Argentina - The Secret in Their Eyes

Book #6: The Secret in Their Eyes - Eduardo Sacheri

"Benjamín Chaparro is a retired detective still obsessed by the brutal, decades-old rape and murder of a young married woman in her own bedroom. While attempting to write a book about the case, he revisits the details of the investigation. As he reaches into the past, Chaparro also recalls the beginning of his long, unrequited love for Irene Hornos, then just an intern, now a respected judge."

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That's a terrible summary. Absolutely terrible. Not inaccurate, I suppose, but had I not done further research into what the book is actually about, I certainly would never have selected it based on that information. More than the above, it's about the political realities of Argentina in the 1970s and early 80s. Chaparro is not really a detective. He's an administrative clerk in the federal judiciary, who coordinates with local detectives and oversees criminal cases in Buenos Aires. One of his cases becomes personal, and it weaves through his entire career - causing great upheaval, both emotional and physical - to many people in Chaparro's life. It's an entertaining read, though it does lag a bit in places. And while the main storyline - the rape and murder of a young woman and the resulting police investigation - unfortunately could be moved to any location, the storyline takes twists and turns that are decidedly unique to the political climate of Argentina at the time.