Who Killed Palomino Molero?: A Novel Paperback – June 24, 1998

"Who Killed Palomino Molero?" by Mario Vargas Llosa is a satirical book about the army in general, set in the coastal Peru in the 1950s. The story is secondary to the insightful and beautifully written commentary by Vargas Llosa. The mystery is straightforward, and the two guards solve the crime because individuals openly confess, not because of their investigative skills, not with the help of any Sherlockian deductions or forensics. The book offers a beautiful and fascinating depiction of life in coastal Peru around the 1950s as well as a portrait of life in poverty and of how individuals may find meaning and even happiness under depriving, inhospitable conditions. The book is atmospheric, brooding, and existentially gripping portrait of Peruvian life in the mid-century. The writing is melodious, yet using simple language, and Vargas Llosa manages to depict the scorching Peruvian sun, the smell of the landscape, the sounds of the villages. The book is a good read for students and literature enthusiasts.