Rubén Pablo Alcocer tiene 54 años, es detective privado y vive en Saltillo. Pudo haber sido filósofo y, quizá, más le habría valido, pues su más reciente trabajo lo ha llevado a una situación por demás complicada: un hombre y una mujer lo tienen amarrado a una silla, le han colocado una bolsa de plástico sobre la cabeza y le han clavado palillos debajo de las uñas. Sus captores quieren saber dónde ha quedado la antigua gargantilla de diamantes de su clienta, otrora propiedad de la corona de Rumania.

Para resistir el tormento, hace un recuento de la larga historia de la alhaja, que se remonta hasta el siglo XV, atravesando los destinos de diversas dinastías europeas, y en la que participan tanto Napoleón como la reina Victoria y el mismo conde Drácula. Cruzar este memorioso laberinto quizá sea la clave para escapar de la muerte.

Este relato, fascinante combinación de thriller y novela histórica, nos recuerda que toda familia tiene sus joyas, piedras y personas de distintas durezas, que componen un mosaico de amor y desamor, traición y deseo. También de memoria y olvido. A veces, deseo de olvidar.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

"My brain can't hold any more secrets, nor memories. It is a thatched-roof prison where memories sleep it off and then leave."

Rubén Pablo Alcocer is fifty-four years old. He is a private detective, living in Saltillo. He could have been a philosopher, and he might as well have, since his most recent job has landed him in a situation far beyond complicated: a man and a woman have him tied up to a chair, they have put a plastic bag over his face, and have sticked toothpicks under his nails. His captors want to know where the antique diamond choker of his client is, formerly owned by the Rumanian crown.

To endure his torment, he gives an account of the long history of the jewel, dating back as far as the fifteenth-century, across the fate of several European dynasties; a history involving Napoleon and Queen Victoria, and even Dracula himself. Crossing this labyrinth of memory is perhaps the key to elude death.

This tale, a fascinating blend of thriller and historical novel, reminds us that all families have jewels, gems, and people of different hardness, comprising a mosaic of love and heartbreak, of betrayal and desire. Also, of memories and oblivion. And sometimes, of the urge to forget.