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Review *URGENT MATTERS*


by Paula Rodriguez

Translated from the Spanish by Sarah Moses

Published by Pushkin Vertigo

an Imprint of Pushkin Press

Cover design by


Strap yourself in - this is an *electric Argentinian literary noir* & we are quickly immersed in the action by the chaos of a train crash in the Buenos Aries suburbs.


We're introduced to an eclectic group of strong characters & their reactions to the shock of the crash will lead us down numerous intricate threads of a twisting mystery.

Hugo, a crimial on the run, is one of the survivors but tries to leave the coughs, moans & panic of the injured AND his identity in the wreckage along with his possessions.


A wallet containing personal identification would usually be a key piece of evidence, a gem of a find, but will this one even be recorded at all? It could be one of many in a string of questionable steps we see.

Detective Domínguez seems to be the only one to make a connection between a murder case & current circumstances. He has his suspicions & has to decide how he's going to manage this investigation. Who can he trust? Can HE even be trusted?


Police & Government corruption is a very real issue in many countries & definitely has a role in this story. Actions of the detectives might not match the details in their notebooks or final reports - but that seems to be the norm in a lot of sketchy cases.

Religious elements & strong belief in the power of prayer abruptly butt up against the tight family ties & this disaster. Even these could be more about deception than anything else.


With DNA test results providing less than useful or desired information, frustration grows & the time factor can only hinder investigations - but might help others.

There is always a possibility of running into an unusual flow or characteristics with a translation but in this case the writing style is superb, pulls us in & we feel the energy of the drama & jeopardy on every page.


An excellent book with sharp detail & there's even room for some cultural nuance & humour. I hope more work from Paula Rodriguez is translated in the future.


Thank you Pushkin Press for including me on this tour.



Originally published as *Causas urgentes* by Alfaguara in 2021



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