Synopses & Reviews
It is the most dramatic and tumultuous period in Argentinas history. Colonel Juan Perón, who had been the most powerful and the most hated man in the country, has been forced out of power. Many people fear that his mistress, radio actress Evita Duarte, will use her skill at swaying the masses to restore him to office. When an obscure young woman is brutally murdered, police detective Roberto Leary concludes that the murderer mistook the girl for Evita, the intended target of someone out to eliminate the popular star from the political scene.
The search for the killer soon involves the murdered girls employer, who is Evitas dressmaker; her journalist lover; and Pilar, a seamstress in the dress shop and a tango dancer. The suspects include a leftist union leader who considers Juan Perón a fascist and a young lieutenant who feels Perón has dishonored the army. Their stories collide in this thrilling and sensuous historical mystery.
Annamaria Alfieris historical mysteries set in South America paint a vivid portrait of life at the time, in which the characters motivations—love, fear, and ambition—all compete to create an evocative tale. Blood Tango is her finest achievement yet.
Review
"This ambitious novel doesnt romanticize its historical figures. As Evita might have wanted, the common people are its stars.”—The Boston Globe
"Alfieri's novels are packed with political intrigue, religious dogma, stupefying mystery, and passionate romance....Mystery fans need to discover the novels of Annamaria Alfieri....She has a talent for taking real people and placing them into fast-paced mysteries that are intriguing and controversial."—Gumshoe Review
"This inventive South American noir reimagines the colorful relationship between Argentinean president Juan Peron and his wife Eva, caught up in a brutal murder mystery amid the tumultuous political scene of 1940s Buenos Aires."—The Christian Science Monitor
"Alfieri's atmospheric third stand-alone historical with a South American setting...Alfieri (Invisible Country) once again convincingly evokes another time and place."—Publishers Weekly
"With a spectacular cast of characters who cover the wide spectrum of Argentine politics in the Perón era, Annamaria Alfieri fashions a sly mystery around the most intriguing figure of them all, Eva. Alluring and sophisticated, with enough twists and turns to bring readers into nearly every corner of Buenos Aires, Blood Tango is a single-sitting read, full of startling revelations and clever plotting."—Manuel Muñoz, PEN/O. Henry and Whiting Writers' Award-winning author of What You See in the Dark
"A compelling mystery and a passionate and empathetic portrayal of the endlessly fascinating Evita Perón combine in a gripping tale that brings 1945 Buenos Aires fully alive."—Carolyn Hart, author of What the Cat Saw
Review
"Atmospheric...Alfieri (Invisible Country) once again convincingly evokes another time and place."—Publishers Weekly
"With a spectacular cast of characters who cover the wide spectrum of Argentine politics in the Perón era, Annamaria Alfieri fashions a sly mystery around the most intriguing figure of them all, Eva. Alluring and sophisticated, with enough twists and turns to bring readers into nearly every corner of Buenos Aires, Blood Tango is a single-sitting read, full of startling revelations and clever plotting."—Manuel Muñoz, PEN/O. Henry and Whiting Writers' Award-winning author of What You See in the Dark
"A compelling mystery and a passionate and empathetic portrayal of the endlessly fascinating Evita Perón combine in a gripping tale that brings 1945 Buenos Aires fully alive."—Carolyn Hart, author of What the Cat Saw
Review
"Alfieri's atmospheric third stand-alone historical with a South American setting...Alfieri (Invisible Country) once again convincingly evokes another time and place.""—Publishers Weekly
"With a spectacular cast of characters who cover the wide spectrum of Argentine politics in the Perón era, Annamaria Alfieri fashions a sly mystery around the most intriguing figure of them all, Eva. Alluring and sophisticated, with enough twists and turns to bring readers into nearly every corner of Buenos Aires, Blood Tango is a single-sitting read, full of startling revelations and clever plotting."—Manuel Muñoz, PEN/O. Henry and Whiting Writers' Award-winning author of What You See in the Dark
"A compelling mystery and a passionate and empathetic portrayal of the endlessly fascinating Evita Perón combine in a gripping tale that brings 1945 Buenos Aires fully alive."—Carolyn Hart, author of What the Cat Saw
About the Author
Annamaria Alfieri is president of the Mystery Writers of America-New York chapter. She lives in New York City. Blood Tango is her third novel.