When a man is arrested at a museum for attempting to steal the bullet-ridden suit of a murdered Colombian politician, few notice. But soon this thwarted theft takes on greater meaning as a thread in a widening web of popular fixations with conspiracy theories, assassinations, and historical secrets. And it haunts those who feel that only they know the real truth behind these killings. Juan Gabriel Vásquez explores the darkest moments of a country''s past and brings to life the ways in which past violence shapes our present lives. A compulsive read, beautiful and profound, this is a masterly story of conspiracy, political obsession, and literary investigation.