Crocodile Tears

With this novel, Rosende joins the ranks of Claudia Piñeiro, Patricia Melo and María Inés Krimer, who do not attempt to rework magic realism, but simply write good, witty and hard-hitting crime novels

It all starts in an overcrowded prison, where Diego is being held on a charge of kidnapping. Diego's lawyer, the fastidious Antinucci, secures Diego's release. But the lawyer has plans for his client, whose unexpected freedom comes at a price: he must join forces with a brutal psychopath, the Hobo, and hold up an armoured truck.

A hilarious caper ensues, as the robbery swiftly degenerates into mayhem and violence. While the men appear to be engaged in a perverse competition to see who is the most incompetent, the disparaged women — Ursula Lopez, an amateur criminal with an insatiable appetite, and her rival, Captain Leonilda Lima — reveal themselves to be the true protagonists. This seemingly classic lowlife crime story has a powerful message: never, ever underestimate the women.

'Rosende, an experience lawyer, writes with a laconic style, switching playfully between narrators, rhythms and tones. An author to relish.' — Frankfurter Allgemeine

'Two genres merged seamlessly: the gangster saga and the psycho thriller, all spiced with black humour.' — Sueddeutszche Zeitung