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The Darkest Heart
A journey through the shadowy heart of Brazil and the even darker mind of a killer, in the new literary thriller by critics' favorite Dan Smith.
Leaving behind his life of violence in Brazil's darkest shadows, Zico is determined to become a better man. But it seems his old life isn't quite done with him yet when he's tasked with making one last kill. It's one that could get him everything he has ever wanted; a house, some land, cash in his pocket, a future for him and his girlfriend, Daniella. But this one isn't like all the others. This one comes at a much higher price.
The Darkest Heart is a journey through the shadowy heart of Brazil and the even darker mind of a killer, where fear is a death sentence and the only chance of survival might mean abandoning the only good thing you've ever known.
Leaving behind his life of violence in Brazil's darkest shadows, Zico is determined to become a better man. But it seems his old life isn't quite done with him yet when he's tasked with making one last kill. It's one that could get him everything he has ever wanted; a house, some land, cash in his pocket, a future for him and his girlfriend, Daniella. But this one isn't like all the others. This one comes at a much higher price.
The Darkest Heart is a journey through the shadowy heart of Brazil and the even darker mind of a killer, where fear is a death sentence and the only chance of survival might mean abandoning the only good thing you've ever known.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2014
7 people are currently reading
556 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 16, 2016
The Darkest Heart by Dan Smith is a journey into the heart and soul of a reluctant killer. Like Red Winter before, Darkest Heart is searing in its portrayal of men who are trapped in the realm of evil but must find a way to make a good decision.
Zico is a farm worker in Brazil, shoveling the refuse left behind by the animals, he still considers it a better job than the one he had before. Zico was a killer before, a murderer of men and boys for hire. But he hopes for a better life now. One he can share with his girlfriend Daniela and his friends. But the old talents won't let him be and when his old boss comes calling, Zico is offered one last kill. The money and a lot of land to call his own if Zico will do this one last job. To do what he does best, making people disappear. But this last job is no offer and should he turn it down, he knows that he places his girlfriend and friends in danger themselves. But if he follows through with it, he places the little he has left to offer for redemption in peril. For the victim is a civil rights advocate. The victim is a woman. The victim is a nun.
This is a heavy brooding novel. The story takes place alternately on a slow boat traveling the River of Deaths in Brazil and in the mind and heart of its central character Zico. Smith does a terrific job with his characters, everyone playing a potent and powerful role in this drama. Zico takes center stage as the uneducated and troubled young man. His guilt and own dark past threaten to overcome all the good he hopes to do. The murder and rape of his sister still so fervent in his mind and the subsequent hunting and killing of her rapist by Zico. Every moment of his day is filled with violence or the constant sense of impending violence. But this is not paranoia on his part. This is simply survival.
Dan Smith is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I was hammered by his novel Red Winter last year and find The Darkest Heart a departure in setting and story but not in the mood of his writing. These are dark tales about dark people in dark places.
A terrific novel of people and the paths we choose.
Zico is a farm worker in Brazil, shoveling the refuse left behind by the animals, he still considers it a better job than the one he had before. Zico was a killer before, a murderer of men and boys for hire. But he hopes for a better life now. One he can share with his girlfriend Daniela and his friends. But the old talents won't let him be and when his old boss comes calling, Zico is offered one last kill. The money and a lot of land to call his own if Zico will do this one last job. To do what he does best, making people disappear. But this last job is no offer and should he turn it down, he knows that he places his girlfriend and friends in danger themselves. But if he follows through with it, he places the little he has left to offer for redemption in peril. For the victim is a civil rights advocate. The victim is a woman. The victim is a nun.
This is a heavy brooding novel. The story takes place alternately on a slow boat traveling the River of Deaths in Brazil and in the mind and heart of its central character Zico. Smith does a terrific job with his characters, everyone playing a potent and powerful role in this drama. Zico takes center stage as the uneducated and troubled young man. His guilt and own dark past threaten to overcome all the good he hopes to do. The murder and rape of his sister still so fervent in his mind and the subsequent hunting and killing of her rapist by Zico. Every moment of his day is filled with violence or the constant sense of impending violence. But this is not paranoia on his part. This is simply survival.
Dan Smith is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I was hammered by his novel Red Winter last year and find The Darkest Heart a departure in setting and story but not in the mood of his writing. These are dark tales about dark people in dark places.
A terrific novel of people and the paths we choose.
June 27, 2023
One of the most beautifully written (non-classic) novels I've ever read. The story and surrounding philosophy is pretty gut-wrenching at times, but the final act is a bit too Disney to gel with the nature of the characters created. 4/5 (would easily have been a 5/5, with a more believable plot twist).
November 29, 2019
Well-written page-turner by Dan Smith. A strong topic to touch on, and you can't help but to root for Zico every step of the way. The ending is fantastic as it never quite goes how you expect it to, yet leaves you feeling satisfied when you turn the final page.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2019
Good enough yarn ... but fifty pages too long. Chop some details!
June 27, 2021
Amazing author, love this book, page turner. Cant wait to read more of his work!
February 23, 2022
Brilliant read. Gripping and really warmed to the characters.
July 29, 2022
Another action-packed thriller from Dan Smith.
October 4, 2022
An average action story, but at least in an interesting location. Attempts at grittiness felt too deliberate, however, and the author succumbed to too many action story cliches.
July 5, 2014
A deep red and black cover that is indicative of content: blood, brooding encounters, a roiling river and the shadow of death. Ancient folklore and legend weave their way through the prose. A gripping thriller to take you to the heart of Brazil.
Zico is a young man who has escaped the favelas and settled in fictional Piratinga, situated on the Rio das Mortes in Minas Gerais. He is trying to build some kind of life with his girlfriend Daniella but before he can settle down he has one final ‘job’ to execute for Costa, the local war lord. He is to target and kill a nun, Sister Dolores Beckett who is heading to Mina dos Santos to in order to negotiate on behalf of the natives there… they are embattled over the land grab masterminded by the owners of the local mine.
Much of the story takes place along the river, in the company of Zico’s good older friend Raul, who owns the rust bucket of a boat, the Deus e o Diabo in which they find themselves. The author beautifully captures the tension amongst the passengers whose numbers are swelled by Leonardo, who has insinuated himself into the group. His cocaine habit makes him, however, very unpredictable. Guns abound, stand-offs and near misses all build the tension as Zico and Leonardo are intent on fulfilling their own individual missions.
The river in itself is a major player in this book, it is a dark awesome presence, so wide at parts, full of beasties that will attack you at the drop of a hat. Leonardo gets attacked by a jacaré and a boto gets snarled in the engine which bodes bad luck. The elements, the jungle, the sand, the insects all serve to foment the storyline.
The author talks about his inspiration for location here: http://www.tripfiction.com/dan-smith-...
Zico is a young man who has escaped the favelas and settled in fictional Piratinga, situated on the Rio das Mortes in Minas Gerais. He is trying to build some kind of life with his girlfriend Daniella but before he can settle down he has one final ‘job’ to execute for Costa, the local war lord. He is to target and kill a nun, Sister Dolores Beckett who is heading to Mina dos Santos to in order to negotiate on behalf of the natives there… they are embattled over the land grab masterminded by the owners of the local mine.
Much of the story takes place along the river, in the company of Zico’s good older friend Raul, who owns the rust bucket of a boat, the Deus e o Diabo in which they find themselves. The author beautifully captures the tension amongst the passengers whose numbers are swelled by Leonardo, who has insinuated himself into the group. His cocaine habit makes him, however, very unpredictable. Guns abound, stand-offs and near misses all build the tension as Zico and Leonardo are intent on fulfilling their own individual missions.
The river in itself is a major player in this book, it is a dark awesome presence, so wide at parts, full of beasties that will attack you at the drop of a hat. Leonardo gets attacked by a jacaré and a boto gets snarled in the engine which bodes bad luck. The elements, the jungle, the sand, the insects all serve to foment the storyline.
The author talks about his inspiration for location here: http://www.tripfiction.com/dan-smith-...
April 24, 2016
This began by immersing the reader right in the heart of a man's struggle to move away from his sketchy past and start a life of his choosing. There have many stories that I've read with a similar plot line, and this one followed along fairly predictably. As is the case in such crime novels, the past doesn't leave easily, and instead, comes back hauntingly and threatens not only the lead character's life but everyone he cares about.
I wanted to tear into this one and really like it. The predictability and to the point writing style really slowed it down and made this a long, boring read. I attempted to move to something different and new that caught my eye on a recommended shelf at the library, but this isn't one that earns my recommendation. I'm moving back to the authors and stories I'm currently craving as spring leads into summer.
I wanted to tear into this one and really like it. The predictability and to the point writing style really slowed it down and made this a long, boring read. I attempted to move to something different and new that caught my eye on a recommended shelf at the library, but this isn't one that earns my recommendation. I'm moving back to the authors and stories I'm currently craving as spring leads into summer.
November 10, 2016
The author writes books with the most unique plots and unusual settings I have ever read. How someone is able to imagine such a specific and detailed plot in such an unlikely part of the world is amazing. He writes as if he is a native of Brazil. He also writes so realistically that the reader can feel the heat, hear the thundering downpours, and imagine himself on that boat going down the river.
The unique setting makes this an interesting read because there is no way to anticipate which direction the plot will take. The characters are realistic and believable; the reader gets a thorough understanding of their history and personality and ends up pulling for them. The character's transformation at the end is believable.
I have to say this book was not as much enjoyable as The Child Thief, but it is just as well written.
The unique setting makes this an interesting read because there is no way to anticipate which direction the plot will take. The characters are realistic and believable; the reader gets a thorough understanding of their history and personality and ends up pulling for them. The character's transformation at the end is believable.
I have to say this book was not as much enjoyable as The Child Thief, but it is just as well written.
October 14, 2023
A hired gun with a conscience goes on a Brazilian boat trip into the jungle and gets caught between God and The Devil and (his girlfriend).
It’s a perfectly enjoyable book, entertaining and easy to read in a boys own adventure, Wilbur Smith style. The writing is fine without ever being amazing. I didn’t mind it at all, a good old fashioned holiday beach read that could make for a decent film.
6.5/10
It’s a perfectly enjoyable book, entertaining and easy to read in a boys own adventure, Wilbur Smith style. The writing is fine without ever being amazing. I didn’t mind it at all, a good old fashioned holiday beach read that could make for a decent film.
6.5/10
August 17, 2019
This is an exceptional piece. I was gripped from the first paragraph for those first few sentences had me on location. Then my nose was enthused just before visions started to stream in. After a pause I continued reading but unlike other reads the narrator was snails paced to perfection.
Sublimital
Sublimital
August 7, 2015
I read Red Winter, so wanted to read this book too. The style of both books is a little different from what I usually read. But it's a welcome change and I enjoyed this book. The story is more even, with fewer extreme highs and lows, and many small climaxes. It continues to pull the reader along, even if it's more of a quiet pull.
November 15, 2015
It was ok. I got bored because most of the book was set on boat, on a treacherous river, heading to their destination. When there was action, it went by so fast. I did like how the main character changed based on the people he met along the way and the events that took place on that long boat ride.
June 4, 2014
Takes a while to get going, but the boat trip down the river to the mine is a classic journey into the Heart of Darkness. A compelling portrayal of a part of Brazil where life is of little value, where criminality thrives unchecked, and where ordinary people get caught up in dangerous situations.
September 30, 2015
It took me a little while to get in to this story, but I became immersed in the tale of a trip down the river in to the heart of Brazil. A terrifically atmospheric read, and a growing sense of menace made this a four star book for me.
August 18, 2014
Another great read from Dan. I rather like his thrillers! I don't usually read this genre at all.
July 8, 2016
Slow, repetitive scenes. Skimmed the last 100 pages.
October 15, 2016
I feel like this actually could be a pretty decent movie! It took me a little bit to get into it, but I am so glad I stuck with it and finished it! Not expecting how it ended.
June 8, 2014
a good read, though a bit heavy going in places
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews