Introduction: A political culture of murder -- Key terms and acronyms by country -- Part One. The practice of political murder in Latin America -- Targets and victims -- Dirty war mechanics -- Bodies of the slain -- Part Two. Justifications, associations, and consequences -- Dirty warriors on dirty war -- International collaborations and the conflicted roles of the United States -- The enduring appeal and continuing challenge of political murder in Latin America and beyond -- Appendix: Political murder in Latin America : individual country narratives