Zaka zoposa 20 zapita kuchokera pamene Mario Conde woyamba wokhumudwa padziko lapansi adaperekedwa kwa ife mu "Past Perfect". Izi ndi zabwino za ngwazi zamapepala, nthawi zonse amatha kuwuka phulusa lawo kuti asangalale ndi ife omwe timadzilola kutengeka ndi njira zawo zambiri kapena zochepa. Safunikanso kukhala ngwazi, opulumuka ku mbali ya dziko lapansi yaubwenzi. Izi ndiye tsogolo la Mario Conde de Leonard Padura.
Havana, 2016. Chochitika chambiri chikugwedeza Cuba: ulendo wa Barack Obama mu zomwe zimatchedwa "Cuban Thaw" ―ulendo woyamba wovomerezeka wa Purezidenti waku US kuyambira 1928―, limodzi ndi zochitika monga konsati ya Rolling Stones ndi Chanel. masewero a mafashoni amatembenuza kamvekedwe ka chilumbachi mozondoka.
Pachifukwa ichi, pamene mtsogoleri wakale wa boma la Cuba atapezeka ataphedwa m'nyumba yake, apolisi, atakhumudwa ndi ulendo wa pulezidenti, adatembenukira kwa Mario Conde kuti athandize kufufuza. Count azindikira kuti munthu wakufayo anali ndi adani ambiri, chifukwa m'mbuyomu adakhala ngati woyang'anira kuti ojambulawo asapatuke pamawu a Revolution, komanso kuti anali munthu wankhanza komanso wankhanza yemwe adathetsa ntchitoyo. amisiri ambiri omwe sanafune kugwadira zolanda zake. Mtembo wachiwiri ukapezeka, wophedwa ndi njira yomweyo masiku angapo pambuyo pake, Conde ayenera kudziwa ngati imfa ziwirizi ndizogwirizana komanso zomwe zimayambitsa kupha kumeneku.
Kuwonjezera pa chiwembucho ndi nkhani yolembedwa ndi protagonist, yomwe inakhazikitsidwa zaka zana zapitazo, pamene Havana anali Nice wa ku Caribbean ndipo anthu ankakhala akuganizira za kusintha komwe kukubwera kumene Comet ya Halley idzatulutsa. Mlandu wakupha akazi awiri ku Old Havana umavumbula nkhondo yowonekera pakati pa mwamuna wamphamvu, Alberto Yarini, woyengedwa komanso wochokera ku banja labwino, mfumu ya njuga ndi malonda a uhule, ndi mdani wake Lotot, Mfalansa, yemwe amatsutsa ukulu. Kukula kwa zochitika zakalezi kudzalumikizidwa ndi mbiri yakale m'njira yomwe ngakhale Mario Conde samakayikira.
