The Investigative Brigade

“...vivid...fast paced...deeply informative and engaging...Bonnefoy’s text illuminates the lived experiences behind the pursuit of justice, and the sense of duty that inspired the detectives involved in bringing about a democratic transition still monopolized by the military.”—NACLA Report

“Investigative journalist Pascale Bonnefoy Miralles takes on the unusual task of interviewing the secret police unit that was given the job of unearthing the memories of torture and murder and holding the perpetrators accountable following the 1990 restoration of democracy in that country.”—Progressive Magazine, a favorite book of 2022

“Bonnefoy’s research on the human rights brigade raises important question about the process of constructing the rule of law in a postdictatorship society.”—H-LatAm

“A gripping read by a scrupulous, dogged, and articulate investigator who writes from the point of view of the detectives themselves. Gave me a fascinating look behind the events unfolding in Chile’s storied history of human rights and transitional justice, events that fill in important gaps in explaining how a country still under the sway of a former dictator could make such steady progress toward truth, justice, and reconciliation. For general readers and students alike.”—John Dinges, author of The Condor Years

“This is an extraordinary book. . . . This is a great book. . . . This is an encouraging book.”—CNN Chile

“This compelling, thrilling, and inspirational book takes a unique approach to the issue of accountability for human rights crimes: Bonnefoy tells the stories of the actual police detectives who investigated, tracked, and detained some of the most infamous human rights violators in modern history. Worthy of a broad audience among anyone interested in the pursuit of truth and justice for human rights atrocities.”—Peter Kornbluh, coauthor of Back Channel to Cuba