With Miami as a backdrop, the novel weaves a web of thrilling intrigue with international repercussions in Mexico and Argentina that keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. Unconventional detective Nelson Montero is investigating a complex case, and it’s not until the last page that he unravels a mystery many would have preferred to keep hidden. Volver a Morir (Dead Again) is published by Penguin Books.

Were you expecting such a success?

You don’t think about that when you start writing; you just write and write everything you have inside you. Of course, your goal is to get published, but at that precise point in the creative process there’s nothing but the word. Once you finish you concentrate on publishing and getting the book into the stores. I never thought “Dead Again” would have such an enormous impact. I’m pleased, and I have renewed energy to continue writing with the same passion.}

What is the plot of the novel?

I can’t reveal much because it would ruin the ending, but I will say that Nelson Montero, a brave and shrewd detective, follows the trail of a series of very “animalistic” clues, culminating in a fast-paced investigation with no shortage of political ramifications. Along the way he will learn to dream again and to believe that love can exist. The “setting” is also fundamental. It shows a Miami never before seen in literature. A city of Hispanic roots, multicultural, vibrant, unique.

How did you get the idea for the character?

The character found me. I needed a detective, and bit by bit Nelson took on a life of his own. He started out as a minor character and grew richer and fuller, with his unique vocabulary and way of speaking. Then he told me about his past, growing up in Hialeah, having his heart broken by his first wife, his school, his experiences, his friends, his enemies, his philosophy of life. He told me everything about himself.

Do you take inspiration for your writing from your friends?

My friends’ stories inspire me very much. I move certain situations around in time and space to create a fictional world where some of them can be identified from the snippets of their experiences that are reflected in my characters. When I’m thinking I take things from here and there. It’s like putting everything in a cocktail shaker, stirring and serving.

What is your greatest inspiration?

Everything, really. When you’re thinking about writing a novel and you’re immersed in it, what you observe is totally different from what you would see if you were not writing. You see everything as a potential story line, character, piece of dialogue. You’re so absorbed in it that you subconsciously analyze and internalize any detail. Then you might use it or you might not. Or mix it, one way or another, with something else.

How would you describe detective Nelson Montero?

He's a self-made man, tough, observant, who doesn’t owe anyone anything and, like everyone, has his strengths and weaknesses. A lone wolf who tries to protect his broken heart with heavy armor. He doesn’t want it broken again.

His sidekick, Teo Osorio, a hacker, gives him a certain emotional balance. It’s a very masculine friendship. The kind that exists but neither of the two wants to admit for fear of seeming less manly.

Your book is full of proverbs, why?

Yes. As a matter of fact, that’s one of the keys to the novel. Nelson Montero will follow a whole series of proverbs to untangle the threads and solve the mystery. To me, proverbs are pure philosophy, popular wisdom, the result of a people’s knowledge and collective, spontaneous mentality. In them you can find the answer to any question that’s bothering you. My maternal grandmother always had one ready for any occasion. I remember many of them perfectly. She was part of my inspiration for this novel.

What does your novel contribute to the literature of intrigue and mystery?

I think the public and the critics should decide that. For my part, I would make bold to say that Nelson Montero is the first Hispanic detective from Miami, and that we needed one. There are several English language authors with investigators in Miami, but they are very different. Nelson belongs to the Hispanic Miami, a city with a mix of Cubans, Venezuelans, Mexicans, Colombians, Spaniards, and Argentineans. A city that stretches from Hialeah to Coral Gables or Homestead. A rich and varied, captivating Miami. It’s a Miami that had not been reflected in literature until now. It fascinates and enriches me every day.

How would you describe your style?

Very colloquial, with a lot of dialogue, with real vocabulary, with truth, humor, tenderness, and a drop of cynicism. I think I was strongly influenced by my father who, unfortunately, died very young. I would have loved for him to be here today. And still, even though I didn’t have him for very long, I remember his implausible stories like it was yesterday. He never wrote, but his anecdotes, and how he used to tell them, were very much in the style of Nelson Montero.

Who are your favorite authors?

There are many because I like to read everything. Every stage of my life has been marked by certain books, and I generally make the classification chronologically. They are books that continue to be my favorites, but each meant something special at a certain time. Those I identify with most now, perhaps because of the similarity of style and my admiration for how they handle language, are authors as diverse as Camilo José Cela and Junot Díaz. I think Cela’s “The Hive” is a masterpiece - it’s one I keep going back to - and “The Brief and Wondrous Life of Óscar Wao” left me with my mouth open.

And books of intrigue and mystery?

Agatha Christie is beyond compare. Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are brilliant. I adore Arturo Pérez Reverte, not just for his novels of intrigue and adventure, but also for his Capitán Alatriste series. As a youth I read a lot of Howard Phillips "H.P” Lovecraft. His horror, fantasy, and science fiction are unique.

Is it difficult to publish?

It’s complicated. The book trade is going through hard times. It’s experiencing a radical change with the e-book, and the industry is on the decline. But I think that with or without the digital book, the essential basis is in creativity and narrative strength. A good book is a good book, regardless of format. “One Hundred Years of Solitude” will always be “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” whether we read it on paper, on a tablet, or they insert it on a chip into our brains in the future. You have to adapt, but the quality of the literary work will always prevail over the technological format.

What does Miami represent in your novel?

Miami is an inexhaustible source of stories, the new Macondo of the north and, above all, where I have my house and home, that I wouldn’t change for anything. My inspiration is fueled by the incredible stories of Miami’s characters, people who come from all over Latin America and the United States filled with fantasies, bits and pieces, and surprising tales. Roaming the neighborhoods of greater Miami is like traveling the streets and fields of Latin America. It’s a reflection of all that complex Latin American reality concentrated in one place. Every new person I meet, every new friend I make, is wearing a novel on his lapel. It’s a rich world, with an exciting human ecosystem. If I had eight hands I would write four novels at a time on the subjects that occur to me after meeting new friends and hearing all kinds of stories. Without Miami I would not have been a writer.

WATCH the interview (CNN)