Colombia 1948: The liberal politician Jorge Eliécer Gaitán is murdered on the streets of Bogotá. His death plunges Colombia into the deepest crisis in its history. Decades later, a man is arrested while attempting to steal Gaitán's suit from a museum. Convinced of a conspiracy and obsessed with uncovering the truth behind Gaitán's assassination, he also pressures the writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez. Is there a connection between the assassination of Gaitán and that of John F. Kennedy? And what links exist to the assassinations of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo and Rafael Uribe Uribe in Colombia? "The Shape of Ruins" uncovers a complex web of supporters and opponents of democracy and questions the role of literature between investigation and skepticism. In his unflinching novel, Juan Gabriel Vásquez intertwines passionate exploration.