Full of swaggering attitude, this gritty and raw novel peels open the horrors of corruption and exploitation within the state and church. Journalist Veronica helps a man who is convinced his wife has abducted their child and Justice Department attorney Federico investigates a lorry containing human body parts. The separate incidents gradually fuse together and reveal links to people in power that will put their lives in danger. Three stories sit in the prologue, each introducing the main aspects of the novel, and then as the main tale starts they begin to twist and writhe around and through each other. While this is the third in the Veronica Rosenthal Mystery series, it was my first introduction. I’m always hesitant to join an already established series, you’re not sure what you’re missing out on, and may even flounder without knowledge of the previous books. Here, the writing by Sergio Olguin is such that I was able to slip straight into the tale and was immediately captivated. Beautifully translated by Miranda France, you can feel, almost taste Argentina, appreciate the differences and yet feel right at home. The intricate plot and large numbers of characters fell into place. There is a feeling of frank openness, with both the theme and characters, at times almost a devil-may-care attitude wafts from the page. I felt as though I already knew Veronica, she has an earthy, piercing honesty and vulnerability that sat with me as I read. The ending crashed over me, and then separated again in tune with the prologue, and as I read the final line, a wave of goosebumps scattered down my arms. There Are No Happy Loves is a provocative, heady novel fully capable of breaking thoughts and piercing feelings.
Haunted by nightmares of her past, Veronica is soon involved in a new investigation. Dario, the sole survivor of a car accident that supposedly killed all his family, is convinced that his wife and child have in fact survived and that his wife has abducted their child. Then a truck searched in the port of Buenos Aires on suspicion that it is carrying drugs, is revealed to be transporting human body parts. These seemingly separate incidents prove to be tied in a shadowy web of complicity involving political and religious authorities. This is a dazzling thriller but also a story about the possibilities of love, in which jealousy, eroticism, humour and even elusive moments of happiness make an appearance.
Sergio Olguín was born in Buenos Aires in 1967. His first work of fiction, Lanús, was published in 2002. It was followed by a number of successful novels, including Oscura monótona sangre (Dark Monotonous Blood), which won the Tusquets Prize in 2009. His books have been translated into English, German, French and Italian. The Best Enemy is the fourth in the crime thriller series featuring journalist Verónica Rosenthal, following on from the success of There Are No Happy Loves, The Foreign Girls and The Fragility of Bodies. Sergio Olguín is also a scriptwriter and has been the editor of a number of cultural publications.
