Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to review this title before it was archived.

I found it absolutely gruesome and L-O-V-E-D I-T!

This is an incredible look at the lives of three Colombians during the days succeeding Pablo Escobar's reign. Like many people, I am fascinated by Escobar and the Colombian cartels. But I never thought to look into the aftermath of them, or to see how (and if) Colombia was able to recover and thrive. There Are No Dead Here opens us up to the sad reality of living in Colombia in the 1990s on and dealing with paramilitary groups. This book will open your eyes and expose the truth of these groups like FARC by highlighting the lives of three amazing Colombians.

I highly recommend for history buffs and those interested in South America.

A sad chronicle how the world "forgot" Columbia after Pablo Escobar. Yet even after his death Columbia was a culture hijacked by violence and hate with the exception of a few as the three chronicled in this book. Fascinating story of Columbia trying to rise from the ashes of self-inflicted violence.

I knew a little bit of the long-ongoing Colombian Conflict between the government and the FARC (along with the ELN) before I began this book. Suffice to say, I was knocked back by the overflowing wealth of information on the various and numerous paramilitary groups, the array of horrific atrocities that they participated in for ends that were usually a far cry from their stated goals of defending the country, and the extent of the support and collaboration between them and the Colombian government itself. I genuinely had no idea whatsoever about any of this, and that goes at least double for any knowledge men and women who valiantly did everything they could to expose paramilitary crimes and the government backing that helped make them happen. Thanks to the masterful work done by the author, I feel like I've made an absolutely massive jump from woefully unaware to caught-up.

For anyone who has ever had the slightest interest in one of the longest-running modern conflicts, this magnificently exhaustive book is a mandatory addition to your to-reads list.

This fascinating account of three extraordinary people and the sacrifices they make to uncover the corruption of para politics and FARC should be required reading for anyone interested in modern history or the tv show Narcos. It covers, in depth, the violence of the kidnappings by FARC as well as the influence of the far right paramilitaries that cover the entirety of this poor war torn country. Oftentimes this book can be quite bleak but so is the situation it chronicles. My only grievance is the chronological incongruity and all the acronyms made for frustrating reading occasionally.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this arc through netgalley.

A deserved four star rating simply for the investigative effort to provide us with this story of corruption. Thanks to the efforts of Valle, Velasquez, and Calderón, Colombians we now know the truth about the vicious conflict between paramilitary groups, the various governments and the ordinary Colombian citizens. From 1968 until the turn of the century murder, disappearances and terror were meted out by paramilitary groups which the government seemed powerless to prevent. Or was it a case that many politicians had simply been bought by the hugely wealthy rebel leaders and so turned a blind eye on the terror. This forensic investigation gives many insights which support the "corruption in high places" argument but whereas Valle was murdered for being too nosey no really senior figure from Government has been successfully prosecuted.. A disturbing read especially when we are exposed to such bravely acquired truth.

There are No Dead Here is a very grim portrait of paramilitaries, drug cartels, governments, and the few brave souls who dared stand up against them. Death and brutality often go hand in hand for thousands of Colombians over the last several decades. This death and brutality is both targeted and random. If they want to kill you, they will. That’s what makes the three people profiled in this book so intriguing: they stood up, knowing the likely consequences.

There are No Dead Here is also an tangled look at the interconnected ties between paramilitaries, governments, and drug cartels where the line between where one ends and the other begins. In Columbia, the divide between good and evil is blurred and no one may be who they seem to be. This is the toxic soup that the drug war in Columbia has bred. Even moments of optimism are met with skepticism.

A sobering portrayal of a country awash in drugs, blood, and corruption.

Thanks to Netgalley and Perseus Books, Public Affairs for the advanced reader copy of this book. I ended up stopping about 2/3 of the way through because I lost interest. This is an important book and will be of interest to those with an interest in Central American history or politics, or even to some fans of the Netflix series "Narcos" who may be looking for more background. The events are fairly shocking, it's hard to understand the level of corruption that existed, but it did (does? I don't know.). Ultimately, though, I wasn't engrossed enough to power through to the end.

Wonderful and a gripping tale of the common man. The common man is the one who takes all the blows of the turmoil. And he is also the scapegoat on whose name the entire politics is played. Not a general drug crisis saga. But a memoir of the common man (upper middle class). With all the due sufferings they endure.