Book description
Set amidst the political turbulence and social unrest of contemporary
Mexico City, An Easy Thing introduces English-speaking readers to
Taibo's human and world-weary protagonist, independent detective Héctor
Belascoarán Shayne. In this debut outing, our hero, who, incidentally,
possesses an insatiable appetite for Coca Cola and cigarettes, tackles
three cases simultaneously: a killing in a corrupt factory; the deadly
threats against a former porn starlet's teenage daughter; and,
strangely, the search for Emiliano Zapata, folk hero and leader of the
Mexican Revolution, rumored to be alive and hiding out in a cave outside
Mexico City. Combining black comedy, social history and a touch of
surrealism, Paco Taibo's wonderfully idiosyncratic detective novels are
admired the world over and are particularly popular in Europe and in the
Spanish-speaking world. "I loved An Easy Thing--its exuberance,
color, and human concern. It throbs with the life of the city and rocks
with its violence. We must have more of Paco Taibo this side of the
border. We need his insights, his passion and compassion." Paco
Ignacio Taibo II is a historian and writer. The winner of seven
international fiction prizes, including the coveted Moritz-Planeta
Award, he lives in Mexico City.
