In 1880, Buenos Aires was no longer that peaceful village, barely shaken by the sporadic rattling of a tram or a carriage. A quarter of its inhabitants were immigrants living in boarding houses, clinging to the dream of a better future. In the heart of this dazzling and unequal urban setting, a tragedy begins to unfold. In a tenement in the North neighborhood, a crime shatters the fragile coexistence of the tenants and shocks the Neapolitan community. The body lies in the courtyard, and around it, speculation multiplies: revenge, jealousy, a settling of scores, resentment? Everyone seems to have something to say. Reconstructing what happened will be a journey through clues, secrets, and unexpected twists. The characters are pieces of a puzzle that the reader must put together, doubting each one. Who is the victim? What mysteries lie behind the masks imposed by the crime?

Masterfully rescued by Daniel Balmaceda from forgotten documents, this true and fast-paced story, narrated with suspense and skill, dusts off traces of the past to portray a turbulent, insecure, and deeply revealing era of Argentine idiosyncrasy.