Mystery Book Reviews

Book Review: Thursday Night Widows

By Sandy Amazeen Apr 2, 2010, 16:26 GMT

"An agile novel written in a language perfectly pitched for the subject matter, a ruthless dissection of a fast decaying society"-José Saramago, Nobel Prize winner The English translation of hit novel Las Viudas de Los Jueves! "Piñeiro\'s clever U.S. debut.. . illuminates the hypocrisies of the country\'s upper classes after 9/11.?-Publishers Weekly "Piñeiro is particularly skilful at exposing the social forces undermining Argentine society, and the fragility of personal relationships. ...more

Recently translated into English, this new release by an Argentinean author opens with a gruesome bang as three bodies lie unnoticed at the bottom of a swimming pool in the upscale Cascade Heights neighborhood. Safely ensconced in their gated community, Ronie Guevara, El Tano Scaglia, Gustavo Mastta and Martin Urovich got together every Thursday night for dinner and drinks, that is until one fateful night. What follows is a roundabout tale leading up to the murders that showcases the elitist attitudes of the rich as they ignore the plight of their country on the verge of anarchy and those living in abject poverty.

Primarily told from the perspective of Ronie’s wife Virginia, a successful realtor catering to the wealthy, the story unfolds to reveal the glaring inequities between the disconnected rich and the average Argentinean. While many of the characters reactions seem over the top and the multiple murders takes a back seat to the overall story, it is an interesting read with a cautionary message to the privileged.