This murder mystery follows a tragic overnight train journey in 1952 from Bolivia to Chile, presenting a moving environment at once carnivalesque and sinister. The novel explores the social tensions characteristic of Bolivian society in a way that is both accessible and highly entertaining.

Juan de Recacoechea was born in La Paz, Bolivia, and worked as a journalist in Europe for almost twenty years. After returning to his native country, he helped found Bolivia's first state-run television network and dedicated himself to fiction writing. His novel American Visa won Bolivia’s National Book Prize, was adapted into an award-winning film, and was translated into English and published by Akashic Books to great critical acclaim.