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Author Marcos McPeek Villatoro booklist (click here)

Book Review By Samantha S.
Home Killings by Marcos McPeek Villatoro

Romilia Chacon, 28-year-old Latina detective, has just moved to Tennessee as a member of the Nashville PD. Her first case involves investigating the brutal murder of Diego Saenz, a reporter for the Cumberland Journal. Although it looks at first as though Saenz committed suicide, Chacon finds several possible clues that prove otherwise.

Then, while reviewing the evidence, she notices one clue that ties Saenz's death to the previous serial murders of Benny Bitan, who was incarcerated at the time of Saenz's murder. Now working with partner, Jerry Wilson (the primary from the Bitan case), Chacon wades through drug dealers, illegal immigration falsifiers, and alleged Guatemalan death squad militia.

Weaving the clues together, Chacon solves the case. This novel is compelling, suspenseful and includes historical information about El Salvador. Furthermore, Villatoro paints a vivid picture of Latino communities in the U.S. and their culture, language and education.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Big focus on forensic evidence - Killer purposely leaves clues
Kind of investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
descript. of violence and chases - 60 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Race

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
United States Yes
City? Yes
Misc setting - prison

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey descriptions deaths/dead bodies
Unusual forms of death - perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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