A prosecutor returns to his hometown to investigate a string of brutal murders that take place during Holy Week. What begins as an inquiry among charred corpses and ritual symbols soon turns into a nightmare of betrayal, terrorism, and state corruption. From the pen of international bestseller Santiago Roncagliolo, this is a gripping thriller filled with unforgettable characters and a hauntingly real backdrop.
A deputy prosecutor returns to his hometown to investigate a series of gruesome murders during Holy Week. What begins as a procedural investigation amid burnt remains and ritualistic clues soon spirals into a descent marked by betrayal, terrorism, and systemic corruption.
Félix Chacaltana Saldívar, a meticulous, solitary prosecutor obsessed with the rule of law, is transferred from Lima to his native Ayacucho after a mutilated, charred body is discovered bearing ritual signs. He teams up with police and military officials like Commander Carrión and, to a lesser extent, Captain Pacheco.
When more bodies appear following the same pattern, Chacaltana clings to bureaucratic protocol while confronting a hostile environment: police negligence, a population paralyzed by fear, and an institutional system riddled with impunity. He begins to suspect that the terrorist group Shining Path may be behind the crimes. But terror here isn’t only political—Holy Week festivities and Andean traditions intertwine with the killings, suggesting a deeper cultural and spiritual dimension. Religious processions, folk dances, and syncretic rituals form the backdrop to an investigation that slowly unravels Chacaltana’s sense of self.
Amidst the chaos, he forms a romantic bond with Edith, a young woman working in a local restaurant whose family has ties to the guerrilla movement—her parents were Shining Path militants. Edith becomes both an emotional refuge and a source of obsession and suspicion. As the case unfolds, Chacaltana begins to crack. He suspects everyone—including her.
Following a heated argument after confirming her ties to the insurgency, Edith is found murdered. Though innocent, Chacaltana is immediately accused of all the killings, including hers. In the end, he uncovers the truth that had been in plain sight all along: Commander Carrión, the only ally he thought he had, is the real perpetrator. Driven by hatred of insurgents and religious fanaticism, Carrión has been orchestrating the murders as a twisted purification crusade. From inside the state apparatus, he has manipulated evidence to frame Chacaltana. Cornered and betrayed, the prosecutor kills Carrión and vanishes without a trace.
RELEVANT INFORMATION: Born in Peru, Santiago Roncagliolo (Lima, 1975) is one of the most acclaimed contemporary Latin American authors and the youngest winner of the Alfaguara Prize. His novels explore fear and evil through stories that blend political history with the everyday struggles of ordinary people. His nine novels have been published across the Spanish-speaking world and translated into over twenty languages.
Among his most celebrated works is La noche de los alfileres, praised for its narrative intensity and sharp insight into youth culture.
In Red April (Abril rojo), winner of the 2006 Alfaguara Prize, Roncagliolo delivers a raw, uncompromising portrait of Peru—a country caught in a cycle of violence, where the bloody ideology of Shining Path clashes with a fragile, corrupt state. Bribes, conspiracies, torture, assassinations, disappearances, and the normalized presence of violence shape daily life, and the novel reflects this reality.
More than a serial killer story, Red April is a descent into moral ambiguity—a psychological, political, and social thriller about a man obsessed with justice who ultimately confronts the horrors of the system he serves. A powerful narrative with outstanding potential for screen adaptation.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Limited Series, Feature Film, TV Movie.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Greek, Danish, Polish, Turkish, Croatian, Persian, Serbian.
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