
A luminous debut novel of modern alienation of the sinister beauty of the human body & of the enduring splendour of the natural world During a sweltering South American summer a family convenes for dinner at a restaurant Midway through the meal Carlos disappears An experienced semi-retired inspector takes the case but what should be a routine investigation becomes something strange intangible even sinister The corporation for which Carlos worked seems to serve no purpose; the staff talk of their missing colleague's alarming shifting physical symptoms; a forensic scientist uncovers evidence of curious abnormalities in the thriving microorganisms that shared Carlos's body As the inspector relives & retraces the missing man's footsteps the trail leads him away from the city sprawl & deep into the country's rainforest interior where he encounters both horror & wonder