Leisa Rothlisberger Wiest 3HQQV\OYDQLD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\ Detective Fiction in the Monster, Mexico City Abstract: 0XHUWRVLQFyPRGRVDQRYHOFRZULWWHQE\SRSXODU0H[LFDQGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQDXWKRU3DFR,JQDFLR 7DLER,,DQGWKH=DSDWLVWDOHDGHU6XEFRPDQGDQWH0DUFRVGHPRQVWUDWHVWKHGLIÀFXOW\RIDFFHVVLQJ the information required to uncover proof of state-supported crimes. The prospect of successfully GHSOR\LQJVXFKLQIRUPDWLRQWRVWRSLQMXVWLFHLVIXUWKHUFRPSOLFDWHGE\WKHGLVSDULW\EHWZHHQXUEDQDQG rural geography--registers often suggestively associated with aggressor and victim, respectively. 7KH QRYHO·V WZR DXWKRUV DOWHUQDWH ZULWLQJ FKDSWHUV UHODWLQJ WKH WUDYDLOV RI WZR GHWHFWLYHV RQH ORFDWHGLQ0H[LFR·VFDSLWDODQGWKHRWKHUWUDYHOLQJWRWKHFLW\IURPKLVUXUDOKRPH7KHUXUDODOVR LQH[SHULHQFHG GHWHFWLYH DVVXPHV WKDW WKH SURRI KH QHHGV WR VROYH WKH P\VWHU\ RI SHUYDVLYH LQMXVWLFHLVFRQFHQWUDWHGLQWKHFDSLWDO2YHUWKHFRXUVHRIWKHQRYHOKHOHDUQVWKHSRWHQWLDOVWUHQJWK RISHULSKHUDOLQIRUPDWLRQJDWKHULQJKHGLVFRYHUVWKHIDOVLW\RISHUFHLYLQJWKHJRYHUQPHQWFDSLWDODV WKHFHQWHURINQRZOHGJHDQGMXVWLFH7KHQRYHO·VDXWKRUVKDYHFOHDUDQWLQHROLEHUDOSROLWLFDOJRDOV and their didacticism is heavy-handed at times, but the act of depicting the process of discovery in GHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQGHOLEHUDWHO\PRGHOVKRZWRTXHVWLRQLQMXVWLFHVWKDWDUHJORVVHGRYHUDVP\VWHULHV ,W LV WKURXJK WKH LQWHUSOD\ RI WKH WZR DXWKRUV· VWRU\OLQHV DQG ZULWLQJ VW\OHV ZKLFK LQWULQVLFDOO\ allows comparison, that the novel shows the value of sharing information to crack capital crimes. Keywords: 3DFR,JQDFLR7DLER,,6XEFRPDQGDQWH0DUFRVGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQ L. Rothlisberger Wiest ÀDU9RO 0D\ Detective Fiction in the Monster IRUXPIRULQWHUDPHULFDQUHVHDUFK ,661 Mexico City Is a Monster 0H[LFR&LW\LVDPRQVWHU$FFRUGLQJWR3DFR,JQDFLR7DLER,,·VÀFWLRQDOGHWHFWLYH+pFWRU %HODVFRDUiQ6KD\QHLWLVD´WZHOYHPLOOLRQKHDGHGPRQVWHUµ 7DLERCosa fácil 0H[LFR·V VSUDZOLQJKHDYLO\SRSXODWHGFDSLWDOFLW\LVDFKDUDFWHULQLWVRZQULJKWLQ7DLER·VGHWHFWLYHÀFWLRQ,WV characterization is used to solve the mysteries of the crimes perpetrated by and in the monstrous FDSLWDO 6XFK D FRQQHFWLRQ LV VLJQLÀFDQW LW LV DOVR FRPPHQVXUDWH ZLWK 7DLER·V OHIWLVW DQWL QHROLEHUDOSROLWLFDOVWDQFH6SHFLÀFDOO\7DLER·VQRYHOFRDXWKRUHGZLWK=DSDWLVWDVSRNHVSHUVRQ Subcomandante Marcos, 0XHUWRV LQFyPRGRV IDOWD OR TXH IDOWD, or The Uncomfortable Dead: :KDW·V0LVVLQJLV0LVVLQJXVHV0H[LFR&LW\·VFKDUDFWHUL]DWLRQDVDPRQVWHUWRGLVPDQWOHWKH power of the capital. 0XHUWRVLQFyPRGRV challenges the perceived and real power of the city. 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