yorugua1891's review against another edition
5.0
"I want the smile on my face to be the last thing they see on this earth"
The first word in the title of this book does a great job in describing it: Perfect. I have been a fan of Leighton Gage's series since the beginning, and currently it is firmly established among my favorite series. This installment is among the best Gage has produced so far, and leads me to say that even though I thought it was an impossible task, this series is actually getting better.
The elements from previous successful books are there. We have the raw brutality surrounding the cases, the overwhelming evil of some of the characters, the expert use of the local idiosyncrasies and the thoroughly engaging mystery plots. In this book I especially enjoyed how the author blended two cases together, a terrorist attack in Sao Paulo and an assassination in Curitiba. Even those used to the series may find some of the details in reference to the terrorist attack hard to swallow, but that is what you get with Gage, raw brutal images.
To make matters even more interesting, we get to see the continuation on the situation of the despicable Muniz. He is trying to weasel his way out of the charges he is facing and is willing to do anything to achieve this, including lying, cheating, bribing or killing. This aspect of the story works very well with the two cases and keeps the pace of the book moving at outstanding speed.
It was very interesting to me how even though the killers in the two cases are revealed pretty quickly, the author manages to create a thrilling atmosphere and to keep us on our toes. The questions remain around the ones that may have given the orders, and the reasons behind these.
Gage as always does a great job with the characters. Besides the ones we always enjoy, he gives new ones real depth and we get to understand their motivations with very succinct descriptions. I particularly like how the personal likes and dislikes among characters plays a big role in how they interact professionally.
This is another outstanding entry in the series and should not be missed!
The first word in the title of this book does a great job in describing it: Perfect. I have been a fan of Leighton Gage's series since the beginning, and currently it is firmly established among my favorite series. This installment is among the best Gage has produced so far, and leads me to say that even though I thought it was an impossible task, this series is actually getting better.
The elements from previous successful books are there. We have the raw brutality surrounding the cases, the overwhelming evil of some of the characters, the expert use of the local idiosyncrasies and the thoroughly engaging mystery plots. In this book I especially enjoyed how the author blended two cases together, a terrorist attack in Sao Paulo and an assassination in Curitiba. Even those used to the series may find some of the details in reference to the terrorist attack hard to swallow, but that is what you get with Gage, raw brutal images.
To make matters even more interesting, we get to see the continuation on the situation of the despicable Muniz. He is trying to weasel his way out of the charges he is facing and is willing to do anything to achieve this, including lying, cheating, bribing or killing. This aspect of the story works very well with the two cases and keeps the pace of the book moving at outstanding speed.
It was very interesting to me how even though the killers in the two cases are revealed pretty quickly, the author manages to create a thrilling atmosphere and to keep us on our toes. The questions remain around the ones that may have given the orders, and the reasons behind these.
Gage as always does a great job with the characters. Besides the ones we always enjoy, he gives new ones real depth and we get to understand their motivations with very succinct descriptions. I particularly like how the personal likes and dislikes among characters plays a big role in how they interact professionally.
This is another outstanding entry in the series and should not be missed!
usbsticky's review against another edition
5.0
Spoilers: The further adventures of CI Silva. In this book, he deals with 3 plot lines: The assassination of a political candidate for governor, the murder of a prosecutor and two terrorist bombings. I'm not sure why the author chose to write the story this way but it's not bad and the 3 plots are unconnected.
Bonus: As part of the book takes place in Paraguay, we're treated to an insider's take of the country and I learned a lot I didn't know about it. Unfortunately, it's not a good one but one the wiki doesn't tell you about.
Overall, a pleasant read. Other things we learned about: Brazilian elections, the way Israeli intelligence service works, smuggling, Muslims in Brazil, etc. I strongly recommend reading this series from #1 but this book can be read as a stand alone.
Bonus: As part of the book takes place in Paraguay, we're treated to an insider's take of the country and I learned a lot I didn't know about it. Unfortunately, it's not a good one but one the wiki doesn't tell you about.
Overall, a pleasant read. Other things we learned about: Brazilian elections, the way Israeli intelligence service works, smuggling, Muslims in Brazil, etc. I strongly recommend reading this series from #1 but this book can be read as a stand alone.
mepitts's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I like this series. Inspector Silva is an honest man in a corrupt system. The books give quite a bit of South American culture and are well-read in the audiobook version. Recommended.
ericwelch's review against another edition
4.0
My foray into Brazilian police procedurals was rewarding indeed.
A terrorist kills a woman using her baby and carriage to hide a bomb which he detonates just as a policeman is about to inquire as to the baby's lack of response. Some 350 miles south, a popular candidate for political office is assassinated.
Chief Inspector Mario Silva, of the Federal Police, immediately takes charge of the investigation. Fortunately, the bomb, which had been placed under the child, had contained numerous shards of hardware and a washer had gone through the child, slowing its trajectory enough so it bent part of the carriage frame. That meant there would be some of the child's DNA available for identification. (As an aside, I had no idea there was such a thing as "post-detonation taggants." They are bomb-proof, unique particles that are added to explosives so that they can be traced back to sellers and places of origin. Interesting.
Politics being what it is in Brasilia, when the politician, a relative unknown, is assassinated, Silva must focus his efforts on that case rather than the sixty plus people who had been killed in the bombing. It soon becomes complicated, as good mysteries must, and we learn the assassinated politician, Plinio, a revered man, had several enemies, many of whom were not immediately obvious.
Lots of interesting information about Brazil and its relationships with other countries, particularly Paraguay (and most of that not complimentary.) Little snippets of historical information that some readers may find unnecessary but which I always find fascinating, e.g., re Lebanon, "Each new outbreak of violence plunged the country deeper into chaos and caused more of her children to seek new homes abroad. Many chose Brazil. By the beginning of the 1990s, there were, it was said with some justification, more Lebanese in São Paulo than in Beirut. But, before the refugees, before the great torrent of immigration began, there were a few young Lebanese upon whom Brazil exerted its attraction, not as a refuge, but as a land of limitless opportunity."
Silva finds himself under personal attack in the form of an irate land owner who wants to kill him, in addition to his battle with pervasive corruption intertwined with an increasingly dangerous radical Islamic group
A solid read.
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my always uninfluenced review. I never review books I don't like.
A terrorist kills a woman using her baby and carriage to hide a bomb which he detonates just as a policeman is about to inquire as to the baby's lack of response. Some 350 miles south, a popular candidate for political office is assassinated.
Chief Inspector Mario Silva, of the Federal Police, immediately takes charge of the investigation. Fortunately, the bomb, which had been placed under the child, had contained numerous shards of hardware and a washer had gone through the child, slowing its trajectory enough so it bent part of the carriage frame. That meant there would be some of the child's DNA available for identification. (As an aside, I had no idea there was such a thing as "post-detonation taggants." They are bomb-proof, unique particles that are added to explosives so that they can be traced back to sellers and places of origin. Interesting.
Politics being what it is in Brasilia, when the politician, a relative unknown, is assassinated, Silva must focus his efforts on that case rather than the sixty plus people who had been killed in the bombing. It soon becomes complicated, as good mysteries must, and we learn the assassinated politician, Plinio, a revered man, had several enemies, many of whom were not immediately obvious.
Lots of interesting information about Brazil and its relationships with other countries, particularly Paraguay (and most of that not complimentary.) Little snippets of historical information that some readers may find unnecessary but which I always find fascinating, e.g., re Lebanon, "Each new outbreak of violence plunged the country deeper into chaos and caused more of her children to seek new homes abroad. Many chose Brazil. By the beginning of the 1990s, there were, it was said with some justification, more Lebanese in São Paulo than in Beirut. But, before the refugees, before the great torrent of immigration began, there were a few young Lebanese upon whom Brazil exerted its attraction, not as a refuge, but as a land of limitless opportunity."
Silva finds himself under personal attack in the form of an irate land owner who wants to kill him, in addition to his battle with pervasive corruption intertwined with an increasingly dangerous radical Islamic group
A solid read.
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my always uninfluenced review. I never review books I don't like.
skinnypenguin's review
4.0
Integrates corrupt politics with terrorism. Didn't realize there was such a problem with goods crossing from Paraguay to Brazil illegally. A plot to help with an election with a stunt that backfires and a psycho criminal trying to get rid of law enforcement personnel.
More...