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The São Paulo Quartet #2
Gringa
São Paulo, 2013: a city at an extraordinary moment in its history.
Mario Leme, a detective in the civil police, has developed a friendship with a young English investigative journalist, Ellie. When she goes to meet a contact in central São Paulo, Mario observes from the street as she walks into a building and doesn t come out. Inside, he discovers the dead body of a young man he doesn t recognise, and Ellie s phone lying on the floor.
Told partly from Leme s point of view, partly from Ellie s, Gringa takes us through five days during the redevelopment of the centre of São Paulo in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup. Ellie s disappearance links characters at every level of the social hierarchy, from the drug dealers and civil and military police to the political class she witnesses the feral brutality of urban breakdown.
Gringa, with shades of Don Winslow and James Ellroy, is a portrait of São Paulo in all its harshness and dysfunction, its corruption and social divisions, its kaleidoscopic dynamism, its undercurrent of derangement, and its febrile, sensual instability, executed with a deep knowledge of the city s anatomy.
Mario Leme, a detective in the civil police, has developed a friendship with a young English investigative journalist, Ellie. When she goes to meet a contact in central São Paulo, Mario observes from the street as she walks into a building and doesn t come out. Inside, he discovers the dead body of a young man he doesn t recognise, and Ellie s phone lying on the floor.
Told partly from Leme s point of view, partly from Ellie s, Gringa takes us through five days during the redevelopment of the centre of São Paulo in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup. Ellie s disappearance links characters at every level of the social hierarchy, from the drug dealers and civil and military police to the political class she witnesses the feral brutality of urban breakdown.
Gringa, with shades of Don Winslow and James Ellroy, is a portrait of São Paulo in all its harshness and dysfunction, its corruption and social divisions, its kaleidoscopic dynamism, its undercurrent of derangement, and its febrile, sensual instability, executed with a deep knowledge of the city s anatomy.
395 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 5, 2024
Das englische Mädchen
Die großen Sportereignisse liegen immer noch vor Mario Lerne und den Brasilianern. Die Umgestaltung des Landes schreitet voran. Lerne hält weiterhin Kontakt zu der jungen britischen Journalistin Ellie. Als sie ihm berichtet, sie habe etwas für ihn, wolle aber erst einem Tip folgen, begleitet er sie zu Sicherheit. Es geschieht das Unerwartete, Ellie, die Lerne gebeten hat, im Auto zu warten, verschwindet im Haus und verschwindet komplett. Lerne macht sich Sorgen, kann aber nicht richtig ermitteln, da Ellie nicht offiziell vermisst ist. Gleichzeitig freut er sich, dass er in wenigen Tagen mit seiner Freundin Antonia zusammenziehen wird.
Bei diesem Roman handelt es sich um den zweiten Teil des Sāo Paolo Quartetts um den Polizisten Mario Lerne. Lerne denkt immer noch häufig an seine verstorbene Frau Renata. Trotzdem fängt er langsam an, nach vorne zu schauen. Allerdings überfällt ihn eine Unsicherheit, ob der Schritt des Zusammenziehens nicht doch verfrüht ist. Gleichzeitig versucht er, die junge Journalistin zu finden. Er hatte sie doch nur ein paar Minuten aus den Augen gelassen. Woran hat Ellie gearbeitet? War sie etwa einer Sache auf der Spur? Gibt es eine Spur, der Lerne folgen kann?
Gringa bezeichnet eine Fremde im Land. Das ist Ellie wohl, die sich erst seit ein paar Monaten in Brasilien aufhält. Doch sie hat ein Ziel vor Augen, sie will sich als investigative Journalistin einen Nahmen machen. Ihre Chefin sieht das allerdings anders. Das, Ellies überraschendes Verschwinden und Lernes Suche bildet den Rahmen für diesen Roman. Man erfährt, wie es zuging während Brasilien sich auf seinen sportlichen Auftritt vor der Weltöffentlichkeit vorbereitet hat. Und wo viel Geld bewegt wird, geht es nicht immer mit rechten Dingen zu. Das Geld weckt eben Begehrlichkeiten. Lerne ist ein normaler Polizist, der sich gegen die Militärpolizei und die Soldaten behaupten muss. Das erweist sich als eher schwierig. Erstaunlich ist da schon der raue Umgang und die Rivalität zwischen den Institutionen. Da hätte man eher Zusammenarbeit erwartet. Doch jeder scheint sein eigenes Süppchen zu kochen. Es ergibt sich ein spannendes Kriminalstück, das einen Einblick in das politische Geschehen Brasiliens im Jahr 2013.
Die großen Sportereignisse liegen immer noch vor Mario Lerne und den Brasilianern. Die Umgestaltung des Landes schreitet voran. Lerne hält weiterhin Kontakt zu der jungen britischen Journalistin Ellie. Als sie ihm berichtet, sie habe etwas für ihn, wolle aber erst einem Tip folgen, begleitet er sie zu Sicherheit. Es geschieht das Unerwartete, Ellie, die Lerne gebeten hat, im Auto zu warten, verschwindet im Haus und verschwindet komplett. Lerne macht sich Sorgen, kann aber nicht richtig ermitteln, da Ellie nicht offiziell vermisst ist. Gleichzeitig freut er sich, dass er in wenigen Tagen mit seiner Freundin Antonia zusammenziehen wird.
Bei diesem Roman handelt es sich um den zweiten Teil des Sāo Paolo Quartetts um den Polizisten Mario Lerne. Lerne denkt immer noch häufig an seine verstorbene Frau Renata. Trotzdem fängt er langsam an, nach vorne zu schauen. Allerdings überfällt ihn eine Unsicherheit, ob der Schritt des Zusammenziehens nicht doch verfrüht ist. Gleichzeitig versucht er, die junge Journalistin zu finden. Er hatte sie doch nur ein paar Minuten aus den Augen gelassen. Woran hat Ellie gearbeitet? War sie etwa einer Sache auf der Spur? Gibt es eine Spur, der Lerne folgen kann?
Gringa bezeichnet eine Fremde im Land. Das ist Ellie wohl, die sich erst seit ein paar Monaten in Brasilien aufhält. Doch sie hat ein Ziel vor Augen, sie will sich als investigative Journalistin einen Nahmen machen. Ihre Chefin sieht das allerdings anders. Das, Ellies überraschendes Verschwinden und Lernes Suche bildet den Rahmen für diesen Roman. Man erfährt, wie es zuging während Brasilien sich auf seinen sportlichen Auftritt vor der Weltöffentlichkeit vorbereitet hat. Und wo viel Geld bewegt wird, geht es nicht immer mit rechten Dingen zu. Das Geld weckt eben Begehrlichkeiten. Lerne ist ein normaler Polizist, der sich gegen die Militärpolizei und die Soldaten behaupten muss. Das erweist sich als eher schwierig. Erstaunlich ist da schon der raue Umgang und die Rivalität zwischen den Institutionen. Da hätte man eher Zusammenarbeit erwartet. Doch jeder scheint sein eigenes Süppchen zu kochen. Es ergibt sich ein spannendes Kriminalstück, das einen Einblick in das politische Geschehen Brasiliens im Jahr 2013.
March 15, 2018
This time last year I had the pleasure of reading Paradise City , Joe Thomas’ gritty debut, introducing us to mercurial Brazilian detective Mario Leme. Being both an intuitive and compelling read, I was more than keen to see what lay in store for Leme, and to become even further immersed in the impoverished locale of downtown Sao Paulo…
One of the stand out features of Thomas’ debut was his ardent attention to the social, financial and political spheres of Brazilian society, and by using the backdrop of the urban regeneration needed to host the World Cup, Gringa puts the corruption and neighbourhood cleansing into sharp focus. As happened in South Africa, the book particularly focuses on the destruction of a shanty area of Sao Paulo, dubbed Cracolandia, where developers, legal personnel, and politicians, run roughshod over the lives of the less fortunate, to achieve their vision. With his innate feel for the hardboiled, pared down style of prose, Thomas consistently unsettles the reader with his depiction of these greedy, and not entirely legal practices, and those who suffer in its aftermath. Fortunately though, this is counterbalanced by a series of murders connected to those involved in the area’s development, and the disappearance of a young female journalist eager for a scoop. I found the level of factual detail intertwined with the main ‘thriller’ plot absolutely fascinating, and felt my hackles rise on more than one occasion at the social injustice that the book centres on. The level of corrupt nefarious practices that Gringa exposes was a real eye opener, and I appreciated the way that Thomas consistently exposes the naked truth behind the power and oppression of the more vulnerable in society. It was both powerful and thought provoking.
The weighty social issues of the book, are more than balanced with the superb characterisation, which I felt was even more assured than in the first book. Detective Mario Leme in particular has achieved a certain level of settled equilibrium in his personal life, after the emotional trauma of losing his wife, but in the style of all good crime thrillers, his new investigation threatens to turn this swiftly on its head. I like the slightly morose air of Leme, who is one hundred percent one of the good guys, and his jocular partner Lisboa, who are set apart from their less reputable police colleagues. Leme reminds me strongly of a kind of world weary American detective, and his self questioning, but keen sense of morality, reflects this further. There is a consistent attention to all of Thomas’ characters, from bright eyed but singularly naïve journalist Ellie, to Fernando and Leandro, two eager young chaps embroiled in illegal practices relating to the slum clearance, and a host of other ne’er-do-wells who reek of violence and corruption.
With reference again to Thomas’s writing style, Leme’s and Lisboa’s interactions, along with all the dialogue in the book is sharp, snappy, and has a rhythmical fluidity consist with the sound and cadence of the Brazilian tongue. The book is punctuated with the Brazilian vernacular, some in the glossary at the back, some not, but with the flow of the prose you begin to take the meanings on by osmosis, and I have learnt some very choice Brazilian expressions of disgust or outrage that I’m sure will be valuable at some point! Joking aside though, I thought the structure and language of the book was perfect, and I loved those small episodic interludes of whipcracker paced streams of consciousness that punctuate the book. A great read for those who like their crime on the darker side of the tracks, and dare I say it, even better than the debut. Highly recommended.
One of the stand out features of Thomas’ debut was his ardent attention to the social, financial and political spheres of Brazilian society, and by using the backdrop of the urban regeneration needed to host the World Cup, Gringa puts the corruption and neighbourhood cleansing into sharp focus. As happened in South Africa, the book particularly focuses on the destruction of a shanty area of Sao Paulo, dubbed Cracolandia, where developers, legal personnel, and politicians, run roughshod over the lives of the less fortunate, to achieve their vision. With his innate feel for the hardboiled, pared down style of prose, Thomas consistently unsettles the reader with his depiction of these greedy, and not entirely legal practices, and those who suffer in its aftermath. Fortunately though, this is counterbalanced by a series of murders connected to those involved in the area’s development, and the disappearance of a young female journalist eager for a scoop. I found the level of factual detail intertwined with the main ‘thriller’ plot absolutely fascinating, and felt my hackles rise on more than one occasion at the social injustice that the book centres on. The level of corrupt nefarious practices that Gringa exposes was a real eye opener, and I appreciated the way that Thomas consistently exposes the naked truth behind the power and oppression of the more vulnerable in society. It was both powerful and thought provoking.
The weighty social issues of the book, are more than balanced with the superb characterisation, which I felt was even more assured than in the first book. Detective Mario Leme in particular has achieved a certain level of settled equilibrium in his personal life, after the emotional trauma of losing his wife, but in the style of all good crime thrillers, his new investigation threatens to turn this swiftly on its head. I like the slightly morose air of Leme, who is one hundred percent one of the good guys, and his jocular partner Lisboa, who are set apart from their less reputable police colleagues. Leme reminds me strongly of a kind of world weary American detective, and his self questioning, but keen sense of morality, reflects this further. There is a consistent attention to all of Thomas’ characters, from bright eyed but singularly naïve journalist Ellie, to Fernando and Leandro, two eager young chaps embroiled in illegal practices relating to the slum clearance, and a host of other ne’er-do-wells who reek of violence and corruption.
With reference again to Thomas’s writing style, Leme’s and Lisboa’s interactions, along with all the dialogue in the book is sharp, snappy, and has a rhythmical fluidity consist with the sound and cadence of the Brazilian tongue. The book is punctuated with the Brazilian vernacular, some in the glossary at the back, some not, but with the flow of the prose you begin to take the meanings on by osmosis, and I have learnt some very choice Brazilian expressions of disgust or outrage that I’m sure will be valuable at some point! Joking aside though, I thought the structure and language of the book was perfect, and I loved those small episodic interludes of whipcracker paced streams of consciousness that punctuate the book. A great read for those who like their crime on the darker side of the tracks, and dare I say it, even better than the debut. Highly recommended.
March 23, 2019
Very interesting take on Brazilian life and corruption. Although I wish he would tone down the Portuguese a little. Although liked the glossary of terms at the back which wasn't in Paradise City. Looking forward to the third one.
April 11, 2023
Leme again faces the dilemma of policing in a city of great poverty and great wealth. While his relationship is moving forward his work is bringing him into conflict with the military police. A young journalist is following a story on the cleaning up of the slums and finds herself caught up in a political and social nightmare. Can Leme help her and keep himself safe. A great read and promising improvement for this series.
November 22, 2024
Paradise City and now Gringa. Half way through the São Paulo quartet and really enjoying it. Live and breathe the city, from the inside out. Playboy next, then Brazilian Psycho. Embora!
September 1, 2025
Vibrant, suspenseful, political
July 11, 2021
Part Two in Joe Thomas' Sao Paulo quartet of novels featuring Mario Leme.
These are very gritty series novels which explore the institutional corruption of Sao Paulo and juxtaposition of the extremes of wealth in the city.
Gringa is set in 2013 in the run up to Brazil hosting the World Cup. Joe Thomas shows the reader, through the eyes of the major protagonist, a civil police detective - Mario Leme, how the high end gentrification construction projects impacted on the lives of those who did not have a voice.
These are very gritty series novels which explore the institutional corruption of Sao Paulo and juxtaposition of the extremes of wealth in the city.
Gringa is set in 2013 in the run up to Brazil hosting the World Cup. Joe Thomas shows the reader, through the eyes of the major protagonist, a civil police detective - Mario Leme, how the high end gentrification construction projects impacted on the lives of those who did not have a voice.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews