Who Killed Palomino Molero?

Main Characters and Their Development

• Clerk Lituma—a modest and inquisitive policeman whose soul, like a mirror, reflects the anxieties and passions of the small town; his inner journey is one from naive faith in justice to the painful realization of a cruel world where truth often falls victim to fear and prejudice.
• Lieutenant Silva—a man with a rough exterior and a sensitive heart, in whom not only professional acumen lives but also deep empathy for others' pain; his character is revealed in subtle shifts between duty and personal longing, between stern resolve and unexpected tenderness.
• Palomino Molero—a young dreamer whose tragic death becomes the starting point for uncovering the secrets of human passion; his image is a symbol of purity and vulnerability, and his posthumous presence in the narrative fills the novel with the bitterness of unfulfilled hopes.
• Doña Adelfa—Palomino's mother, a woman whose grief and silent strength become a mute reproach to a society indifferent to others' suffering; she embodies boundless maternal love.
• Alicia—the daughter of Don Fermín, captivating and enigmatic, she finds herself at the heart of the tragedy; her feelings and actions reveal the complex nature of passion doomed to clash with the harsh laws of the adult world.
• Don Fermín—a powerful and influential man whose severity and hidden vulnerability hold the key to the tragedy; his inner conflict between duty and emotion gives the narrative dramatic depth.