Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a gripping story that explores the themes of injustice and mob hysteria. The narrative unfolds around the murder of a young aristocrat, Santiago Nasar, which puts an entire society—not just a pair of murderers—on trial.

A man returns to the town where this baffling murder took place 27 years earlier, determined to get to the bottom of the story. Just hours after marrying the beautiful Angela Vicario, Bayardo San Roman returned his bride in disgrace to her parents. Her distraught family forced her to name her first lover; and her twin brothers announced their intention to murder Santiago Nasar for dishonoring their sister. Yet, if everyone knew the murder was going to happen, why did no one intervene to stop it? The more that is learned, the less is understood, and as the story races to its inexplicable conclusion, the reader is left pondering the complexities of human nature and societal norms.