Narcoliterature, yes. Because every underworld can find a literary genre that portrays the multiple social and human derivatives from fiction.
From the Colombians Fernando Vallejo placeholder image o Laura Restrepo even the very Perez Reverte. And of course a Elmer mendoza that makes the flag of this narrative space loaded with raw realism. Narrative landscapes to fly over, with greater depth in the case of this last Mexican author. Intense scenarios, full of chiaroscuro between violence, survival, passions and life on the edge.
With black novel dyes fully contextualized to issues around the drug market in Mexico, Elmer Mendoza explores the disasters of the underworld at his leisure through Mexico, seeking to lead internal and cross-border traffic with the powerful neighbor to the north, the United States.
But that link with reality in which it seems to hyperbolize fiction, makes the novels of Elmer mendoza in sinister mirrors in which the author deals with reflecting contrasts. Because where the worst exists, the most unexpected humanity also coexists, the human condition being what it is, very given to the dichotomous, to the magical contrast.
Top 3 recommended novels by Elmer Mendoza
Silver bullets
The presentation in style of an Edgar Mendieta «the southpaw» who would land in up to 5 more novels that I know of. As an agent specialized in criminal matters, the southpaw takes on the investigation into the death of Bruno Canizales, a lawyer with too many devils as clients.
After the death of Canizales, with his silver bullet lodged in his head as a symbol of well-considered death, more crimes are chained under the same revenge pattern without further dramatization of death. Parallel and summary justices in a scenario in northern Mexico given over to that polarization between the law and the rules of the underworld. Only that Canizales is, in addition to being a lawyer, the son of a former minister.
And therefore the matter looms large of possible that lead us to see suspects in all areas. Discovering the truth will not be easy for Edgar, and what truly interests justice may be something else. In the meantime, we enjoy a fast-paced story, concise for each one to draw their conclusions, intense in its aspects also peppered by the most corrosive humor in various scenarios finally linked by that drug business introduced in all spheres.
A lone killer
The author's debut feature in which he already cleared up doubts about his desire to chronicle that reality beyond the law in Mexico further north. Engaged from the beginning in the game of chronicling a crude reality from fiction, this novel points to very possible and lurid political events from which to trace a path to the worlds of the hitman, of the accessibility of crime for anyone who has an interest necessarily to be hidden and enough money to materialize it.
Jorge Macías is an antihero, a hitman even more dangerous if possible since his disenchantment with everything. Driven by that nihilism of the spite of loves and frustrations of friendships, Macías does not hesitate to dive into the middle of every drug fray. From the eye of the hurricane, Macías, known among his employers for accurate shots like the European, will discover himself in the middle of everything, where politics, power and black money end up being the same thing.
Dog name
The third installment of Edgar Mendieta "the southpaw" is one of those novels already more successful in terms of the trade and the chosen genre (I do not put it before "Silver Bullets" because the first parts of any saga or series seem fundamental to me.
This time, the left-hander finds himself in that dangerous location between two lands. Because the armistice between the most important cartels seems to point to some kind of peace, at least momentary, with which the Mexican government can score a point. But any peace generated artificially, without conviction, ends up lasting as long as the next solitary bullet ends up escaping. Samantha Valdés demands the services of the left-hander. She commands an increasingly large Sinaloa cartel, capable of absolute monopoly.
But soon the days of truce are over when Samantha's lover ends up being murdered. With interests hidden from the boss, so as not to relaunch into new open wars, the left-hander will have to investigate the crime of Samantha's young man. With many other ramifications, possible thanks to Mendoza's concise language and narrative efficiency, we move forward through a fast-paced novel that also addresses our protagonist's emotions around fatherhood and lost loves. Too many concentrated emotions and tensions for the main research to turn out well ...
Other interesting books by Elmer Mendoza ...
She came in through the bathroom window
Sebastian Salcido, alias the Sicilian, is free after spending more than two decades in prison. He is the leader of a ruthless group of former soldiers dedicated to drug trafficking. Far from mellowing in prison, he now fiercely seeks revenge on the former police commander who managed to arrest him. Zurdo Mendieta must catch him, but very soon he will discover that he is probably one of the most powerful and heartless rivals that he has faced in his detective career.
As if things weren't difficult enough, Zurdo has a parallel mission: to find the former love of a dying businessman. Ricardo Favela, eighty-six years old, is in the hospital and the doctors give him one week to live. His last wish is to see again the woman with whom he had an intense love affair twenty-two years ago. But he doesn't even know her name.
Samantha Valdés, head of the Pacific cartel and friend of Zurdo, decides to help him because she knows who he is. The Sicilian has become a relentless threat. What will result from this alliance against a common enemy? Lefty Mendieta is in a race against that infallible clock that is death, which he will now see head-on. Will he find Favela's old love affair? You may have to find the last clue.
