The Mastermind
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Set in Guatemala and based on a true story, "this intriguing literary thriller will appeal to lovers of international crime fiction" (Booklist).
Guillermo Rosensweig is a member of the Guatemalan elite, runs a successful law practice, has a wife and kids—and a string of gorgeous lovers. Then one day he crosses paths with Maryam, a Lebanese beauty with whom he falls desperately in love . . . to the point that when he loses her, he sees no other option than to orchestrate his own death.
The Mastermind is based on the bizarre real-life story of Rodrigo Rosenberg, a Guatemalan attorney who, in 2009, planned his own assassination after leaving behind a video accusing Guatemalan president Álvaro Colom of his murder. This is a fascinating depiction of modern-day Guatemala and the corrupt, criminal, and threatening reality that permeates its society.
"Engaging . . . Raw and unforgettable." —Publishers Weekly
"This is a compelling story that can easily be read in a single sitting. And, as in any good mystery, when things go wrong, the novel becomes that much more interesting. Even for readers with no interest in Guatemala per se, this is one worth reading for the sheer joy of the writing itself." —Reviewing the Evidence
"A riveting account of one man's high-stakes journey to self-reckoning." —Cristina García, author of Dreaming in Cuban
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The corruption and hopelessness of modern Guatemalan politics interfere in the life of a womanizing lawyer in this engaging novel. Guillermo Rosensweig is a prominent attorney in Guatemala City with a client who believes he has discovered money laundering at the semi-governmental bank. As Guillermo works with government agent Ibrahim Khalil, he becomes lovers with Ibrahim's daughter, Maryam Mounier. When Ibrahim is murdered, authorities and Guillermo assume the second victim in the car was Maryam. In the aftermath, Guillermo's grief leads him to Miguel Paredes, a man bent on taking down the president using the financial misconduct that Ibrahim and Guillermo uncovered. With nothing left to live for, Guillermo decides to die for the cause of exposing Guatemala's corruption and agrees to Paredes's elaborate plan to make his suicide look like a murder. While weaving political commentary throughout the novel, Unger (The Price of Escape) devotes much of the first half to Guillermo's sex and love life. The engrossing romance between Guillermo and Maryam makes the alcohol-soaked grief, plan to die, and gradual recovery in the second half feel plodding and slow by comparison. Perhaps this is meant to reflect how adrift Guillermo feels without Maryam by his side, but removing the most compelling character impedes the story's initial momentum. Nonetheless, through the lens of Guillermo's doomed relationship, Unger successfully evokes the tragedy and futility of life in Guatemala in a raw and unforgettable novel.
