by Roberto BolañoAs promised by the title, this section of the novel, published in the paperback as its own stand-alone book, is about the killings in Santa Teresa.
Bolaño approaches this section by describing each body as it is found - he never describes the killings, or who is responsible, but instead weaves through a few years in Santa Teresa, as the body count grows.
The narrative shifts its focus onto a number of different people. There is Inspector Juan de Dios Martinez, who first comes on the stage with regards to a series of church desecrations, and who falls for the director of an insane asylum (one of the thematic links to the other parts of the novel). We also meet Lalo Cura, a young police who seems to be one of the only people on the force interested in learning modern methods of detection. As well, there is Sergio Gonzalez, a reporter who does not normally cover the crime beat. We meet Klaus Haas, a German-American who is accused of the crimes, even though they continue after he is locked up.
It is in this section more than any of the others previous that Bolaño really flexes his literary muscles. His descriptions are strong and unique, and the narrative meanders down many tangents and digressions. While the steady onslaught of murders can be overwhelming, Bolaño tempers them with what becomes a very complete portrait of life along the border.
Aside from setting and the existence of these killings, there is no real connection as of yet to the other three parts of the novel.
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