Andean Express

by Juan De Recacoechea

"Part social commentary, part mystery thriller…[Andean Express] is a chilling, tragic tale."-MultiCultural ReviewThis murder mystery follows a tragic overnight train journey in 1952 from Bolivia to Chile, presenting a moving environment at once carnivalesque and sinister. The novel explores the social tensions characteristic of Bolivian society in a way that is both accessible and highly entertaining.Juan de Recacoechea was born in La Paz, Bolivia, and worked as a journalist in Europe for almost twenty years. After returning to his native country, he helped found Bolivia's first state-run television network and dedicated himself to fiction writing. His novel American Visa won Bolivia’s National Book Prize, was adapted into an award-winning film, and was translated into English and published by Akashic Books to great critical acclaim.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, The Americas, Noir

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Juan de Recacoechea Saenz (11 de agosto de 1935 en La Paz), es un novelista boliviano.

Juan de Recacoechea Sáenz nació en el barrio de Sopocachi de la ciudad de La Paz. Cursó estudios de bachillerato en Bolivia, España y Perú, graduándose del colegio Markham de Lima. Posteriormente fijó su residencia en París donde estudió periodismo y televisión.

Durante su estadía en Europa, obtiene una beca para trabajar en televisión francesa. Ahí se desempeñó como asistente de dirección y participa en numerosas películas. Vivió en: Holanda, Inglaterra, Austria, España y Suecia, entre 1958 y 1968.

A su retorno a Bolivia, funda Televisión Boliviana en la cual trabaja varios años como jefe de producción y gerente general. Es en este periodo en que empieza a escribir novelas, siendo la primera Fin de Semana (1977), editada por Los Amigos del Libro. Es seguida por: La Mala Sombra (1980), Toda una noche la sangre (1984), American Visa (1994), Altiplano Express (2000), París no era una fiesta (2002), Kerstin (2004), Abeja reina (2009) y La biblia copta(2011).

La novela American Visa lo hizo merecedor del Premio Guttentag de Novela en 1994. Actualmente, ha sido traducida a seis idiomas (inglés, hebreo, ruso, francés, griego, esloveno) y es considerada la mejor novela policial de la literatura boliviana, además de la más vendida del país. El año 2005, fue llevada al cine por el director Juan Carlos Valdivia, película que fue galardonada en diversos festivales internacionales.

La novela Altiplano Express, fue traducida al inglés por la misma editorial estadounidense que publicó American Visa: Akashic Books. Actualmente forma parte de un proyecto cinematográfico a cargo de la productora argentina Pampa Films.

Reviews

[Jim Fonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

(A revision of a review I posted earlier)

Although this book, translated from Spanish into English 1n 2009, the story takes us back to 1952, in an era of coal-powered steam trains and steamships in Bolivia.



A young Bolivian man has just graduated from high school and he is traveling by train to Arica, Chile for a seaside vacation. On the train are a much-loathed German businessman and at least a half-dozen of the folks who loathe him and maybe want to kill him. La Paz, Bolivia, has a small population of elite, so everyone knows everyone else in the upper class.

The 50-ish German businessman is on his honeymoon with a beautiful 18-year old woman who, like everyone else, loathes him, but agreed to the arranged marriage for financial reasons. She shacks up with the young Bolivian while on her honeymoon on the train. Sure enough, the German businessman ends up dead.

The Agatha-Christie type cast of characters is like a mini-United Nations and a potpourri of humanity: a circus contortionist, a Russian Jew, a card hustler, a phony Franciscan father, a hard-drinking Irishman, a contract killer with a peg leg, and so on. So it's a who-done-it on a 24-hour train ride with a lot of local color and quite a bit of sex. A fun read.

photo of a train crossing the Andes in Ecuador from cnn.com

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read previously the author's American Visa. I knew what I was in for - a male author writing for males. Yes, I realize that sounds sexist. Well, it's hard to imagine a more sexist novel. All the men talk about going to a brothel once a week, or knowing a certain madam and how good her girls are. That isn't the sum total of the conversations. I just offer it in justification of my saying this is a male author writing for males.

Many novels have some one- or two-line reviews before even the title page, and this was no exception. One referenced Raymond Chandler. I think that is a stretch, but I was glad for the literary context. Chandler's novels are set in the California he knows. This is set in the Bolivia de Recacoechea knows. From that perspective, I found it interesting. It also was exactly the piece of anti-PC literature I could embrace just now, while at the same time providing a plot where the victims get revenge.

This is just a middlin' 3-stars, and I'm sure that is generous.

[Jeannie · Rating 1 out of 5]

More about loss of virginity than loss of life, which is fine I suppose except I thought I was going to get a gripping Agatha Christie type mystery. However, there was no twist or big reveal at the end whatsoever. I've been to Arica, lived in Chile, and I speak Spanish, so I guess I just expected more.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started out a little confusing. So many characters were introduced right away and I had a hard time keeping them straight for a little while. Then they got on with the plot. It seemed like a great "who-dun-it" murder mystery was going to happen. Sadly, the author chose to throw in a lot of sexual content, too much to just skim over till the plot continued. This one will remain unfinished.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed the Bolivian author's previous book that appeared in English (American Visa), and finally caught up with this one. It takes place in 1952, largely among the first-class passengers of an overnight train travelling across the Altiplano from La Paz to the Chilean coastal city of Arica. The core premise is loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's classic mystery, Murder on the Orient Express, in that someone is murdered and there are no shortage of suspects. However, it's not really a mystery since the reader is shown exactly who murdered him-- it's more of a morality story. The murdered man is a wealthy, middle-aged, obnoxious bully, and the owner of a mining company who has cheated and betrayed any number of people over the years -- but is his death justifiable?

The protagonist is an upper-class teenage Bolivian who has just graduated from high school in Buenos Aires, and is meeting his family in Arica. He recognizes the beautiful teenage virgin bride of the mine owner as an acquaintance from his high school social circles, and quickly sets about flirting with her with an eye toward more... Others on the train include an Russian Jew who made it out years ago, a leftist organizer disguised as a priest, an émigré Irishman and his morose wife, the bride's mother, a cardsharp, an upscale madam, the teenage boy's uncle, and a peg-legged man with nothing to lose. Over the course of the trip, we get a sense of how insular the upper-crust of Bolivian society must have been at the time. The author is the same age as the teenage boy and also went to high school abroad, and one can imagine that he might have drawn upon his own experiences to bring some of the scenes alive. 

If the death of the mine-owner is the "A" plot of the story, then the boy's pursuit, conquest, and infatuation with the girl is the "B" plot. Although, the book actually goes on a little too long with the "B" plot for my taste, with several chapters taking place in Arica after the train trip is over, as the boy chases desperatelyafter the girl. Again, there's a sneaking suspicion that the author is paying homage to a similar love affair from his teen years. All in all, not as compelling as I was hoping, but a quick and colorful (and bawdy) ride recommended for those with an interest in South America.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I pulled this from one of the boxes from my old office. I probably bought it at City Lights Books, and I probably bought it because Recacoechea is Bolivian. I’ve read very few Bolivian writers. It’s a murder mystery along the lines of "Murder on the Orient Express." I’m not a fan of murder mysteries, and the last one I read were probably John Buchan’s "Thirty Nine Steps," when I was in grad school. I have no memory of the plot but a vague impression that I liked it.

"Andean Express" is not very good. If I knew the murder mystery genre better, I’d say it's formulaic, but I don’t, so I’ll just say that the plot is predictable, and the characters are superficial and wooden, with a very limited palette of emotions and ways of interacting with others. The setting is a train that runs from La Paz, Bolivia to Arica, Chile. The characters, save one, are mostly upper crust grifters of one sort or another. One character, the most successful of them, has screwed almost all the others and incurred their wrath. He is their target, and predictably he is victimized and killed. The other grifter characters don’t feel much if any remorse for their role in his downfall and death, but the one non-grifter character feels kinda bad. He’s eighteen and had sex with the dead grifter's new wife, who is also eighteen. He falls in love, but she puts him off; after all, she’s coming in to a huge fortune. The plot ends with the disappointed boy rejoining family and friends for their coastal Chilean vacation. The book just peters out . . .

I did learn that the Arica-La Paz train was the result of the treaty between Chile and Bolivia that ended the War of the Pacific, when Chile took what had been Bolivia’s coastline. In compensation for the loss of territory, the train gave Bolivia access to the coast for the sake of trade and commerce. Also, the train line was a feat of engineering, moving from sea-level up the Andes to the altiplano. Unfortunately, it went bankrupt at the end of the last century.

[Jay Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant little book, compact and intriguing. Ricardo is a young high school graduate taking a train to the coast for a vacation. On the train he meets love, danger, deceit, greed, and power as the various travelers interact with him. He rooms with a Franciscan priest, or does he? He falls in love with the wife of a powerful man with many enemies, or does he just seize the opportunity for romance? A poker game in the dining car plays a pivotal role. A crippled man, a friendly madam, and a mother with a need for revenge are all important characters. As the train rolls along we feel the movement of the cars as they rock on the tracks, the vast and beautiful landscape of the South American countryside, metaphors and twists that make the reader stop and think twice. All in all an excellent short read, beautifully translated from the original.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 1952 train journey from La Paz in Bolivia across the high Andes to Arica in Chile is the setting for this novel from a Bolivian author. A murder occurs and the victim is one many would want to see dead. He has just married the 18 year-old daughter of a man from whom he “stole” a mine and she and her mother are aboard, as is a young student, Ricardo, lusting after the bride. Other interesting characters feature in a novel where there are no surprises when all is revealed but it’s a fine evocation of time and place.

[Nik Maack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about characters and scenery, without much of a plot. Entertaining, but drags here and there. I picked it up mostly because it's set in Bolivia, a country I have become obsessed with.

The story mostly takes place on a railway from La Paz to Arica. I was interested to learn this railway line has an odd and complex history. When Bolivia lost a war with Chile, Bolivia became a landlocked nation. But Chile made a deal to keep this railway running between their two nations.

The characters are all fun, over the top, odd. There's romance, intrigue, and some fun dialogue.

Enjoyable.

[thearcher89 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good or atmospheric as American Visa. Even the train felt emptier compared to The Murder on the Orient Express, to which it is compared.

The murder was long telegraphed, but didn't happen until about 70% into the book. It is not really a 'mystery' either, and there are a few missed opportunities. Who is in on the plan? Was the seduction part of the plan? How the murderer and his backer met and conspired? Those themes could have been developed further.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book from a Bolivian writer. Quite medium...

[Spiegel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book better, because it's like a South American version of Murder on the Orient Express, but the dialogues were painful. I bet it could make a good film, though.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featherweight romp of a train-coach mystery. Set on the altiplano route of the trans-Andean express, the story here is a familiar one. Really not a mystery, certainly not a noir, and for some reason set in 1952; the scenery is colorful, and so are the characters. What the author appears to be aiming for is kind of mashup of forties pulp, Bogart movies, & the Orient Express, all framed by the cinematic standbys of high mountain passes and exotic views.

As might be expected, we have the ingenue-in-peril, the youthful-stalwart, the evil-step-husband, the venomous-dowager, and the rest of the compulsory Sidney Greenstreet / Peter Lorre entourage ... all strangers on trains who are ill-disposed to their fellow passengers.

None of which bothers the reader. One slight quibble is that the grand set-piece in the end, (from and toward which we will cut away to more nefarious actions...) --is a card game, played as usual in the dining car. Okay, there aren't all that many "train" activities overall, it's true. But this is a convention whose time is now past; there is nothing riveting or suspenseful about a card game, even for 1952, and certainly not for current fiction. We don't need computerized special effects, but Playing Cards are someone's grandparents' version of excitement. It takes a lot of work from the author to render a poker table in terms of high drama, and it doesn't seem to be easy. (Casino Royale comes to mind, but that was actually written in the early fifties, when cards were ... less.. outdated. And that was Baccarat, anyway.) Here, they may as well be playing tiddly-winks for pesos.

Everything's familiar and timeworn, nothing's original, and yet. It's a one-sitting read that goes by with pleasure, and with a tightly knitted plot. Except for some startling out-of-period dialogue touches (pissed-off, hooked-up, bonked, "we'll be toast") this is an enjoyable & well-paced read.

(note: Each and every one of the Blurb Writers on the cover and the inside leaf should be sent back to Blurb School. To call anything here 'dark' or 'noir' is misleadingly ridiculous. Spare? Quirky? ..."heir to classic noir" you say, Mr Robert Arellano, author of 'Havana Lunar' ? Sorry, but I've seen Cartoons that were more noir. As usual, ignore the Blurbists; who are paid to generate verbiage but not to back it up.)

[Harvee Lau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this mystery novel 3 1/2 stars, maybe four if I could have read it in the original Spanish! Some things are often lost in translation:)

The train ride from the bowl of the city of La Paz up to the rim, across the stark and dry plateau, and then down to the coastline of Chile was the highlight of the book for me. Descriptions of the scenery, the sunsets, the people, and the few lonely homesteads on the plateau, were very interesting. I once flew over the Andes on the way from Brazil back to the U.S. and ofen wondered what it was like down below.

Also, relationships among mestizos, Indians, and Europeans in Bolivia are revealed on board the Andean Express. Granted this train ride was set some 40 years ago, I believe, and there is a hint in the novel about pending social change by a new political party.

The plot followed the general scheme of Murder on the Orient Express and other mystery train rides, but this "noir" novel is not a traditional mystery.

Alderete has married a young woman from the upper social classes in Bolivia. It's an arranged marriage. Alderete is hated by close to a dozen people on the train, including his reluctant bride. A young high school graduate traveling to Chile to meet his parents witnesses the interactions and is used as an unwitting pawn in the developments.

Noir and mystery lovers, and armchair travelers, will enjoy Andean Express.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andean Express is a glimpse into the life of the recently graduated Ricardo. We follow Ricardo on his train ride from Bolivia to Chile. He has made this trip with his parents numerous times in the past, but this is his first solo trip and a whirlwind of chaos ensues.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think. I read the book for a mystery book group, but I didn't find it to be a mystery. The only mysterious thing about the book is wondering who hired Rocha, but I really didn't care enough about the story to wonder all that much. It ends rather abruptly, leaving a loose end or two and introducing a new character in the last couple of chapters. At times, I was intrigued by the story, but as a whole it didn't draw me in. Most of the time, it is well written. At other times, I had difficulty understanding what was going on. I almost think I'd have understood it better if I read it in the original Spanish.

It's not bad, but it's not a book I would choose to read again.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bolivia has a death train and a death road; they are tourist attractions. Do Bolivians have a very dark sense of humour?
This book concerns a death on a train and has a lot of dark humour. It is not a great book, the plot is quite simple and the murderer and victim are not a surprise. It is enjoyable.
There are some idiosyncratic characters, a wealth of motives and detailed, evocative descriptions of both the scenery of the Altiplano and the society of Bolivia in the 1950s. The landscape is cold, stark and barren. The atmosphere on the train seethes with a mixture of sex, money, politics, revenge and alcohol.
The translation is hit and miss, with most of the misses in the conversations. This does spoil the book to some extent, but it would be unfair to downgrade the star rating for it any further.

[M M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a traditional crime caper in the oeuvre of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, but owes much to that great book for its inspiration. Sometime in the 1950s, a motley bunch of people board the train bound for Chile and one of them is murdered. It's fairly clear that most people aboard the train wish the victim ill, and it's quite clear why as well - he is not a particularly nice fellow. But de Recacochea's intent is not to analyse the crime; there's no eureka moment when all becomes clear - there's nothing, really, to make clear; rather, he spins a left-wing rhetoric which is slightly offset by the viewpoint of a young, upper class high-school student, who, of course, sees events through the prism of his own wealth and status and inveterate horniness. It's funny in many ways; all in all, a slim, easy read.

[ABC Group · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading American Visa, I was ready to devour Recacoechea's new novel, Andean Express. After two books now, one thing is clear--the author has a solid ability to build his characters and weave a narrative that reveals the complicated nature of each character's life. Bolivian social classes, and the politics of of this country in 1952, are played out well, but the overall narrative is not nearly as strong as the details within. Don't get me wrong. This is a fine book. It's not amazing, but it's certainly not bad. If you're into the Noir/mystery scene this could fall into either of those categories, but the ending is a bit light.

[Lee Fishman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A recent book group selection, I welcomed the chance to learn more of a different culture. The action takes place on a train through the Andes in the early 1950's. While it was tough going, keeping up with all the characters. I prevailed and felt rewarded at the ending, more than that I can't say. What I took away from the experience was a curiosity about the South American beverage pisco which I satisfied the other night at Chifa, a local restaurant serving Peruvian cuisine. Cheers!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was marked Mystery but I'd call it a dark comedy. It takes place on a train in Bolivia, so somewhat like Christie's The Orient Express, in that the characters are limited to those passengers. The translation was pretty bad in some places--the book is set in 1952 but the translator used modern slang, which was jarring.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cinematic to a fault, reads like a film script. Some interesting scenery and a plot that mimics the trains travels through the mountains to the denouement at the seaside. All in all the story is fairly familiar but in different surroundings.

[K's Bognoter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juan de Recacoeches Andean Express er en boliviansk noir-version af Mordet i Orientekspressen og OK underholdende ferielæsning.
Hele anmeldelsen her: http://bognoter.dk/2016/07/16/juan-de...

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, with the grittiness typical of his writing. The murder mystery aspect is fun.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one for a Multicultural Review book review. Though it was "work" it was quite enjoyable. It's a real thriller, set in 1952 Bolivia/Chile. Look for it!

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read, and moderately captivating. However, it wasn't much of a mystery.

[Susan]

Complex relationships on train from La Paz to Chilean coast. Atmospheric, Good description of landscape and train travel.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read with some cultural value -- and beautiful descriptions of landscape. For more of my reaction, see International Reads' blog about Bolivia.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, easy and enjoyable read. In a few spots the translation seemed a bit awkward, but the story was good and the characters easy to get to know.

[Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offbeat, and its Bolivian setting added to it !

[Virginie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the world in books: Bolivia