Crocodilopolis : a novel / John Manuel Arias.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"A darkly intoxicating novel, at once mythic and wickedly contemporary...Here is a writer in full command of his world, delivering a ferocious meditation on masculinity, legacy, and national myth through an audacious, unforgettable book." --Ocean Vuong, the New York Times bestselling author of The Emperor of Gladness and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

From the author of national bestseller Where There Was Fire comes a gripping tale of sibling rivalry, family secrets, and the fate of a nation.

Once a powerful, cold-blooded politician in Costa Rica, Seth Oreamundo is now living in exile in Washington, DC - and his younger brother Osario is to blame. Born into a corrupt political dynasty and raised on a seemingly idyllic coffee estate, the Oreamundo brothers were destined for greatness. But a dark family secret and a scandalous double crossing sent their lives into a tailspin, changing the country forever.

Osario must pay, and Seth decides the only way to do so is to return home to Costa Rica and feed his brother to the infamous river of crocodiles from their childhood. What follows is a spellbinding story of revenge alternating between Seth's murderous plans and memories of the brothers' upbringing. With the wisdom of biblical myth and the soapy wit of a telenovela, Crocodilopolis is a masterful interrogation of power, masculinity, destiny, and legacy from a literary star on the rise.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

A Costa Rican dynasty's lust for power drives this lush and suspenseful saga from Arias (Where There Was Fire). The novel opens with Seth Oreamundo, descended from a "long line of oligarchs-turned-politicians," exiled to Washington, D.C., with his wife and son. Hopscotching through time, Arias gradually reveals the reasons for Seth's exile. In the wake of WWII, Seth's paternal grandfather, Otilio, is expected to succeed his father as Costa Rica's president but is defeated by a Communist. A cutthroat coffee plantation owner, Otilio passes on his desire for domination to Seth, who takes a brief but lucrative role directing the national petroleum refinery. The position puts him at odds with his younger brother, Osario, minister of the environment. The story, which culminates in Costa Rica with Seth facing off against Osario's gay son during a pride parade, traces the roots of the brothers' antagonism. As children, Seth and Osario witness a battle between a crab and a viper, and Arias fascinates here and elsewhere with his insights into the nature of fate ("Power is.... a desperate lung or a gluttonous throat, it will crave," Otilio's mother tells him). Unlike his misguided protagonist, Arias remains in control to the very end of this un-put-downable novel. Agent: Erin Harris, Folio Literary. (Aug.)

Booklist Review

A Costa Rican expatriate plots gruesome revenge against his younger brother. As an oil-industry executive, Seth Oreamundo "lived a lavish, oil-slicked life" until his younger brother, Osario, the minister of the environment, prosecuted him for a catastrophic oil spill. In exile in Washington D.C.'s genteel Kalorama neighborhood, Seth waters his plants, fights with his wife, and witnesses a televised crocodile attack that spurs him into action. But the roots of Seth's violent inclinations may be in his ancestry, inherited from his powerful grandfather Otilio (modeled after real-life politician Otilio Ulate Blanco), who "crushed [his enemies] with acumen and greed," and perhaps from tensions embedded in the history of Costa Rica. Meanwhile, the next generation navigates sexual awakenings and homophobia and finds their own opportunities to contemplate the deep and turbulent river that is their family's history. Arias (Where There Was Fire, 2023) offers a blood-soaked family drama that invites reflection on both Costa Rican and contemporary U.S. politics. "Costa Rica is its own myth," he suggests, in a brief poetic aside. "Costa Rica is Costa Rica," suggests another. HIGH-DEMAND