Crocodilopolis
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Aug 25, 2026
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Bloomsbury presents Crocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias, read by Christian Barillas.
"A darkly intoxicating novel, at once mythic and wickedly contemporary...Here is a writer in full command of his world, delivering a ferocious meditation on masculinity, legacy, and national myth through an audacious, unforgettable book." --Ocean Vuong, the New York Times bestselling author of The Emperor of Gladness and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
From the author of national bestseller Where There Was Fire comes a gripping tale of sibling rivalry, family secrets, and the fate of a nation.
Once a powerful, cold-blooded politician in Costa Rica, Seth Oreamundo is now living in exile in Washington, DC – and his younger brother Osario is to blame. Born into a corrupt political dynasty and raised on a seemingly idyllic coffee estate, the Oreamundo brothers were destined for greatness. But a dark family secret and a scandalous double crossing sent their lives into a tailspin, changing the country forever.
Osario must pay, and Seth decides the only way to do so is to return home to Costa Rica and feed his brother to the infamous river of crocodiles from their childhood. What follows is a spellbinding story of revenge alternating between Seth's murderous plans and memories of the brothers' upbringing. With the wisdom of biblical myth and the soapy wit of a telenovela, Crocodilopolis is a masterful interrogation of power, masculinity, destiny, and legacy from a literary star on the rise.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A Costa Rican political dynasty’s hunger for power spins out of control and into a grand tragedy in this boldly expansive novel from John Manuel Arias. For three generations, the Oreamundo name has meant money and influence. Raised on a coffee plantation to believe their family’s dominance is their destiny, brothers Seth and Osario grow up to become opposing forces, with Seth running the country’s oil refinery and Osario directly in his way as the dedicated minister of the environment. When their collision leads to Seth’s fall from power, the dominoes begin toppling toward a grave reckoning. Arias’ clever nonlinear structure winds between the brothers’ childhood, their political rivalry, and the violence it ultimately breeds. The story unfolds with startling control, threading dark humor and unsettling menace through a saga where a river teeming with crocodiles is ominously never far from view. Piercing and unforgettable, Crocodilopolis reveals what men will destroy in the name of legacy.
