Description: A twisty, darkly captivating novel about a police detective hired to investigate the disappearance of a rich businessman's daughter several years after rampant corruption forced him to retire and made him a target of everyone still on the force in cartel-controlled, northern Mexico
Review Quotes:
Praise for Don't Send Flowers
"Rich in conception and execution . . . Don't Send Flowers is full of odd twists and strange surprises."--Wall Street Journal
"[Don't Send Flowers is] fast-paced, original . . . [and] fresh . . . A kind of Molotov cocktail that explodes in the hands of the reader."--Forbes (Mexico)
"Upping the ante on his exuberant, inventive debut, The Black Minutes, Solares returns with [the] hugely ambitious [Don't Send Flowers] . . . a powerful, kaleidoscopic tale set in a society where there is no center to hold . . . Solares offers a harrowing vision of how it all works, or doesn't, from the bribes that grease the wheels to the blood that paints the walls, to the last gasps of the peaceful town and the natural world around it. . . This is another urgent and vital work from a writer to watch."--Booklist (starred review)
"A gripping crime story set amid Mexico's escalating drug cartel wars and a nationwide atmosphere of police and judicial corruption . . . [Don't Send Flowers] is an excellent, frightening portrayal of the breadth and depth of Mexico's cartel violence and systemic corruption."--Publishers Weekly
"[Don't Send Flowers is] unpredictable . . . reminiscent of Don Winslow's dark thrillers The Power of the Dog and The Cartel . . . Throughout the book's bold narrative choices, Solares maintains a deft touch for suspense. He draws out the threat of violence like a horror maestro until it unleashes in terrible bursts. Solares's most frightening ability of all, though, is to give even monstrous characters understandable motivations . . . Remarkable."--Shelf Awareness
"This gritty noir by Solares combines a compelling mystery with political upheaval and will appeal to fans of fast-paced thrillers in grim locales."--Library Journal
"Any noir fan will feel at home with this novel immediately; gritty and vicious but so real it's scary. . . The writing is cool, even lyrical, the dialogue is a hard-boiled joy. . . Don't Send Flowers is a labyrinthine tale of corruption, gang wars, revenge and murder . . . A no-nonsense full-on thriller that leaves you breathless. . . Don't Send Flowers brings a town under siege from narco-traficantes, corrupt officials and greedy businessmen to life. . . Solares doesn't pull his punches, these are the meanest of streets. A pacy, sharp witted thriller that will stay with you for a long time."--Nudge Book Magazine
"Crime novels don't get much grittier . . . Solares keeps the pace high, the pages turning. A sort of Mexico Confidential, with noirish atmosphere to burn and a very high body count."--Kirkus Reviews
"Don't Send Flowers is a mesmerizing family saga set in a town that's the scene of beautiful memories and illusions and a thousand unspeakable crimes."--Thomas Perry, author of The Bomb Maker
"A gritty, direct, exciting novel that is a must-read for anyone who wants to look at the hell that the Gulf (and Mexico at the same time) has become."--Antonio Ortuño
"A deep dive into a country whose flesh is gangrenous with narcos, Don't Send Flowers [is] a very well researched noir . . . Martín Solares confirms himself as a high-voltage writer."--Le Monde des Livres (France)