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Chief Inspector Mario Silva #6
Perfect Hatred
Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team have a heavy work load with several high-profile cases. First, a suicide bombing that was apparently the work of a militant Islamist group. Then, a gubernatorial candidate is assassinated in broad daylight at a campaign rally. Could the cases be related? To complicate Silva's investigation, a criminal with a very bad grudge against the Chief Inspector has been released from prison and is plotting ugly revenge.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
43 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Leighton Gage
15 books86 followersDied July 27th, 2013
Leighton Gage writes the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series, crime novels set in Brazil. He and his Brazilian-born wife divide their time between their home in Brazil and those of their children and grandchildren in Europe and the U.S.
Praise for the Chief Inspector:
Hard-hitting, atmospheric…. Despite their social conscience and ambitious reach, there's nothing stiff or programmatic about Mr. Gage's lively, action-filled chronicles. They have finely sketched characters, vivid geographical detail and their own brutal sort of humor. The vast size of Brazil, with its great economic and topographic differences, affords a diversity of locales. Each book is a bit of adventure-travel, with Silva and crew often feeling like tourists within their own country. Yet the Silva investigations have all the step-by-step excitement of a world-class procedural series…. The books' greatest appeal, though, is Silva. Even after five books and many glimpses into his past and present, he remains an enigma. The reader never knows what the detective might or might not do in order to balance the scales of justice. The Wall Street Journal
South America’s Kurt Wallander - Booklist
Top notch...controversial and entirely absorbing...irresistible -
The New York Times
Masterful - The Toronto Globe and Mail
Compelling - The Boston Globe
Fascinating, complex and riveting - Florida Sun Sentinel
Intelligent and subtle…suspenseful and sophisticated - Publisher’s Weekly
Highly recommended - Library Journal
Colorful characters and crackling banter - Kirkus Reviews
Leighton Gage writes the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series, crime novels set in Brazil. He and his Brazilian-born wife divide their time between their home in Brazil and those of their children and grandchildren in Europe and the U.S.
Praise for the Chief Inspector:
Hard-hitting, atmospheric…. Despite their social conscience and ambitious reach, there's nothing stiff or programmatic about Mr. Gage's lively, action-filled chronicles. They have finely sketched characters, vivid geographical detail and their own brutal sort of humor. The vast size of Brazil, with its great economic and topographic differences, affords a diversity of locales. Each book is a bit of adventure-travel, with Silva and crew often feeling like tourists within their own country. Yet the Silva investigations have all the step-by-step excitement of a world-class procedural series…. The books' greatest appeal, though, is Silva. Even after five books and many glimpses into his past and present, he remains an enigma. The reader never knows what the detective might or might not do in order to balance the scales of justice. The Wall Street Journal
South America’s Kurt Wallander - Booklist
Top notch...controversial and entirely absorbing...irresistible -
The New York Times
Masterful - The Toronto Globe and Mail
Compelling - The Boston Globe
Fascinating, complex and riveting - Florida Sun Sentinel
Intelligent and subtle…suspenseful and sophisticated - Publisher’s Weekly
Highly recommended - Library Journal
Colorful characters and crackling banter - Kirkus Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 7, 2012
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.
February 21, 2013
“And you must call me Ismail.” I smiled when I read that homage to the opening line of Moby Dick buried in Leighton Gage’s sixth Brazil-based Chief Inspector Mario Silva mystery, PERFECT HATRED. Then I thought about it and realized Gage and Melville reached to explore many of the same issues: class and social distinction, good and evil, and destructive obsession. Melville had his great whale and Gage his vast Brazil, a giant land larger than the continental United States, filled with diverse riches and complex contradictions.
Gage knows his subject well and never hesitates to tell it like it is. Terrorism, entrenched corruption, opportunistic murder, and merciless revenge play a part in modern day Brazil, and PERFECT HATRED chases them all down against the backdrop of some of the most exotic, breathtaking locales on earth.
As Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team stalk possible links between an Islamic suicide bombing in one part of Brazil and a political assassination in another, Silva is himself stalked for assassination.
Once again, Gage hooks you on the very first page and won’t let you go until the end.
Gage knows his subject well and never hesitates to tell it like it is. Terrorism, entrenched corruption, opportunistic murder, and merciless revenge play a part in modern day Brazil, and PERFECT HATRED chases them all down against the backdrop of some of the most exotic, breathtaking locales on earth.
As Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team stalk possible links between an Islamic suicide bombing in one part of Brazil and a political assassination in another, Silva is himself stalked for assassination.
Once again, Gage hooks you on the very first page and won’t let you go until the end.
February 7, 2013
If you don't know anything about Brazil, don't read a guide book to understand what this huge complex country is about. The author will flit from place to place like a butterfly sampling the nectar but never tasting the flower or the fruit. Don't talk to friends who have travelled there because they probably have not seen more than the beaches in Rio de Janeiro or the Amazon river, the beat of Bahia or maybe the force of Iguacu Falls, or wherever else it is that tourists think that they should go so that they can bore their friends with tales of the exotic.
What you should do is read a book written by someone who lives in Brazil, preferably someone who has been a resident for a long time. A book written by someone who has a Brazilian wife, Brazilian children and grandchildren. A book written by someone who has lived and worked elsewhere so that he can make valid comparisons. And it should be a book written by someone who knows how to write well. That someone is Leighton Gage and his latest Brazilian murder mystery (the sixth) is Perfect Hatred and yes, I really recommend that you read and enjoy it if you want to know about Brazil.
Gage's books are not for the weak of heart. This is not a "cozy" mystery. It is about murder based on hatred, greed and lots of other reasons. Here's the question that comes to mind: Is it possible to like a book based on hatred?
The book begins with a bang, literally. Salem Nabulsi, a muslim terrorist, explodes a bomb in a public setting and too many people are killed. Since he is a suicide bomber, and we know who he is from the first page, this is not a "whodunnit". Because we know that he is a muslim terrorist, the question really isn't why he did it. The reader now becomes a part of the investigation of the bombing. What really is underlying the bombing? Where did the C4 in the bomb come from and how did Nabulsi obtain it to make the bomb? Now we have a mystery to be solved.
Almost simultaneously there is a murder in the city of Curitiba at an outdoor election rally. When gubernatorial candidate Plinio Saldano is killed along with others, and we are witness to the shooting, we again have a murder that is a "whydunnit?" and not a "whodunnit". In fact, on p. 99, the widow of another victim of violence asks, "But why? That's what I want to know."
Is it connected to the bombing in São Paulo or is it just another case of knowing who committed the murder but not knowing why?
Does the sub plot with a criminal with murder on his mind, Orlando Muniz, get in the way of the real story or is it just a device for making this an international story? Before you know it this becomes an international mystery. Is this a book about Brazil or its neighbor Paraguay? Or is it a book about no single nation but worldwide religious fanaticism. Are there other nations involved? Yes. Will your eyes spin as you work your way through the many characters in the book? Probably.
Gage writes so well about violence and multiple murder victims that the reader doesn't even question how many people have been killed or how many more might be killed. Did I mention that he also gives you a perspective on Brazil that you are not likely to get elsewhere?
If you look at earlier books by Gage, like Buried Strangers, you accept the fact that there are going to be multiple victims (37 bodies were found buried in that book).
For readers who have come expecting Gage to be their tour guide through the corruption that is Brazil, there is plenty for you to ingest. But this is a book about something more than Brazil. This is about stupid people filled with perfect hatred whose victims are the innocent and those who might not be so innocent.
There is no disappointment in Gage's ability as a storyteller. He is a master and if you haven't read his other books you should do yourself a favor. Go out and buy them and read them. You just might learn something about Brazil and why people commit murder.
What you should do is read a book written by someone who lives in Brazil, preferably someone who has been a resident for a long time. A book written by someone who has a Brazilian wife, Brazilian children and grandchildren. A book written by someone who has lived and worked elsewhere so that he can make valid comparisons. And it should be a book written by someone who knows how to write well. That someone is Leighton Gage and his latest Brazilian murder mystery (the sixth) is Perfect Hatred and yes, I really recommend that you read and enjoy it if you want to know about Brazil.
Gage's books are not for the weak of heart. This is not a "cozy" mystery. It is about murder based on hatred, greed and lots of other reasons. Here's the question that comes to mind: Is it possible to like a book based on hatred?
The book begins with a bang, literally. Salem Nabulsi, a muslim terrorist, explodes a bomb in a public setting and too many people are killed. Since he is a suicide bomber, and we know who he is from the first page, this is not a "whodunnit". Because we know that he is a muslim terrorist, the question really isn't why he did it. The reader now becomes a part of the investigation of the bombing. What really is underlying the bombing? Where did the C4 in the bomb come from and how did Nabulsi obtain it to make the bomb? Now we have a mystery to be solved.
Almost simultaneously there is a murder in the city of Curitiba at an outdoor election rally. When gubernatorial candidate Plinio Saldano is killed along with others, and we are witness to the shooting, we again have a murder that is a "whydunnit?" and not a "whodunnit". In fact, on p. 99, the widow of another victim of violence asks, "But why? That's what I want to know."
Is it connected to the bombing in São Paulo or is it just another case of knowing who committed the murder but not knowing why?
Does the sub plot with a criminal with murder on his mind, Orlando Muniz, get in the way of the real story or is it just a device for making this an international story? Before you know it this becomes an international mystery. Is this a book about Brazil or its neighbor Paraguay? Or is it a book about no single nation but worldwide religious fanaticism. Are there other nations involved? Yes. Will your eyes spin as you work your way through the many characters in the book? Probably.
Gage writes so well about violence and multiple murder victims that the reader doesn't even question how many people have been killed or how many more might be killed. Did I mention that he also gives you a perspective on Brazil that you are not likely to get elsewhere?
If you look at earlier books by Gage, like Buried Strangers, you accept the fact that there are going to be multiple victims (37 bodies were found buried in that book).
For readers who have come expecting Gage to be their tour guide through the corruption that is Brazil, there is plenty for you to ingest. But this is a book about something more than Brazil. This is about stupid people filled with perfect hatred whose victims are the innocent and those who might not be so innocent.
There is no disappointment in Gage's ability as a storyteller. He is a master and if you haven't read his other books you should do yourself a favor. Go out and buy them and read them. You just might learn something about Brazil and why people commit murder.
February 12, 2013
First Line: The action began auspiciously.
The old adage "it never rains but it pours" has never been truer for Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team. A suicide bombing which is the apparent work of militant Islamists has killed over sixty people, but the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate during a campaign rally has Silva's superiors screaming. Told to focus on the assassination, Silva doesn't. He divides his team so both cases are being worked simultaneously. He refuses to ignore the slaughter of innocents. After all-- he's been on the job long enough to know how to work around the men in higher positions.
An assassin, terrorists, tracking down explosives in Paraguay... that would be enough for anyone to handle, but there's something that Silva isn't aware of: a criminal who's just been released from prison has vowed to kill him, and he's going to do his best to get the job done.
If you want to read crime fiction set in present-day Brazil, the very first author whose books you need to get your hands on is Leighton Gage. He gives us a clear-eyed look into a system filled with
corruption and bribery, but Gage also shows us that there is justice to be had. How? Through the character of Chief Inspector Mario Silva. As Silva tells someone:
"Senhora, I've been in the service of a corrupt legal system for all of my working life. I'm nothing if not a pragmatist."
"That's what Luis said. That's why I'm telling you all this."
"But I'm also an idealist. And any evil I do, I attempt to do for the greater good."
For every corrupt politician, for every bribe-taking police officer, for every barbaric person of undeserved privilege, Leighton Gage shows us that there are those who are brave enough to tell the truth and to insist upon justice for all. Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team are among those who persist in fighting for what's right-- and one of the ways they do it is to band together as a family, to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, to make bad jokes amongst themselves to lighten tense situations. This team is one that you grow to care deeply about, and the subplot involving the criminal planning Silva's death can make your blood run cold.
All three subplots-- bombing, assassination, threat on Silva's life-- are engrossing, and watching each come to its conclusion is a pleasure. Whenever I learn that Leighton Gage has a new book
coming out, I smile. I know I will be whisked off to a distant land filled with excitement, outrage, and danger, but a land where I will also be among my fictional friends. I know I said earlier that you should read these books if you want to read about present-day Brazil-- and you should-- but you should really read them if you like crime fiction writing at its best.
The old adage "it never rains but it pours" has never been truer for Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team. A suicide bombing which is the apparent work of militant Islamists has killed over sixty people, but the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate during a campaign rally has Silva's superiors screaming. Told to focus on the assassination, Silva doesn't. He divides his team so both cases are being worked simultaneously. He refuses to ignore the slaughter of innocents. After all-- he's been on the job long enough to know how to work around the men in higher positions.
An assassin, terrorists, tracking down explosives in Paraguay... that would be enough for anyone to handle, but there's something that Silva isn't aware of: a criminal who's just been released from prison has vowed to kill him, and he's going to do his best to get the job done.
If you want to read crime fiction set in present-day Brazil, the very first author whose books you need to get your hands on is Leighton Gage. He gives us a clear-eyed look into a system filled with
corruption and bribery, but Gage also shows us that there is justice to be had. How? Through the character of Chief Inspector Mario Silva. As Silva tells someone:
"Senhora, I've been in the service of a corrupt legal system for all of my working life. I'm nothing if not a pragmatist."
"That's what Luis said. That's why I'm telling you all this."
"But I'm also an idealist. And any evil I do, I attempt to do for the greater good."
For every corrupt politician, for every bribe-taking police officer, for every barbaric person of undeserved privilege, Leighton Gage shows us that there are those who are brave enough to tell the truth and to insist upon justice for all. Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team are among those who persist in fighting for what's right-- and one of the ways they do it is to band together as a family, to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, to make bad jokes amongst themselves to lighten tense situations. This team is one that you grow to care deeply about, and the subplot involving the criminal planning Silva's death can make your blood run cold.
All three subplots-- bombing, assassination, threat on Silva's life-- are engrossing, and watching each come to its conclusion is a pleasure. Whenever I learn that Leighton Gage has a new book
coming out, I smile. I know I will be whisked off to a distant land filled with excitement, outrage, and danger, but a land where I will also be among my fictional friends. I know I said earlier that you should read these books if you want to read about present-day Brazil-- and you should-- but you should really read them if you like crime fiction writing at its best.
February 10, 2013
As Chief Inspector of Brazil's Federal Police Force, Mario Silva knows which way the wind blows, and that it doesn't tend to bring good things with it.
So when his investigation of a shocking crime -- a suicide bombing in Sao Paulo, of all places -- gets interrupted by the assassination of a Gubernatorial candidate in Curitaba, he understands that he has no choice but to put the murder of one, important man over the deaths of many. That's just the way things work in this country, after all.
But with his team split up, Silva's going to find it hard to see justice done in both cases. Especially when the key witness to the shooting winds up dead in his hospital room, and the trail the bomber left leads to very interesting places. Dangerous places, as well.
Unfortunately, that's not the only danger, here. A ruthless smear of a man -- free before his murder trial -- is out to kill Silva before he can testify against him. This high-placed man may not have a lot of time left, but he has money and connections, and that's all he needs to gather some dangerous men to help him in his quest.
Can Mario Silva and his team unravel both mysteries before their enemies, old and new, find a way to end his investigations? Or will he be able to use the loose strings of Brazilian justice to his advantage?
I came to this series hoping for an atmospheric mystery with a character I could really root for, and I'm happy to say I found it in Perfect Hatred. The characters are believable, the plot tight, and the denouement very much in keeping with the setting and its sliding notions of justice and fairness.
It is also a very complex mystery, filled with enough possibles and maybes to keep even a canny reader puzzled until the end. The author -- a very gracious fellow -- challenged me to deduce what was going on after a sufficient page count, and I'm happy to say that I missed the cigar by a wide margin.
(As someone who reads a lot of mystery novels, and can sometimes puzzle out whodunnit by the book's mid-point, that is a very good thing, indeed.)
The Chief Inspector Mario Silva series has been gathering acclaim for its intricate, hard-hitting police procedurals, and this latest foray into the field is a perfect example of why. If you like exotic mysteries that genuinely keep you guessing, peopled with intriguing characters, all trying to keep law and order in a place where such things are often pushed off the table in favor of favors and appearances, then you should invest in Perfect Hatred.
Perfect Hatred drops February 19th, 2013.
So when his investigation of a shocking crime -- a suicide bombing in Sao Paulo, of all places -- gets interrupted by the assassination of a Gubernatorial candidate in Curitaba, he understands that he has no choice but to put the murder of one, important man over the deaths of many. That's just the way things work in this country, after all.
But with his team split up, Silva's going to find it hard to see justice done in both cases. Especially when the key witness to the shooting winds up dead in his hospital room, and the trail the bomber left leads to very interesting places. Dangerous places, as well.
Unfortunately, that's not the only danger, here. A ruthless smear of a man -- free before his murder trial -- is out to kill Silva before he can testify against him. This high-placed man may not have a lot of time left, but he has money and connections, and that's all he needs to gather some dangerous men to help him in his quest.
Can Mario Silva and his team unravel both mysteries before their enemies, old and new, find a way to end his investigations? Or will he be able to use the loose strings of Brazilian justice to his advantage?
I came to this series hoping for an atmospheric mystery with a character I could really root for, and I'm happy to say I found it in Perfect Hatred. The characters are believable, the plot tight, and the denouement very much in keeping with the setting and its sliding notions of justice and fairness.
It is also a very complex mystery, filled with enough possibles and maybes to keep even a canny reader puzzled until the end. The author -- a very gracious fellow -- challenged me to deduce what was going on after a sufficient page count, and I'm happy to say that I missed the cigar by a wide margin.
(As someone who reads a lot of mystery novels, and can sometimes puzzle out whodunnit by the book's mid-point, that is a very good thing, indeed.)
The Chief Inspector Mario Silva series has been gathering acclaim for its intricate, hard-hitting police procedurals, and this latest foray into the field is a perfect example of why. If you like exotic mysteries that genuinely keep you guessing, peopled with intriguing characters, all trying to keep law and order in a place where such things are often pushed off the table in favor of favors and appearances, then you should invest in Perfect Hatred.
Perfect Hatred drops February 19th, 2013.
March 12, 2013
"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!
November 3, 2014
I GREATLY enjoyed this story. I haven't read any other of the novels in the "Chief Inspector Mario Silva" series, but I found the plot creation and structure very credible and engaging. I will say that the plot is very complex with a large quantity of characters to keep track of, but the focus required is well worth the effort.
Basic premise of the story is terrorism and execution of a political figure. I thought it was very interesting to read the interchange of political views and policies between Brazil and Paraguay as well as the additional Israeli influence throughout the plot as well. I enjoyed that the author at the end of the story gave real life depiction of Paraguay and some of the challenges the country still faces to day in the light of the overall global political landscape.
This was a very well thought out out novel with a large quantity of research and intelligence needed to depict real life today in this part of the world.
I reviewed this book via a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, but that did not impact my rating of the story. I have rated books poorly I've received as well. Thanks
Basic premise of the story is terrorism and execution of a political figure. I thought it was very interesting to read the interchange of political views and policies between Brazil and Paraguay as well as the additional Israeli influence throughout the plot as well. I enjoyed that the author at the end of the story gave real life depiction of Paraguay and some of the challenges the country still faces to day in the light of the overall global political landscape.
This was a very well thought out out novel with a large quantity of research and intelligence needed to depict real life today in this part of the world.
I reviewed this book via a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, but that did not impact my rating of the story. I have rated books poorly I've received as well. Thanks
June 11, 2013
My Thoughts
This was very good. I enjoyed the comaraderie between Chief Inspector Mario Silva and the detectives on his team. I thought it was smartly written, with a tight plot and well thought out characters.
This is one of several books that involve mario Silve and I am definitely interested in reading some of the others.
Many thanks to Soho Press, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
Publish date: February 13, 2013.
This was very good. I enjoyed the comaraderie between Chief Inspector Mario Silva and the detectives on his team. I thought it was smartly written, with a tight plot and well thought out characters.
This is one of several books that involve mario Silve and I am definitely interested in reading some of the others.
Many thanks to Soho Press, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
Publish date: February 13, 2013.
February 22, 2018
Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team have a heavy work load with several high-profile cases. First, a suicide bombing that was apparently the work of a militant Islamist group. Then, a gubernatorial candidate is assassinated in broad daylight at a campaign rally. Could the cases be related? To complicate Silva's investigation, a criminal with a very bad grudge against the Chief Inspector has been released from prison and is plotting ugly revenge wanting to kill Silva.
This is book 6 of the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series and I have read all the books before this one and have enjoyed them all. These books are a great insight into what it's like to live in Brazil. I have had a conversation with the author, Leighton Gage, who spends part of each year in Santana do Parnaiba, Brazil, where he met his wife, Eide. Gage told me about the police who are more corrupt than the politicians. In this book, a politician who was about to fight against all the corruption, is assassinated. Because of my conversation with the author, I was able to understand why this politician would not be a favorite of the police. Mario Silva is an investigator who is also fighting the corruption and a released prisoner in the book is wanting to kill Silva. If you haven't read this series, I suggest you do. It is an excellent series. I'm looking forward to reading book 7, The Ways of Evil Men. I was very sorry to hear about the author's death after writing his last book in 2013. I will surely miss him and his books. I would highly recommend this series to those who would like to read about the corruption in Brazil. Not a good place to visit unless you have a good bodyguard.
This is book 6 of the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series and I have read all the books before this one and have enjoyed them all. These books are a great insight into what it's like to live in Brazil. I have had a conversation with the author, Leighton Gage, who spends part of each year in Santana do Parnaiba, Brazil, where he met his wife, Eide. Gage told me about the police who are more corrupt than the politicians. In this book, a politician who was about to fight against all the corruption, is assassinated. Because of my conversation with the author, I was able to understand why this politician would not be a favorite of the police. Mario Silva is an investigator who is also fighting the corruption and a released prisoner in the book is wanting to kill Silva. If you haven't read this series, I suggest you do. It is an excellent series. I'm looking forward to reading book 7, The Ways of Evil Men. I was very sorry to hear about the author's death after writing his last book in 2013. I will surely miss him and his books. I would highly recommend this series to those who would like to read about the corruption in Brazil. Not a good place to visit unless you have a good bodyguard.
May 17, 2017
At first I was enjoying this mystery about a Brazilian detective (the only honest person in South America, apparently) who starts out investigating a suicide bombing at the US embassy before being sent to another province to get to the bottom of a political assassination.
I thought I would like the book, but after a while I noticed that the author was not artful in bringing in new information. He did not weave in clues, but just added new details when ready to pull a rabbit out of a hat. He also justifies torture and other violence, suggesting that torture gets good data, which has been proven wrong. I did learn that Paraguay is a rogue state used for shipping arms and drugs all over the hemisphere. I don't know if that is true but will be alert to other signs in the news going forward.
The characters are mostly stick figures. Not recommended.
I thought I would like the book, but after a while I noticed that the author was not artful in bringing in new information. He did not weave in clues, but just added new details when ready to pull a rabbit out of a hat. He also justifies torture and other violence, suggesting that torture gets good data, which has been proven wrong. I did learn that Paraguay is a rogue state used for shipping arms and drugs all over the hemisphere. I don't know if that is true but will be alert to other signs in the news going forward.
The characters are mostly stick figures. Not recommended.
April 22, 2020
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.
April 6, 2022
Chief Inspector Mario Silva #6 of 7.
Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team have a heavy workload in this book.
A suicide bombing that was apparently the work of a militant Islamist group.
Then, the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate in broad daylight at a campaign rally.
Next a suicide bombing that was apparently the work of a militant Islamist group.
Then, the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate in broad daylight at a campaign rally.
He wonders if it all might be connected. Vivid, descriptive writing keeps the reader engaged
wondering what is next. I really liked this book a lot.
Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team have a heavy workload in this book.
A suicide bombing that was apparently the work of a militant Islamist group.
Then, the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate in broad daylight at a campaign rally.
Next a suicide bombing that was apparently the work of a militant Islamist group.
Then, the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate in broad daylight at a campaign rally.
He wonders if it all might be connected. Vivid, descriptive writing keeps the reader engaged
wondering what is next. I really liked this book a lot.
July 20, 2019
Political intrigue in Brazil....
I am new to the works of Mr. Gage, but I am delighted to have discovered them. This is a taut plot beautifully revealed. The politics and corruption in Brazil and its neighbor Paraguay are formidable barriers to honest law enforcement, but Silva is a brilliant strategist. If you like the character Gabriel Allon in Daniel Silva books, you will love Leighton Gage’s Mario Silva.
I am new to the works of Mr. Gage, but I am delighted to have discovered them. This is a taut plot beautifully revealed. The politics and corruption in Brazil and its neighbor Paraguay are formidable barriers to honest law enforcement, but Silva is a brilliant strategist. If you like the character Gabriel Allon in Daniel Silva books, you will love Leighton Gage’s Mario Silva.
October 13, 2020
I am sorry that Leighton Gage died too young and shortly after this, his last novel, was published. I'll miss his keen eye for character, his ability to be witty, sardonic, sympathetic, compassionate, and condemnatory in a few pithy words. He knew Brazil well and wrote about its strengths and foibles in a way that was neither fawning nor condescending, but even-handed and caring. Sentirei falta dele.
August 2, 2021
Ok. Corruption in Brazil - and Paraguay - plus an assassination and bombings. Two terrorist bombings occur at the same time as a reform politician is killed. The terrorist plots are more interesting than the assassination, whose solution is unsatisfying. There’s also an attempt on Silva’s life which is a bit comic, despite the bloodshed.
August 14, 2018
Very interesting setup and characters. Good detective work. Good pacing of story.
However, resolution of core mystery was poorly handled. Aspects of it were hinted at early on, then this crime was ignored for much of the book which focused on a revenge against Silva angle.
However, resolution of core mystery was poorly handled. Aspects of it were hinted at early on, then this crime was ignored for much of the book which focused on a revenge against Silva angle.
December 4, 2018
Far too cliched and very predictable. The weakest of the 6 titles that I have read in the series. A shallow plot that was not exciting, thrilling or with any twists.
Read
August 7, 2021to-read
August 8, 2013
It begins with a suicide bombing at the US consulate in São Paulo, when what looks like a young Muslim mother pushing her baby in a pram sets off an explosive bomb. Chief Inspector of the Brazilian Federal Police, Mario Silva has barely begun to pull together a team when he is abruptly interrupted and told to prioritize another case. The assassination of a Gubernatorial candidate in Curitaba demands his full attention.
Silva and the people he trusts begin investigating both incidents, looking into the possibility of a connection between the two crimes. As well as the assassination and the terrorist attack, which could bring forth the wrath of four governments if they don’t solve where the extremists got the explosives from and soon, Silva has another problem. He’s a witness in a case that will see a notorious criminal named Muniz put away for many years, something that Muniz isn’t going to take lying down. He has put into place plans to kill Silva personally and he’s going to enjoy it.
Perfect Hatred is the 6th novel in the Brazilian police procedural series featuring Chief Inspector Mario Silva and I’ve come to enjoy returning to Brasilia and its surrounds each year and watching Silva and his colleagues put their considerable investigative powers to good use. I always learn things too, while reading these novels, which is lots of fun. It’s great to revisit a setting that I really still don��t know a huge amount about and get more of a feel for the culture, the bureaucracy, the criminal element. And this one opens with a bang with something that I wouldn’t particularly expect in Brazil, a terrorist bombing. There’s a small but strong Muslim community in the area (which I also didn’t know – apparently at one stage there were more Lebanese in São Paulo than Beirut) and it seems that this bombing is the work of a militant Islamic group. Also – the amount of C4 that has gone missing is a lot more than was used to make the bomb so Silva and his crew know that there is a lot more out there. They’ll need to work fast to find it before it can be used to take more lives.
What helps Mario and his crew is that the bomb contains a “signature” in the fragments of explosive which help trace its origin back to the Paraguayan military. Because the bomb was underneath the baby and exploded up through it, they can also trace fragments of the baby’s DNA through these same identification taggants. This allows them to not only track down who sold the C4 explosive and who they sold it to but also the ability to attempt to track down the baby’s parents. It doesn’t take Mario long to realise from the CCTV footage that the person pushing the pram is not a woman and therefore this is probably a kidnapping, using the baby and pram carriage for the purposes of camouflage.
This book is Silva and his team doing what they do best – using their calm, methodical investigative techniques to dig out the crucial information they need and slowly put a case together despite being blocked at nearly ever turn. Silva is the sort of character that you never really learn too much about – I’m six books in (although I think there’s 1 I haven’t read) and although I can judge for myself a lot about his character, I don’t really know what he’s thinking. He’s had some tragedy in his life and this seems filed grimly away. A sentence here or there gives you a glimpse into it and the situation with his wife, who has never really recovered. Silva seems the sort to bury himself in his work and living where he does, he always has quite a lot of work to bury himself in. This time we are introduced to a new level of corruption in neighbouring Paraguay. Paraguay makes Brazil look lily white and Silva and his colleagues find themselves blocked numerous times by various “businessmen” and a jihadist Islamic priest but they are pretty skilled in maneuvering themselves around blocks and finding not only ways to get in, but ways to do this and annoy the people who were blocking them.
I also really liked the subplot involving the criminal Muniz who is about to face lengthy jail time thanks to Silva and a prosecutor He seeks to negate this by eliminating both of them but finds himself having some trouble with his paid help along the way and an irrational but amusing fear of water doesn’t help either. I actually found some of the scenes featuring Muniz very tense (which are balanced out by the other investigative scenes) and even though I know that Silva is extremely unlikely to die, I have to admit, I feared for the people around him who might be considered more expendable.
Perfect Hatred reminds me why I like novels that I term to be “smart crime” – those which are equal parts informative and sinister. I love learning about places in South America and the intricacies of relations between countries in South America as well as on a smaller scale, the relationship between various forms of government, bureaucracy and different agencies in Brazil. You get the picture of a country that has both great wealth and crippling poverty and Silva encounters it all.
Silva and the people he trusts begin investigating both incidents, looking into the possibility of a connection between the two crimes. As well as the assassination and the terrorist attack, which could bring forth the wrath of four governments if they don’t solve where the extremists got the explosives from and soon, Silva has another problem. He’s a witness in a case that will see a notorious criminal named Muniz put away for many years, something that Muniz isn’t going to take lying down. He has put into place plans to kill Silva personally and he’s going to enjoy it.
Perfect Hatred is the 6th novel in the Brazilian police procedural series featuring Chief Inspector Mario Silva and I’ve come to enjoy returning to Brasilia and its surrounds each year and watching Silva and his colleagues put their considerable investigative powers to good use. I always learn things too, while reading these novels, which is lots of fun. It’s great to revisit a setting that I really still don��t know a huge amount about and get more of a feel for the culture, the bureaucracy, the criminal element. And this one opens with a bang with something that I wouldn’t particularly expect in Brazil, a terrorist bombing. There’s a small but strong Muslim community in the area (which I also didn’t know – apparently at one stage there were more Lebanese in São Paulo than Beirut) and it seems that this bombing is the work of a militant Islamic group. Also – the amount of C4 that has gone missing is a lot more than was used to make the bomb so Silva and his crew know that there is a lot more out there. They’ll need to work fast to find it before it can be used to take more lives.
What helps Mario and his crew is that the bomb contains a “signature” in the fragments of explosive which help trace its origin back to the Paraguayan military. Because the bomb was underneath the baby and exploded up through it, they can also trace fragments of the baby’s DNA through these same identification taggants. This allows them to not only track down who sold the C4 explosive and who they sold it to but also the ability to attempt to track down the baby’s parents. It doesn’t take Mario long to realise from the CCTV footage that the person pushing the pram is not a woman and therefore this is probably a kidnapping, using the baby and pram carriage for the purposes of camouflage.
This book is Silva and his team doing what they do best – using their calm, methodical investigative techniques to dig out the crucial information they need and slowly put a case together despite being blocked at nearly ever turn. Silva is the sort of character that you never really learn too much about – I’m six books in (although I think there’s 1 I haven’t read) and although I can judge for myself a lot about his character, I don’t really know what he’s thinking. He’s had some tragedy in his life and this seems filed grimly away. A sentence here or there gives you a glimpse into it and the situation with his wife, who has never really recovered. Silva seems the sort to bury himself in his work and living where he does, he always has quite a lot of work to bury himself in. This time we are introduced to a new level of corruption in neighbouring Paraguay. Paraguay makes Brazil look lily white and Silva and his colleagues find themselves blocked numerous times by various “businessmen” and a jihadist Islamic priest but they are pretty skilled in maneuvering themselves around blocks and finding not only ways to get in, but ways to do this and annoy the people who were blocking them.
I also really liked the subplot involving the criminal Muniz who is about to face lengthy jail time thanks to Silva and a prosecutor He seeks to negate this by eliminating both of them but finds himself having some trouble with his paid help along the way and an irrational but amusing fear of water doesn’t help either. I actually found some of the scenes featuring Muniz very tense (which are balanced out by the other investigative scenes) and even though I know that Silva is extremely unlikely to die, I have to admit, I feared for the people around him who might be considered more expendable.
Perfect Hatred reminds me why I like novels that I term to be “smart crime” – those which are equal parts informative and sinister. I love learning about places in South America and the intricacies of relations between countries in South America as well as on a smaller scale, the relationship between various forms of government, bureaucracy and different agencies in Brazil. You get the picture of a country that has both great wealth and crippling poverty and Silva encounters it all.
July 14, 2013
Leighton Gage has carved a nice niche for himself with his Chief Inspector Mario Silva series of mysteries set in Brazil. Gage knows how to use Brazil’s exotic beauty to his benefit, deftly juxtaposing it with extremes of wealth and poverty and corruption at all levels. The public officials and politicians who aren’t corrupt are as venal as their peers anywhere else. Gage’s gift is an ability to expose and explore all Brazil has to offer to a writer of crime fiction, while allowing the love of his adopted country to live in every line.
The United States has no equivalent of the Brazilian Federal Police. Their jurisdiction is nation-wide, and supersedes local authority. This allows them to open investigations on their own initiative, and gives Gage carte blanche with his plots, as there is no crime in Brazil in which the federals may not take an interest.
His newest book, Perfect Hatred, allows Gage to take full advantage of the breadth of the Brazilian federal police, Silva’s skills, and the devotion his team has for each other. The book begins with a horrific terrorist bombing; the bomb in a baby carriage, its intent disguised by the bomber’s use of a real baby to cover the explosive. In a province hundreds of miles away, a popular political candidate is shot to death at a televised campaign appearance, on the eve of defeating the incumbent. Silva’s team is split between the two and he is tasked with focusing on the assassination when his instinct is to concentrate on the bombing, as there is reason to believe this was not an isolated incident.
As if Silva isn’t busy enough, a high-ranking criminal who is about to go away forever has sworn vengeance on the prosecutor and cop who put him there; the cop is Silva.
Laid out like that, the book sounds like a hare-brained modern thriller, where the stakes are continuously raised and bodies pile up. (“Now it’s personal.”) This would likely be the case in the hands of a lesser writer. Gage has bigger plans, and better chops. The situation teeters on the brink of becoming out of control; Silva never does. He may be frustrated, angry, and even scared, but he’s the right man at the right time. He has personal problems and ghosts that affect him, but he’s not the stereotypical tormented series protagonist. He’s a good man under intense pressure from multiple sides, and he handles the situation with grace and as much humanity as he can muster. Not perfect and not always on time to be a savior, he’s the glue that holds everything in Gage’s fictional universe together. If his squad is the Brazilian equivalent of Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct (the analogy that comes most often to mind), Silva is Gage’s Steve Carella.
The writing is perfect for the story, as it always is. Gage is of the school where the writer’s goal is to be as unobtrusive as possible, where he scored highest marks. Nothing will jump out at a first time reader, though those who have several Silva stories under their belts will start to recognize subtle touches that are Gage’s own. He understands suspense is the building of tension and violence is the release of at least some of it. He also trusts his situation, characters, and talent not to beat you over the head with how bad things are. If you don’t feel it on your own, you’re reading the wrong books.
Perfect Hatred may well be the best of an excellent series that gets better book by book. It is not to be missed.
The United States has no equivalent of the Brazilian Federal Police. Their jurisdiction is nation-wide, and supersedes local authority. This allows them to open investigations on their own initiative, and gives Gage carte blanche with his plots, as there is no crime in Brazil in which the federals may not take an interest.
His newest book, Perfect Hatred, allows Gage to take full advantage of the breadth of the Brazilian federal police, Silva’s skills, and the devotion his team has for each other. The book begins with a horrific terrorist bombing; the bomb in a baby carriage, its intent disguised by the bomber’s use of a real baby to cover the explosive. In a province hundreds of miles away, a popular political candidate is shot to death at a televised campaign appearance, on the eve of defeating the incumbent. Silva’s team is split between the two and he is tasked with focusing on the assassination when his instinct is to concentrate on the bombing, as there is reason to believe this was not an isolated incident.
As if Silva isn’t busy enough, a high-ranking criminal who is about to go away forever has sworn vengeance on the prosecutor and cop who put him there; the cop is Silva.
Laid out like that, the book sounds like a hare-brained modern thriller, where the stakes are continuously raised and bodies pile up. (“Now it’s personal.”) This would likely be the case in the hands of a lesser writer. Gage has bigger plans, and better chops. The situation teeters on the brink of becoming out of control; Silva never does. He may be frustrated, angry, and even scared, but he’s the right man at the right time. He has personal problems and ghosts that affect him, but he’s not the stereotypical tormented series protagonist. He’s a good man under intense pressure from multiple sides, and he handles the situation with grace and as much humanity as he can muster. Not perfect and not always on time to be a savior, he’s the glue that holds everything in Gage’s fictional universe together. If his squad is the Brazilian equivalent of Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct (the analogy that comes most often to mind), Silva is Gage’s Steve Carella.
The writing is perfect for the story, as it always is. Gage is of the school where the writer’s goal is to be as unobtrusive as possible, where he scored highest marks. Nothing will jump out at a first time reader, though those who have several Silva stories under their belts will start to recognize subtle touches that are Gage’s own. He understands suspense is the building of tension and violence is the release of at least some of it. He also trusts his situation, characters, and talent not to beat you over the head with how bad things are. If you don’t feel it on your own, you’re reading the wrong books.
Perfect Hatred may well be the best of an excellent series that gets better book by book. It is not to be missed.
February 10, 2013
This is the sixth novel in the series referred to as the Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigations, and a very welcome return it is. The book opens, shockingly, with a man cutting the throat of a young woman and kidnapping her infant child. Shortly followed by a suicide bombing outside the US consulate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is in turn followed by another suicide bombing in Buenos Aires, outside of the oldest Jewish synagogue in Argentina. All with the attendant high numbers of innocent victims, including, in Buenos Aires, the Israeli ambassador to Argentina, his wife and two children.
A grisly beginning, to be sure. We quickly learn of additional targeted killings planned, in a book replete with murderous plots from start to finish, typical, one must believe, of the true climate of politics in parts of this country filled with great beauty, and even greater intrigue. Heading up the investigation is the brilliant and incorruptible Mario Silva and his team, once again including once again one of my favorites, charming Haraldo “Babyface” Goncalves [so called because although he is 34 he looks 22. The reader is quickly reminded of the corruption that pervades every possible level of many South American countries, from the cop on the street to the highest elected officials. As the investigation proceeds, everything the investigators thought they knew is called into question. It soon becomes apparent that there will be no lack of suspects, including killers with principles, and politicians with none.
As Inspector Silva says, “I’ve been in the service of a corrupt legal system for all of my working life. Another cop says “In case you guys never noticed, politics and favoritism is what Brasilia is all about.” And from another character, “In his world, the rich didn’t go to jail. Not in Brazil. Not even if they killed an unnamed, penniless priest, in the presence of a federal cop, as he had done.” As well, the author paints a chilling portrait of the overwhelming number of criminal activities rampant throughout the neighboring country of Paraguay.
As awful as is this portrait of these events, and the people who plan and carry them out, don’t think the book is a dark one. Almost surprisingly, I would not describe it as such. It is fascinating, well-written, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Highly recommended.
A grisly beginning, to be sure. We quickly learn of additional targeted killings planned, in a book replete with murderous plots from start to finish, typical, one must believe, of the true climate of politics in parts of this country filled with great beauty, and even greater intrigue. Heading up the investigation is the brilliant and incorruptible Mario Silva and his team, once again including once again one of my favorites, charming Haraldo “Babyface” Goncalves [so called because although he is 34 he looks 22. The reader is quickly reminded of the corruption that pervades every possible level of many South American countries, from the cop on the street to the highest elected officials. As the investigation proceeds, everything the investigators thought they knew is called into question. It soon becomes apparent that there will be no lack of suspects, including killers with principles, and politicians with none.
As Inspector Silva says, “I’ve been in the service of a corrupt legal system for all of my working life. Another cop says “In case you guys never noticed, politics and favoritism is what Brasilia is all about.” And from another character, “In his world, the rich didn’t go to jail. Not in Brazil. Not even if they killed an unnamed, penniless priest, in the presence of a federal cop, as he had done.” As well, the author paints a chilling portrait of the overwhelming number of criminal activities rampant throughout the neighboring country of Paraguay.
As awful as is this portrait of these events, and the people who plan and carry them out, don’t think the book is a dark one. Almost surprisingly, I would not describe it as such. It is fascinating, well-written, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Highly recommended.
November 17, 2017
My first book of the Mario Silva Series earns a thumbs up. International crime fiction including political scandal and suicide terrorist keeps Mario Silva a busy Chief Inspector. He better watch out for the guy hunting him down though....
I really wish I had more knowledge concerning international politics, law enforcement and different countries customs. When I'm reading an International author, I always feel like I'm saying names of characters or cities or types of food wrong.
That being said, for me it would have been easier to follow the many, many plots in the book if I had a higher knowledge of Brazil, it's culture and possibly the Muslim religion. Obviously my lack of knowledge is not the authors fault, but I do feel like there were many characters and story lines and it did get confusing at times. The book was well written and engaging at times. Leighton Gage wrapped up each side plot in superb fashion even though I was a little disappointed in the final conclusion of the political assassination.
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I really wish I had more knowledge concerning international politics, law enforcement and different countries customs. When I'm reading an International author, I always feel like I'm saying names of characters or cities or types of food wrong.
That being said, for me it would have been easier to follow the many, many plots in the book if I had a higher knowledge of Brazil, it's culture and possibly the Muslim religion. Obviously my lack of knowledge is not the authors fault, but I do feel like there were many characters and story lines and it did get confusing at times. The book was well written and engaging at times. Leighton Gage wrapped up each side plot in superb fashion even though I was a little disappointed in the final conclusion of the political assassination.
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
April 9, 2014
Apparently, Gage’s books are not for the weak of heart. This was my first Chief Inspector Mario Silva book, and the old adage “it never rains, but it pours” seems applicable – lots of people die in this fun page-turner. The book begins with a bang, literally. A suicide bombing, which is the apparent work of militant Islamists, has killed more than sixty people, but the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate during a campaign rally has Silva’s superiors more concerned. Told to focus on the assassination, Silva doesn't. He divides his team so both cases are being worked simultaneously. An assassin, terrorists, tracking down explosives in Paraguay . . . that would be enough for anyone to handle, but there’s something that Silva isn't aware of: a criminal who's just been released from prison has vowed to kill him, and he's going to do his best to get the job done. You get the idea. Besides the suspense, it’s a great geography lesson of Brazil and Paraguay. I’m adding Gage’s other works to my reading list.
March 6, 2017
The Brazilian novels of Leighton Gage do it all really well. Chief Inspector Silva and his people are terrific characters, honest cops in spite of the prevailing corruption and political pressure, nicely cynical though it all but determined to do the right thing. He is both an idealist and a pragmatist.
The plot - an Islamic fundamentalist kills a young woman and kidnaps her son to use as a prop to get him into position to detonate a bomb at the American consulate in Sao Paolo, a reform candidate for a state governorship is assassinated, and a wealthy criminal is determined to kill Silva in retribution for his arrest. Silva's team has to investigate both crimes in two different locations, with a serious lack of cooperation by his superiors.
The cases are woven together very effectively, and the portrait of Brazil's large and varied Islamic community is fascinating. It's a great read, hard to put down.
The plot - an Islamic fundamentalist kills a young woman and kidnaps her son to use as a prop to get him into position to detonate a bomb at the American consulate in Sao Paolo, a reform candidate for a state governorship is assassinated, and a wealthy criminal is determined to kill Silva in retribution for his arrest. Silva's team has to investigate both crimes in two different locations, with a serious lack of cooperation by his superiors.
The cases are woven together very effectively, and the portrait of Brazil's large and varied Islamic community is fascinating. It's a great read, hard to put down.
March 3, 2013
The sixth book in Gage's terrific series featuring Mario Silva, Chief Inspector with the Brazilian Federal Police. A police procedural as well as a thriller, crime novel, and cultural study, the series is filled with fully developed characters which I am eager to know more about. This book deals with Brazilian politics, Paraguayan corruption (and a fair bit of the same in Brazil!), as well as the large Muslim community which is found in the Tri-Border Area where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay meet. I can only say that no one writes a better assassination than Gage, and no one makes his nasty villains PAY as deliciously as does Gage. Not all the bad people are brought to the bar, but the worst are truly dealt with as one would wish. Gage never disappoints. Now I have to deal with all the things I should have been doing the past few days when I was sneaking reading time instead!
April 19, 2014
In the late Leighton Gage's Mario Silva series, he wrote some of the finest work before he died last summer. Before the final book comes out this year, Perfect Hatred delivered us a powerful mystery with a suckerpunch or two. It all started with a bombing and an assassination, from there it escalated from there with Mario's most complicated mystery yet. From Brazil to Paraquay to Argentina, this mystery goes cross-country and all over the continent in the search of a killer and a terrorist, while dealing with dirty politics. But little did Mario knew, someone was gunning after him with a perfect hatred of honey-dipped vengeance, until one of their own was killed in the line of duty. This one delivered an excellent mystery.
April 4, 2013
PERFECT HATRED by Leighton Gage is a fascinating story with deep insights into modern multi-cultural tensions of immigrant populations and the age-old fodder of political intrigue and corruption.
It’s been a year and I’ve forgotten these characters. As the story unfolds I’m reminded why I felt so moved by them. The true joy of PERFECT HATRED is the rich interaction which occurs when interesting people interact with warmth, innuendo, barbs, humour and love.
A very satisfying book.
http://www.ReviewsByTdeV.com/PERFECT-...
It’s been a year and I’ve forgotten these characters. As the story unfolds I’m reminded why I felt so moved by them. The true joy of PERFECT HATRED is the rich interaction which occurs when interesting people interact with warmth, innuendo, barbs, humour and love.
A very satisfying book.
http://www.ReviewsByTdeV.com/PERFECT-...
July 17, 2013
Love this series even though it can be dark. In this one we meet a man so evil and nasty that even professional assassins break off their business relationship with him- and you want him to get his punishment or fate so bad. A nice blend of domestic political intrigue combined with Islamic terrrorism and a pinch of personal vengeance make for a page turning read as Silva and his crew are kept busy traveling around Southern Brazil.
May 4, 2013
This is the 6th Gage book I've read after discovering him in 2012. His work is well-written and all the more shocking because its characters (the police detectives) deal with daily political interference, corruption, nepotism and so forth in a manner that is both world-weary and worldly. None of the trite heroics and crusading that American books offer up; this is real-politick - dirty, nasty, and likely very real.
July 30, 2013
In the beginning, I couldn't stomach to read because its talks about baby being blown up. After that part was discuss, it was better for me.
Two town. 2 Crimes Scene. One man was pulled in 2 different directions AND he became the target.
Its very good read. I would definitely consider reading more books from this author. This was a win from either librarything or goodreads.
Two town. 2 Crimes Scene. One man was pulled in 2 different directions AND he became the target.
Its very good read. I would definitely consider reading more books from this author. This was a win from either librarything or goodreads.
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