Excellent original story from an Argentinian author whose work is now being translated to English. Young boys a large number of them are being injured or killed by trains in a poor section of Buenos Aires.
Veronica Rosenthal is a journalist investigating why.
Well thought out story and a very believable explanation of why.
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Argentinean Crime Thriller
Review of the Bitter Lemon Press paperback edition (2019) translated from the Spanish language original La fragilidad de los cuerpos (2012)

The Fragility of Bodies has Argentinean journalist Verónica Rosenthal investigating a series of apparent commuter train suicides which may actually be the tragic results of a criminal conspiracy. The suspense and the gradual unveiling of clues and witnesses is well handled and Rosenthal makes for an intriguing protagonist. The author does tend to overdo her private inclination towards somewhat sado-masochistic relationships and is pornographically explicit about her sexual activities which is a banal titillating distraction from the suspense of the main plot though.

The Fragility of Bodies is the first English translation of the Verónica Rosenthal Series. The English translation of the 2nd book Las extranjeras (2014) is expected to be published by Bitter Lemon Press on March 23, 2021 as The Foreign Girls.

Trivia and Links
The Spanish language original La Fragilidad de los Cuerpos was filmed as a 2017 Argentinean TV-series and the trailer for the series can be seen here.

I read The Fragility of Bodies as part of the 2020 Borderless Book Club reading list for which it was the September 17, 2020 selection. As a Canadian reader, I am reading these much too late to actually join the book club meetings but can usually catch up on them via the recorded podcasts. There does not appear to be a podcast recording of that Septemberr 17, 2020 book club meeting however. There was a list of resources shared by book club organizer Maddie Rogers of Peirene Press which is copied below:
An interview with author Sergio Olguín for the Harrogate Festival
An article written by translator Miranda France for Prospect Magazine on literary translation
This article from Mystery Scene interviewing various translators (including Miranda) on the difficulties of translating crime
This Spotify playlist created by Sergio while he was writing The Fragility of Bodies ( )

I haven't had the best of luck in finding crime fiction written by South American writers that holds my attention. I don't know if my problem lies in the translations or some other factor. I'm happy to say that my luck has changed with Olguín's The Fragility of Bodies.

The story is a strong draw. I've read books and seen television and films that have someone hit by a train, but there's seldom ever any focus on the driver of the train. This book tells you what happens to the drivers when they hit a person on the tracks. I appreciated that; however, the entire storyline of betting on children playing railroad Russian roulette, who's behind it, who's grooming the children, who's betting on it-- this grabbed my attention and wouldn't let it go.

The point of view changes from Verónica to her train driver lover to two children being enticed to participate in the "game" to a junkie who's in the right place to see things, but it's really Verónica's show. She has an excellent nose for a story as well as a supportive boss, and her network of contacts from her cast-off lovers to her influential lawyer father aid in her investigation. Verónica is an independent woman who lives life her own way, and the portrayal of her character is unflinchingly honest. The author even has her looking for a tampon in one scene, and I don't think I've ever read that in any other mystery I've picked up before. It was a pleasant surprise.

The Fragility of Bodies is an excellent mystery set in Buenos Aires and peopled by interesting characters. Unfortunately, for me, it was marred by too much graphic sex that didn't really seem to have all that much to do with the story. Those scenes, although numerous, don't last long, but if you're the type of reader who likes to wipe the steam off your glasses while you read a good mystery, I think this book will be a complete winner. ( )