
Urgent Matters
Description
<b>'Part thriller, part telenovela, a well-wrought tango noir' <i>The Times</i></b>
<b>'Vivid and unforgiving' <i>Guardian</i></b>
<b>'A breathless procedural' <i<Sunday Times Crime Club</i></b>
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A devastating train crash in the suburbs of Buenos Aires leaves forty-three people dead, but not Hugo Lamadrid, a criminal wanted for murder. He seizes his change to disappear, abandoning his possessions - and, he hopes, his identity - among bodies mangled beyond all recognition.
As the police descend of the scene, only grizzled Detective Dominguez sees a link between the crash and his murder case. Soon, he's on Hugo's tail. But he hasn't banked on everything from the media to Hugo's mother-in-law getting in his way.
<b>This crackling, pacy noir shines a light on urgent social issues - if you loved <i>The Khan</i> by Saima Mir or <i>Lightseekers</i> by Femi Kayode then you'll love <i>Urgent Matters</i>!</b>
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<b>READERS LOVE <i>URGENT MATTERS</i>!</b>
'If this novel by Paula Rodriguez is anything to go by Argentinian noir may be the next big thing'
'It is a perfect slice of Argentine Noir with a current of dark humour running through it and I would highly recommend picking this up if you are looking for a sharp, energetic and compelling read'
'The stand out element of the story was the fabulous character development. All the key players feel like they are pushing their way out of the book into my world'
<b>FURTHER PRAISE FOR <i>URGENT MATTERS</i></b>
'Written in the taut, clean style of the classic pulp noir' <i>Irish Times</i>
'Evokes the teeming metropolis of Buenos Aires in a vibrant fashion' <i>Crime Time</i>
'Frenetic pace and a hypnotic, disturbing plot... An essential read' Agustina Bazterrica, author of <i>Tender is the Flesh</i>
Reviews / Votes
A vivid and unforgiving depiction of a world in which everyone..is guilty of something * Guardian * [A] breathless procedural... a notable addition to South American noir * Times and Sunday Times Crime Club pick of the week * Written in the taut, clean style of the classic pulp noir... the story barrels along at a ferocious rate * Irish Times * Part thriller, part telenovela, Paula Rodriguez's bleakly comic novel is all Argentine in its awareness of how society makes accommodation with corruption... [a] well-wrought tango noir. * The Times (Best thrillers of November) * This fast-moving novel evokes the teeming metropolis of Buenos Aires in a vibrant fashion, travelling between its poles of social differences and affording insights into a country still divided by race and class * Crime Time * With frenetic pace and a hypnotic, disturbing plot, Urgent Matters is an exploration of how facts are constructed and which of them prevail to become realities. In the post-truth era, it is an essential read -- Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender is the Flesh It has all the ingredients of the police procedurals that totally grip you. It's fast-paced, has action, suspense and great characters -- Claudia Pineiro, International Booker-shortlisted author of Elena Knows Exquisite writing. As capable of irony as tenderness, of social and cultural critique as moments of intimacy, and loaded with the frenzied pace of noir' -- Gabriela Cabezon Camara, author of International Booker-shortlisted The Adventures of China Iron It's a flight forwards, an engine that advances to the very heart of fiction, and it sweeps everything away -- K Ferrari, author of Like Flies From Afar One of the pleasant surprises of recent months. [...] Very well structured in a short, very enjoyable read * El Pais * With a frenetic pace and a distinctive mix of bitterness and lucidity, this noir novel by Paula Rodriguez is part of the rich Argentine tradition of quality fiction written with the urgency of journalism * Risbel * Paula Rodriguez belongs to that group of Argentine noir novel writers that is attracting so much interest lately * Harper's Bazaar (Spain) * It has the frantic pace of a story written with an exquisite ear for capturing the small details of the language that prevails in the world of the police, television, new technologies and also religion * Pagina 12 * A raw story that could well share a library shelf with authors like Gabriela Cabezon Camara and Leonardo Oyola -- Patricio Zunini It manages to condense drama and urgency [...] information, reflection and perspective * Radar * With the fast pace of a thriller and the tone of deep bitterness that characterizes the noir genre, Urgent Matters constructs a story in which the mysteries become clear to the reader, but they never come to light in the field of justice * Clarin * Very dark, very full of the tics of the police genre, very suspenseful, very well written -- Carlos Ulanovsky The core of the disquiet in this novel lies not so much in understanding who is guilty or innocent, but rather in revealing which story will end up prevailing -- Pablo Diaz Marenghi As soon as it starts, it grabs you by the neck and doesn't let go [...]. A great critique of journalism by a journalist -- Hinde PomenariecMore details
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