of bombshells for Verónica to navigate, and our protagonist ends the book a different woman from how she began.
If you enjoy steamy thrillers, why not take a look at our review of The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran?
Bitter Lemon Press
Print/Kindle
£7.99
CFL Rating:5 Stars
