Roberto to the Dark Tower Came

A successful South American journalist makes his way into the deepest heart of darkness in this unrelentingly grim thriller from Epperson (The Kind One). The book opens in an unnamed South American country with Roberto receiving a disturbing message that, because of his recent exposés of violence, he will die if he doesn’t leave the country in 10 days. He decides to leave his paper, The Hour, and move to Saint Lucia to be with his girlfriend Caroline. However, when he’s offered the opportunity to document war crimes by a friend who works at the American Embassy, he can’t refuse. Roberto and his friend, the troubled, talented photographer, Daniel, head to El Encanto, an estate deep in the jungle that looks like something out of a fairy tale. El Encanto was the target of a vicious paramilitary group called the Black Jaguars, who have been killing civilians. During their journey, Roberto, Daniel, and their guides discover that getting to the truth about the mass civilian slaughter may require unimaginable sacrifice. Epperson immerses readers in a dense jungle seething with treacherous flora and fauna and murderous men, punctuating terror with startling moments of beauty. Though the novel features vivid sensory detail, the strong violence will not be for everyone. (May)