Breathing Through the Wound
A Novel
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
An engrossing psychological thriller that traces a widower’s descent into the seedy underbelly of Madrid, from the acclaimed author of A Million Drops and Above the Rain
“A gothic cathedral of a novel. In one corner you will find a dark thriller, in another a humorous noir, in another a poetic existentialist text...A major work.”—Ernesto Quiñonez, author of Bodega Dreams
Eduardo Quintana’s life lost all meaning when his wife and daughter were killed in a tragic accident. The once renowned painter wallows in grief and guilt, subsisting on alcohol and drugs, not caring if he lives or dies.
But when a grieving mother asks Eduardo to paint a portrait of the man who killed her son, he finds himself drawn to the unusual commission. He alone understands her need to look deep into the soul of the man who changed her life forever, and he alone can help.
As Eduardo sets out to discover what it takes to know a killer, he is pulled deeper and deeper into Madrid’s criminal underworld, where mercenaries, prostitutes, murderers, and thieves are all entangled in a dangerous and deadly web, in which nothing, and no one, are as they seem.
Named a Best International Crime Novel of the Year by CrimeReads and a Best Book of the Year by PopMatters
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Madrid portrait artist Eduardo Quintana, the hero of this twisted tale from Del Arbol (The Sadness of the Samurai), lost part of a leg 14 years earlier after a reckless driver struck the car he was riding in; the collision killed his wife and teenage daughter. Quintana remains deeply affected by his loss. His gallery owner friend, Olga, who's displaying some of his older work, informs him that Gloria Tager, one of the world's most prestigious violinists, has sought out Quintana's work in Olga's gallery and is looking to hire him to paint a portrait. Quintana reluctantly agrees to meet the musician, only to learn that she, too, lost a child to a reckless driver and that she wants him to paint a portrait of Arthur Fernandez, a drunk motorist who's been able to work the system to get out of prison early. The painter's choice to accept the commission leads to more violence. The reveals provide multiple gut punches that require readers to reevaluate their assumptions about the characters and plot developments. Noir fans will get their money's worth.
