Death in the Andes

About “Death in the Andes”

Death in the Andes is a 1993 novel by Mario Vargas Llosa set in a remote mining camp in the Peruvian mountains. The story follows Sergeant Lituma and his assistant Tomás as they deal with the threat of Maoist guerrillas from Sendero Luminoso. The novel explores the guerrillas' tactics and motivations, but places their violence within a harsh, traditional world that exists outside modernity. It includes elements of magical realism and references to indigenous spirituality and Andean folklore. The plot centers on the mysterious disappearance of three men from an Andean village and the soldiers sent to investigate.