Setinanisolated,rundowncommunityinthePeruvianAndes,VargasLlosa'srivetingnoveltellsthestoryofaseriesofmysteriousdisappearancesinvolvingtheShiningPathguerrillasandalocalcoupleperformingcannibalisticsacrificeswithstrangesimilaritiestotheDionysianritualsofancientGreece.Part-detectivenovelandpart-politicalallegory,itoffersapanoramicviewofPeruviansociety;notonlyofthecurrentpoliticalviolenceandsocialupheaval,butalsoofthecountry'spast,anditsconnectiontoIndiancultureandtopre-Hispanicmysticism.Asinhisothernovels,VargasLlosabreathesintothisworkamagicalassemblageofnarrators,timeframesandsubplots.WemeetSenderistaguerrillas,disenfranchisedIndians,jadedarmyofficers,eccentrictownspeopleandcultworshippers,amongmanyunforgettablecharacters.Theresultisaworkofbroadsweep,powerfulnarrativedrive,andkeeninsightintooneofLatinAmerica'smostfascinatingandcomplexcountries.