The Salt Cutter by CJ Howell
Bolivia. 1990. A soldier arrives in the small town of Uyuni. A place where people endure rather than enjoy. Survive than live.
The soldier knows they’re coming for him. Hunting him down so they can deal their own brand of justice.
He needs to get out. To make it to the border and escape what is waiting for him.
He’s prepared to do anything to survive.
Even kill.
This is noir fiction at its finest. With characters that you will root for, heartbreak and breathtaking writing, this is a story that will linger in reader’s minds long after you’ve turned the final page.
About the author
C.J. Howell is the author of two previously published novels. THE LAST OF THE SMOKING BARTENDERS received a starred review and was named a Best Crime Fiction Debut of 2014 by Booklist. THE HUNDRED MILE VIEW is a fast-paced thriller set on the Navajo Nation. His new novel, AFTER VYUNI, was a finalist in the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society's - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, and was short listed for the Big Moose Prize. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder's Creative Writing Program, and he currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife and two beautiful children.
Review
‘The Salt Cutter’ is a harrowing story that I am still thinking about days after reading it. This is the second book in the ‘Black Spring Crimes’ series but you don’t need to have picked up any of the others as each one is written by a different author and they have been curated by Luca Vesta. All of this authors books are stand-alone read and this one is an unflinching look at the state of Bolivia in the 1990’s.
I knew nothing about Bolivia apart from the presence of the salt flats, as numerous uni buddies had gone there on their travels. The culture and its history was a blank page for me and I love when I can learn from a book and this one sent me on many a Google rabbit hole!
The Solider is the protagonist of this story and you never find out his name. I found this aspect of the writing to be hard hitting as it was reflection of how he felt he had no future and therefore didn’t deserve to have a name. The same with the Boy, because his future might well turn out to be the same as the Solider. I found their relationship to be one of the few positive aspects of this book. When you finish this book there was a palpable sense of sadness, so some nuggets of light were appreciated. The family who left the bus at the same time as the Solider and their story was heartbreaking.
This is a hard-hitting and harrowing read but it was worth reading. It deals with the essence of humanity and how it's in people’s nature to be good and want to help others. But it also examines what happens when this isn't the case.
Let me know if you pick this one up!
