Corina Mestre

Lorenzo, a Cuban policeman specializing in grave robberies is sent to Havana to investigate the death of a Havana-born German national, Hermann (or German in Spanish) found in a famous grave. Lorenzo recounts his findings to the police chief (Major Anancio) as he investigates Dora, an elevator operator and Herrmann's landlady, Aguila and Silvia (who work for Cultural Affairs), Chrissy (a British-born Socialist Internationalist lover), Xiomara (Hermann's mother and a local drag queen as well), a dwarf, and a false Guatemalan who had raped Chrissy during her internationalist "love/sex campaign" in Guatemala. These are the main, but not the only characters, one must absolutely follow to make sense of the plot.

1810. Enrique Faber, médecin chirurgien suisse débarque à Cuba à la recherche de son fils. Après quelques semaines d'enquête, on lui annonce que celui-ci a été brûlé vif durant l'attaque d'une plantation par des esclaves en révolte. Il n'y croit pas. Il s'installe à Baracoa et continue ses recherches.