Set in northern Argentina, the gorgeous and gruesome story of two brothers following in their criminal father’s footsteps in a bloody battle to save their family from drug lords, perfect for fans of Don Winslow and Narcos.
Tom��s Cruz swore he would never be like his father, an abusive cocaine junkie whose gangland exploits are notorious throughout the underbelly of northern Argentina. When Samuel Cruz is sentenced to thirteen years in prison, he leaves a laundry list of unfinished cartel business. Seba, Tomás’s revered older brother, has no choice but to abandon his straight life and take over his father’s underworld debt.
Now fifteen years has passed, Seba has been arrested, and the ruthless cartel boss is holding his wife and daughter as collateral—just in time for the holidays. Tomás is forced to choose between protecting his family and his soul as he assumes the to-do list where Seba left off, plunging into the shocking depravity of the cartel to track a drug deal gone wrong. On a bloody quest for underworld justice that will take him from a nightmarish bar staffed by teenage sex slaves to the murky depths of the Paran River, Tomás discovers himself capable of violence he never thought possible. He must ask himself if he really is his father’s son . . . and he may not like the answer.
Argentinian noir wunderkind Nicolás Ferraro’s first novel to be translated into English, Cruz was a finalist for the prestigious Dashiell Hammett Award for Best Crime Novel.
Genre: Mystery
Tom��s Cruz swore he would never be like his father, an abusive cocaine junkie whose gangland exploits are notorious throughout the underbelly of northern Argentina. When Samuel Cruz is sentenced to thirteen years in prison, he leaves a laundry list of unfinished cartel business. Seba, Tomás’s revered older brother, has no choice but to abandon his straight life and take over his father’s underworld debt.
Now fifteen years has passed, Seba has been arrested, and the ruthless cartel boss is holding his wife and daughter as collateral—just in time for the holidays. Tomás is forced to choose between protecting his family and his soul as he assumes the to-do list where Seba left off, plunging into the shocking depravity of the cartel to track a drug deal gone wrong. On a bloody quest for underworld justice that will take him from a nightmarish bar staffed by teenage sex slaves to the murky depths of the Paran River, Tomás discovers himself capable of violence he never thought possible. He must ask himself if he really is his father’s son . . . and he may not like the answer.
Argentinian noir wunderkind Nicolás Ferraro’s first novel to be translated into English, Cruz was a finalist for the prestigious Dashiell Hammett Award for Best Crime Novel.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"The triple frontier, so sharp and treacherous. Nicolas Ferraro's prose in this magnificent novel is metallic and brief, and it makes the sound that death would make if it were close. This young author introduces a new language into crime fiction. A border language." - Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
"Ferraro's Cruz is like an exquisitely crafted blade, beautiful to the eye but deadly effective." - Reed Farrel Coleman
"As cold and shocking as a gun barrel against your neck, Cruz is about the blood you share with family, and the blood you spill because of it, set in the savage underbelly of Argentina. A darkly fun, fast-paced and compulsively readable noir thriller." - Jordan Harper
"With a unique and savage talent, Ferraro shapes the darkest horrors of depravity into an engaging plot with a stunning climax. Cruz, a cunning bildungsroman of evil, entices the reader into murderous collusion with young Tomas, and the emotional impact resonates long after the final twist." - Vicki Hendricks
"Nicolas Ferraro is the kind of writer who understands how to use blood to tattoo a story on your soul. Cruz is a grimy, gritty, hyperviolent novel about debts, loyalty, and bad decisions that's as fast and brutal as a prison shanking, and you'll love every minute of it. Cruz says 'I love you' with its middle finger. Don't miss it." - Gabino Iglesias
"Written with a relentless pace, Cruz explores the ferocity of family loyalty and treachery. This is a window into a world most people don't know and no one will forget." - Chris Offutt
"After seventy years of voracious and omnivorous reading, finding a new writer remains a great pleasure, especially one who honors tradition while speaking clearly, even beautifully, in a voice all his or her own. Nico Ferraro is one of those writers." - James Sallis
"Ferraro's Cruz is like an exquisitely crafted blade, beautiful to the eye but deadly effective." - Reed Farrel Coleman
"As cold and shocking as a gun barrel against your neck, Cruz is about the blood you share with family, and the blood you spill because of it, set in the savage underbelly of Argentina. A darkly fun, fast-paced and compulsively readable noir thriller." - Jordan Harper
"With a unique and savage talent, Ferraro shapes the darkest horrors of depravity into an engaging plot with a stunning climax. Cruz, a cunning bildungsroman of evil, entices the reader into murderous collusion with young Tomas, and the emotional impact resonates long after the final twist." - Vicki Hendricks
"Nicolas Ferraro is the kind of writer who understands how to use blood to tattoo a story on your soul. Cruz is a grimy, gritty, hyperviolent novel about debts, loyalty, and bad decisions that's as fast and brutal as a prison shanking, and you'll love every minute of it. Cruz says 'I love you' with its middle finger. Don't miss it." - Gabino Iglesias
"Written with a relentless pace, Cruz explores the ferocity of family loyalty and treachery. This is a window into a world most people don't know and no one will forget." - Chris Offutt
"After seventy years of voracious and omnivorous reading, finding a new writer remains a great pleasure, especially one who honors tradition while speaking clearly, even beautifully, in a voice all his or her own. Nico Ferraro is one of those writers." - James Sallis
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