Why a Booktrail?
Various : Let’s just say if that cover chills you, you haven’t seen anything yet…
Various : Let’s just say if that cover chills you, you haven’t seen anything yet…
“Mexico City Noir” is a collection of 12 crime-related short stories with settings in and around Mexico City. A wealth of neighbourhoods from rich to poor gives a sense of the city in all of its forms. One theme which stands out is the nature of the police force and the danger that citizens in the city can and do face on a day to day basis.
They say that it’s hard to get much more noir than Mexico City and this book is testament to that. Just let’s say that figure on the front cover is the least of your worries…
Feel the buzz of the city, the pace of the city and the emotions of those who live here.
To sum up, the editor/author himself has written a line that describes the city in its entirety –
“Snow White vs. Dr. Frankenstein.”
With this in mind, delve into these stories and remember those you meet along the way.
Taibo obviously knows, loves and feels the heartbeat of the city. The city’s pain is his pain and in his varied descriptions about the streets and the neighbourhoods in the city, the thread that ties it all together is the chaotic one of the police force. A police force which governs and controls the people instead of serving their best interests. Local policemen are often feared he writes, and victims of crime are scared to report the criminals for fear that they are possibly too close to home.
This is not just a journey around the neighbourhoods however as we also go on a time travel journey from the city Taibo knows today to that which existed many years ago. Again the bigger picture forms to show us the development of the city and the social, political and cultural upheavel that this city has both endured and enjoyed.
The city does not appear in a good light here but it is still a fascinating one. Best read from the comfort of your armchair.
Guide: Kathleen George, Paco Taibo Destination: Mexico City Departure Time: Various
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