Who Killed Palomino Molero by Mario Vargas Llosa

This detective novel is set in Latin America, seeking the truth behind the death of Molero, a simple boy found mutilated by a shepherd. What are the real reasons behind his murder? Did he violate a socio-political taboo that justified his murder without repercussions? Llosa investigates these questions, exploring many aspects of rural Latin American society. The young man was found hanged on an old carob tree, looking more like a scarecrow or carnival puppet than a corpse. His nose and mouth were split, with dried blood clots and cigarette burns on his body. He was barefoot, half-naked, wearing only a torn undershirt. A thin, dark youth, part of the air force recruits at the local base. But that alone does not solve the mystery of his death...