Chapter 5
292 Words
In researching the background for this novel, I consulted numerous newspaper articles, too many to mention. Anyone wanting a fuller account of Lanzarote"s corruption story would do well to read this paper. “Can"t control/won"t control: opportunities and deterrents for local urban corruption in Lanzarote” García-Quesada, M., Jiménez, F. & Villoria, M. Crime Law Soc Change (2015) 63: 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-014-9549-z
It is the task of the author of a work of fiction to entertain, not educate. I took what I had learned and created a fanciful and completely fictitious story. No one appearing in A Matter of Latitude is based on or even alludes to a real figure, and I have no knowledge of any corruption scandal similar to the one I have portrayed.
A Matter of LatitudeI have attempted to offer a fair and balanced portrait of corruption on Lanzarote within the very tight confines of fiction, offering a variety of perspectives. The views of the characters are not my own. I have tried to avoid naming individuals known publicly to have been involved in corruption scandals in deference to those individuals and their families. The truth is always fuzzy and complex. I have adopted a measured and reasonable approach in certain passages of exposition, mindful that I am not judge and jury. There is much that can be said, and there is much that I would have liked to include, but which the story did not permit. For a comprehensive understanding of the facts, the reader must always consult works of non-fiction. I offer this story with all sincerity as a contribution to raising awareness of the vital issue of corruption and its effects on the environment, an issue that affects not just Lanzarote, but the whole world.
- Writer
