Crocodile Tears

With this novel, Rosende joins the ranks of Claudia Piñeiro, Patricia Melo and María Inés Krimer, who do not attempt to rework magic realism, but simply write good, witty and hard-hitting crime novels

It all starts in an overcrowded prison, where Diego is being held on a charge of kidnapping. Diego's lawyer, the fastidious Antinucci, secures Diego's release. But the lawyer has plans for his client, whose unexpected freedom comes at a price: he must join forces with a brutal psychopath, the Hobo, and hold up an armoured truck.

A hilarious caper ensues, as the robbery swiftly degenerates into mayhem and violence. While the men appear to be engaged in a perverse competition to see who is the most incompetent, the disparaged women Ursula Lopez, an amateur criminal with an insatiable appetite, and her rival, Captain Leonilda Lima reveal themselves to be the true protagonists. This seemingly classic lowlife crime story has a powerful message: never, ever underestimate the women.

About the Author

Mercedes Rosende was born in 1958 in Montevideo, Uruguay. She is a lawyer and a journalist when not writing fiction. She has won many prizes for her novels and short stories. In 2005 she won the Premio Municipal de Narrativa fur 'Demasiados Blues' , in 2008 the National Literature Prize for 'La Muerte Tendra tus Ojos' and in 2019 the LiBeraturpreis in Germany for 'Crocodile Tears'. She lives in Montevideo.