About The Adventures of Juan Planchard
Jonathan Jakubowicz’s crime thriller follows a man who builds a fortune by exploiting the corruption surrounding Venezuela’s revolution. Juan’s pursuit of wealth and power becomes entangled with his relationship with Scarlet, an American woman who may offer an escape from his world or deepen his involvement in it.
Ambition, Corruption, and Self-Justification
The story invites readers to examine how a narrator explains his own choices. Where does Juan’s account persuade you, and where do you begin to question it? Consider how private desire and public disorder interact, how wealth changes the relationships around him, and what the novel asks readers to make of success achieved through a damaged political system.
Elliot Ackerman’s Endorsement
In the publisher’s verified endorsement, Ackerman calls the novel Sexy, smart, violent
and spectacular
. His praise offers an authentic connection for Book Club readers. Discussion can begin with the relationship between the novel’s pace and its moral questions: does the momentum encourage sympathy with Juan, sharpen your doubts about him, or do both at once?
Read the The Adventures of Juan Planchard Book Club reading guide.
