Dancer Upstairs

Ezequiel, the commander of a Peruvian guerrilla movement, is blamed for tens of thousands of savage killings, yet he keeps slipping away from the authorities. Agustín Rejas, a police officer, is the man assigned to chase him. Rejas follows Ezequiel through crowded city streets and into remote mountain villages, always trying to stay one step ahead of him.

Rejas finds his only comfort in his feelings for his daughter's dance teacher. That comfort is shaken when he begins to receive clear hints that her world and Ezequiel's are tangled together.

The story is inspired by the real manhunt for the leader of the Shining Path, Peru's notorious guerrilla organization. Readers have compared the book to the work of Graham Greene and John le Carré, and it is known for its tense plotting, intricate structure, and emotional weight. The novel was later adapted into a film directed by John Malkovich, with Javier Bardem in the lead role.