Death in the Andes (Spanish: Lituma en los Andes) is a 1993 novel written by Peruvian author, politician, and journalist Mario Vargas Llosa. In it, he focuses on Peru’s complicated political problems, a theme he hasn’t explored since the publication of The War of the End of the World and The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta. Death in the Andes is Llosa’s 11th novel, and it follows the story of Peruvian Army Corporal Lituma, whom we meet in Llosa’s previous novel Who Killed Palomino Molero? Lituma and his deputy, Tomás Carreño, have been sent to investigate the disappearance of three men in a remote mining village by the name of Naccos.

The novel is divided into two parts: the first part consists of five chapters while the second part consists of four chapters and an epilogue. The novel seems to belong in several literary genres such as mystery, thriller, historical novel, political allegory, and even romantic comedy. As such, the novel covers a variety of themes as well. The main theme is, obviously, the political and socio-economic climate of Peru. Llosa also analyzes how frequent exposure to violence and brutality can affect a person’s character. Additionally, through Carreño, he emphasizes the power of love and even manages to incorporate mythical folk tales about witches, vampires, and spirits.

The first part of the novel shifts its focus between the never-ending love Carreño feels for Mercedes (a prostitute and a thief who betrays him) and Lituma’s and Carreño’s investigation. It gives insight into the Peruvian Communist Party called the Shining Path, whose members followed the revolutionary notions of Marxism, Leninism, and Maoism and used violent tactics to overthrow the Peruvian government. Using guerrilla warfare, the Shining Path attacked police forces, destroyed numerous homes and public places, and killed many people—many of whom were political figures. Lituma and Carreño believe that they are the culprits responsible for the three men’s mysterious disappearances, as all of the victims had some connections with the guerrillas. However, they soon discover that this might not be the case.

Thus, the second part of the story focuses on the local bartenders and keepers of the Naccos cantina: Dionisio and his wife, Dona Adriana. In a surprising and unexpected turn of events, it is revealed that Dionisio was once a leader of a cult that organized various sexual and drinking parties in the cantina, and he performed rituals where a human was sacrificed in honor of the apus (ancient spirits of the Peruvian mountains). In the end, it is revealed that the three men weren’t killed by the hands of the Shining Path guerrillas, but were sacrificed to please ancient mythological beings.

Death in the Andes received mixed reviews. On one hand, it was praised for Llosa’s captivating and thought-provoking narrative and his historically accurate representation of the violence and the terror that ruled the streets of poverty stricken Peru. However, it also received some criticism about its lack of organization. Some readers argued that it would be better for a novel with so many characters and subplots to be longer and better organized. Other readers, mainly women, expressed that their greatest disappointment about the novel was the fact that they weren’t able to connect to good female characters. Nonetheless, Death in the Andes remains to be one of the best portrayals of the many different aspects of life (and death) in the Andes in modern literature.