Bellini and the Sphinx

by Tony Bellotto

Who is the missing dancer Ana Cíntia Lopes? Why did her coworkers, Camila and Dinéia, disappear? What does the voluptuous prostitute Fatima want? Who killed renowned surgeon Dr. Samuel Rafidjian? And what is the role of the hulking live-sex performer known as the Indian?

To confront the puzzle of several sphinxes, most of them female, private detective Remo Bellini plunges into the underworld of São Paulo. Little by little, the mysteries unravel in a surprising fashion, until the solving of the final enigma leaves Bellini perplexed, with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Translated from Brazilian Portuguese into English by Clifford E. Landers.

Genres: Brazil, Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Romance, Noir, Detective

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Antonio Carlos Liberalli Bellotto is a Brazilian musician and writer, best known as the guitarist of Brazilian rock band Titãs.

Reviews

[Felipe Iesbick]

Me diverti. O mundo criado pelo Bellotto é muito interessante. Porém, não sai com a impressão de que o Bellini era um bom detetive. Talvez seja a ideia, já que ele não é tão experiente assim nesse livro? Não sei, vamos ver. Já vou ler a sequência na... sequência heheh

[Anne Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you a fan of ‘noir fiction’ ? Do you even know what ‘noir’ means? There are various definitions for it, but I found this wikipedia listing pretty thorough, and the first sentence does enough for my purposes here:

“In its modern form, noir has come to denote a marked darkness in theme and subject matter, generally featuring a disturbing mixture of sex and violence.[1] ” (John Hopkins).

Bellini and the Sphinx caught my eye in a publisher’s catalog because it comes from Brazil, and it’s written by the well-regarded artist Tony Bellotto who seems to have a multitude of talents, writing being just one of them. This, the first in the Bellini mystery series, is translated from the Brazilian Portuguese by Clifford E. Landers, and it is very much a ‘noir’ work of fiction. Remo Bellini has some demons in his past and they continue to haunt him as he leaves the profession of law and becomes a private detective. His most recent case has him frequenting a strip club looking for an exotic dancer who has gone missing, much to the upset of her ‘friend’, a renowned surgeon and family man. When the surgeon ends up dead and this dancer is still nowhere to be found, things take a wild turn for Bellini as he redirects his search towards a male sex worker instead. Violence, late-night meetings and lots of sex are commonly found in noir fiction, and this book is no different.

So there’s a few things you need to know about books like this, and for female readers especially, there’s a certain amount of ‘suspension of irritation’ needed. Like suspension of disbelief, you will need to ‘suspend your irritation’ from the amount of references there are to women’s breasts, curves, bodies in general; but once you just accept that this is a part of the first-person narration, it’s much easier to just enjoy the story for what it is: a simple whodunnit mystery!

Although Remo is obsessed with women’s bodies, this book is far from misogynistic, in fact, Remo’s boss is a woman, and she’s a tough, intelligent and mysterious character. And although Remo seems determined to focus on how women look underneath their clothes, the author realizes that the reader is interested in getting this mystery solved, so quite a few strong and independent female characters are introduced to push the story along to a conclusion. And for those who are interested, this isn’t a a ‘fair play’ mystery that drops clues to the solution; the climax and subsequent confession is surprising, and the lead-up to it isn’t obvious either. Some mystery-lovers will appreciate this, while others will hate it. My only other quibble is the translation itself; I am by no means an expert, but I’m reading more translations these days so I am forming stronger opinions on them, and some of the phrasing seemed a bit awkward at times. Nothing too jarring, but I would stop reading for a second or two to consider what I just read because it seemed strangely worded or out of context for a character.

Because this is the first in the series, Bellini’s problems (which are numerous) are only hinted at, his background troubling and ample enough to provide content for an entire mystery series with him as the protagonist. As I mentioned above, my favourite character in the book was Dora Loba, the owner of the private detective agency Remo works at; the dialogue and interactions between these two people are fantastic, and lent some much-needed lightness to the story. Both of these characters are well-drawn and thoughtful, so I do hope that these books continue to be translated for us English readers.

To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:

https://ivereadthis.com/

Or follow me on twitter:
https://twitter.com/ivereadthisblog

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a few chapters-to about page 60- and thought "ho-hum, a run of the mill mystery..." I set it aside and went to bed thinking I would abandon this one in the morning. However, I had trouble going to sleep for reasons having nothing to do with this book so I picked it up and gave it another try. It got more interesting with a number of plot twists so my curiosity made me stay with it. Some of the twists were implausible as were some of the characters . A couple of the "revelations" seemed pointless and out of place but even with its flaws it was a pleasant diversion. It borders on being a spoof of the Private Investigator mystery and maybe I'd have liked it better if it had gone more in that direction. I was going to give it two stars but bumped it to three since I did read until 2am to finish it.

Free review copy from the publisher through LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

[Adriana Fogaça · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellini 01.
Bellini e a Esfinge.
Tony Bellotto.
Companhia das Letras.
3 edição.
2009.

Fazem algumas horas que terminei de ler, mais ainda assim não me sai da cabeça o desfecho deste livro.

Só posso dizer que adorei.

Já li inúmeros livros que tem como personagem principal um detetive, e os adoro, mas este texto em especial me surpreendeu de uma forma, que penso ser capaz de dizer que é o melhor livro que já li do gênero.

Pense, sou uma fã declara de Sherlock Holmes.

Mas o Bellini coitado, não descobre nada, sempre atrás das pistas equivocadas. O melhor são as pessoas com quem ele se relaciona e sua vida mais intima. Porque se fomos nos ater a suas investigações, o coitado e um fiasco.

Apesar de todo os enganos, ele é um personagem maravilhosamente neurótico e adorável.

ADORO!!!

RECOMENDADÍSSIMO!!!

[Nathan Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is apparently a noted musician in Brazil that I am not familiar with and also a noted writer in Brazilian noir fiction.  As someone who is familiar with the noir fiction of various cities around the world like Los Angeles and Belfast [1], this book certainly fits within the contemporary noir tradition in finding a great deal of interest in portraying a seedy and not entirely sympathetic protagonist who solves mysteries and has an ambivalent relationship with the police, a distinct lack of success with women, and has some drug and alcohol issues that could potentially derail his life and relationships.  I must say that I was not overly pleased by the seediness of this particular book and the way that it portrayed the character, but at the same time those who are detectives involve themselves in seedy parts of life and that is indeed the appeal of this sort of book.  It wasn't made for me because I prefer to have my mysteries involve more intellectual people who are decent, and generally find themselves in historical mysteries rather than contemporary noir.  Noir, by its very definition, focuses on the darkness of life and if you like that you will probably appreciate this.

This novel, which is apparently part of a series of novels relating to its protagonist, one Remo Bellini, who finds himself struggling to keep his life together in the face of a cocaine addiction that would appear to screw up his thinking.  He also finds himself working for a doctor who is investigating a mysterious and vanished exotic dancer.  The doctor, of course, finds himself murdered brutally and now the mystery deepens to a look at why this seemingly perfect doctor with a distant family was killed in such a horrific fashion.  This, of course, leads the detective to a look at his own secret life as a married man on the down low seeking sex in the world of rent boys that can be found near his old Catholic school.  In solving the murder Remo struggles with the meaning and significance of his name as well as a couple of friends with benefits that he acquires through being unable to turn down easy women of low virtue.  And in the end the author saves the life of an accused bisexual dancer and part-time rent boy by figuring out who the real murderer is, and finds himself alone again after screwing things up with both women while going to a shirnk and attempting to reconcile with his father.

In reading this book one gets a sense of the darkness and seediness of the contemporary city.  And while this particular novel is about São Paulo, it could be about any number of cities where wealthy people live double lives that end up destroying them, and where detectives are able to make a living stalking the love interests of paranoid men while engaging in no-strings attached relationships with multiple women, neither of whom really wants to commit where the author still manages to offend both of them through his ham-fisted honesty.   The protagonist adds to the melodrama by having a strained relationship with his own father, which adds one of several layers of bad father-son and father-daughter relationships to be found in this nuanced but unpleasant novel.  This is a novel that will leave a bad taste in your mouth but will also provide a dark soft of insight about the way that people seek to make their place in a world full of darkness that provides plenty of evil and folly for someone to investigate and try to solve.  And those who like dark mysteries will find much to enjoy here.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2019...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

[Miriam Downey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

Tony Bellotto is a well-known Brazilian author, guitarist, song-writer, and commentator. Bellini and the Sphinx is the first of his series of hard-boiled detective fiction featuring Remo Bellini. It was published in Brazilian Portuguese more than 20 years ago and made into a Portuguese language film in 2002. Bellini is making his debut in an English translation this week.

Bellini is a classic private eye, having fallen into the career from a failed attempt at the law. He works for a woman PI, Dora Lobo, and generally does run-of-the-mill cases like adultery. In this particular case, the firm has been hired by a local doctor to find a missing dancer, Ana Cinta Lopes. But then the doctor turns up murdered. What is going on here? Why doesn’t anyone know Ana? Who is the hulking live-sex performer known as the Indian? What role does he play in the whole mess? Little by little the mystery unravels these questions, leaving both Bellini and the reader with answers but no satisfaction at its conclusion.

Although the case itself is rather mundane, the reader is exposed to the underbelly of the city of Sao Paulo. Also to the bruised psyche of Remo Bellini. Of course, most hard-boiled detective stories expose the bruised psyches of the detective. The reviewer in Publisher’s Weekly says that the book “starts off strong but falls flat in its overly familiar execution.” If a reader were interested in knowing what hard-boiled detective fiction is all about, this would be a good place to start. Bellini chases women, drinks too much, and listens to the blues—all classic PI behaviors.

Here are some things I did like about the book. The theme is expressed in the early pages by a club manager, Khalid. “Take it from me, women are an illusion. Women are like champagne; they seem real but they only exist as long as there’s music in the air.” That theme is repeated again and again throughout the book. Another thing I found appealing was the musical play list that Bellini soothed himself with throughout the book. I had Alexa play Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Charlie Patton as I read. Really helped to set the scene. I like the references to Greek and Roman mythology—a fun addition to the story. Finally, I liked the Sao Paulo setting because, most likely, I am not going to get to Brazil and certainly not to the part of Sao Paulo that Bellini frequents.

Tony Belloto is also the editor of two of Akashic’s Noir books—Sao Paulo Noir and Rio Noir. I enjoy these books a lot because each setting brings an entirely new look at a city as well as a new understanding of Noir fiction in its many varieties. I am assuming that more of the Bellini mysteries will be published by the company. I looked for a way to access the 2002 movie, Bellini e a Esfinge, and I did find it in Portuguese on YouTube. The music is amazing.

[Harvey Hênio · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A literatura noir se caracteriza por apresentar histórias que misturam terror, mistério e elementos policiais, detetives e investigações que vão além dos conhecimentos de investigação criminal. O gênero recebeu esse nome justamente por ter como ambiente, na maioria das vezes, a noite (noir = preto em francês), os bares, as ruas desertas e casas repletas de assombrações. O gênero nasceu nos Estados Unidos pouco depois da Primeira Grande Guerra, em publicações baratas chamadas revistas pulp. Nomes como Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett e James M. Cain escreveram histórias noir que permanecem até hoje com sucesso entre as listas de livros mais procurados”.
Fonte: https://purs.com.br / Acesso: 31/07/2023


Um grande fã da literatura noir aqui no Brasil é o guitarrista e compositor Tony Bellotto, que a anos nos presenteia com seu talento como um dos destaques da icônica banda de rock brasuca, os “indestrutíveis” “Titãs”.
Em 1995 Tony Bellotto iniciou sua carreira de escritor criando o detetive Remo Bellini, ambientando suas aventuras e desventuras na “terra da garoa” numa levada bem noir.
A narrativa é despretensiosa e a leitura é dinâmica. Tony Belloto
definitivamente não vai entrar para o cânone da literatura noir mas suas histórias com o detetive Bellini divertem e prendem a atenção.
Em “Bellini e a esfinge”, primeiro livro em que o detetive aparece, Dora Lobo, detetive e dona da agência em que Remo Bellini trabalha incumbe o seu principal investigador de localizar uma tal de Ana Cíntia Lopes, aparentemente uma dançarina de boate que um certo Doutor Rafidjian queria localizar.
Bellini, um “lobo solitário” que abandonou a carreira de advogado para desgosto de seu pai com quem rompe relações e atormentado pela lembrança de seu traumático divórcio, inicia as investigações para localizar a dançarina quando, subitamente, o Doutor Rafidjian é assassinado provocando uma reviravolta na história e levando Bellini e sua empregadora Dora Lobo a encarar mistérios e segredos surpreendentes.
Interessante é o fato de que o verdadeiro cérebro por trás das investigações não é Bellini, é Dora Lobo. Essa curiosa “inversão” nos leva a estabelecer uma conexão com os casos do detetive Nero Wolfe, eterna criação do estadunidense Rex Stout (1886/1975) que são narrados pelo seu faz tudo e “mão forte” Archie Goodwin.
Não mudou a história da literatura noir mas trata-se de uma ótima e divertida pedida para ler em um fôlego só.

[Ligia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually read noir nor mystery books, but I wanted something I could read in a day and “Bellini e a esfinge” was the right choice: I read it in just one sitting.
As someone who’s not used to the genre, I can say I enjoyed reading it. I loved the fact that his boss is a woman -and a better detective than Bellini. The reader is kept in the dark about the mystery solution until the end, although being anxious, it kept me interested in the book.
Being a Titãs fan, I was afraid the book would disappoint me, but I will definitely read other books by Tony Bellotto (specially Bellini ones).


Eu não costumo ler mistérios, mas queria uma leitura rápida e acabei escolhendo “Bellini e a esfinge”. De fato, li de um único suspiro.
Apesar de não acostumada ao gênero, foi uma leitura prazerosa. Adorei a chefe de Bellini ser uma mulher - e melhor detetive que ele. E me mantive interessada na leitura, pois o mistério se sustenta até o finalzinho.
Amo Titãs e, por isso, tinha medo de me decepcionar com o livro. Mas gostei bastante e com certeza vou ler mais Tony Bellotto (especialmente a série do Bellini).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony Belloto can do noir with the best of them and this novel, translated by Clifford E Landers, has all of the aspects of the genre. (In some ways, it was interesting to me how little the Brazilian setting stood out, so focused was I on the story.) The mysterious client, mystery woman and crime lead Bellini a merry chase as he works his way to a conclusion that managed to surprise me. Belloto’s prose is sharp and distinct, as befits the genre, nonetheless, he writes with an unexpected poignancy and tenderness at times that renders the characters human and not cardboard cutouts dropped into the narrative to play a role.

[Suha]

This book is throughly disturbing.
.

I had my patience for about 45 pages and still the horrible thoughts of Bellini didn’t cease so I came here and checked the reviews. One review said that if I can get pass these, I'd find it great. Well, I finished it. But the continuous thoughts of bellini about 'you know what' destroyed the few good details of the book for me.
The son is the killer because of the father being gay is understandable, even though a bit too easy to guess, yet the execution was decent enough but Bellini's thoughts ruined it. I detest this book to be honest. There's a limit of those thoughts and Bellini had crossed that line and went way beyond.

[Thiago Da silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

O livro é um "noir", bem nos padrões -- foco no detetive, ambiente sujo (sexo, drogas, crime etc.), trama misteriosa, psicologismo etc. Assim, eu acho que a ideia é entreter, o que este faz muito bem, apesar de umas simplificações, umas explicações excessivas e uns clichês aqui ou acolá. Enfim, tem uns problemas, mas vale bastante para esquecer um pouco do mundo ao redor e conhecer um personagem muito simpático; Remo Bellini.

[Jorgen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was a disappointment. The story line and some of the characters were interesting, but the language, especially the descriptions of the numerous sexual activities, seemed very crude and sophomoric. Perhaps the fault lies with the translation. A lot of the action seemed very farfetched and at times confusing. This book was received as an early reviewer sample.

[Shelly Lincoln · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a newly translated first in a series and as such it needs to provide a back story and introduce the various characters. BUT - the constant referrals to women's bodies gets old and really distracts from the story. So much so that I'm done - I won't be reading another one in the series.

[Sara Habein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though this book had some moments and very good individual sentences, it was not for me. It also contains the worst simile for a woman's vagina that I've read in a long time.

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una novela negra bien escrita, que sigue las reglas del género, con una locación distinta: Sao Paulo, Brasil. Sigue las reglas y no sorprende.

Para pasar el rato.

[The Ink Drinker · Rating 1 out of 5]

🤢🤢🤢

[Spiegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

O personagem do detetive é divertido de acompanhar, mas a reviravolta final é muito sem noção.

[Luiz M. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fui enganado por dois repórteres que se pareciam com o Gordo e o Magro e isso fazia de mim um completo idiota".

[David Hesson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book the setting and the protagonist I wish more of his books are translated into English

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the Scribd audio version of this book. The narrator was generally competent and managed to correctly pronounce many of the Brazilian Portuguese words correctly. However, there were repeated mispronunciations that were distracting. Kind of like finding that someone didn’t take the time to fish out all the brown M&Ms from the bowl set out for the band. Demonstrates a certain lack of attention to a professional process.

This story was true noir. It starts out dark and just keeps getting darker. Chinatown (the film) a La São Paolo. And São Paolo appears to be the perfect setting for it.

All in all, I liked Belloto's principal character, and I found myself learning from the gender bending nature of the novel, and of Sao Paolo's night life. The fact that the author is a musician and familiar with that scene made me willing to suspend disbelief long enough to experience this well crafted story.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 read for me.

There are two things that keep intrigued in a mystery; a flawed but alluring protagonist and a strong sense of place.

In this jaunty tale I was taken by Remo Bellini, a private detective, who is plagued by the premature death of his twin Romulo, as being the one who lived but does not live up to the perceived expectations of his father, and being privy to an insider’s bird’s-eye journey through the captivating city of Sao Paulo.

The arresting qualities of the secondary characters, the philosophical musings of the males, and the elusiveness of the females keeps the reader engaged.

While the mystery itself is a little predictable, it is written with style, verve and taunting humor.

Overall, I enjoyed how the author put his own spin on this noir mystery, and I am interested in reading more about Remo Bellini and his escapades.

[Payton Waguespack · Rating 5 out of 5]

i received this book as an early reviewer through LibraryThing. Beautifully written and translated. Bellini is a strange character with various paranoias and triggers. All of the characters in this novel are very intricate and you are able to form a relationship with each and everyone of them. The shocker at the end about Beatriz still has me reeling. It was a wonderful mystery with lots of turns and shocks and you never really know who the culprit is until the very end. I loved Dora, her character was very amicable and a great edition to the story. This novel gave you an inside look on Brazilian culture, but without making it feel unfamiliar.

[Victor Bonini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente livro! Prosa gostosa de ler, trama envolvente e personagens marcantes. Só dei 4 estrelas porque não gostei do final -- achei que deixou a desejar se comparado com o restante do livro.

[Aline Souza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, a little cheesy but a good book for a summer vacation.

[Allen Pasternak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellotto, guitarist for Brazilian, rock group Titas, has had his first mystery translated into English, and I’ll be following the series as long as he gets translations. A plot worthy of Chandler pulls the narrative forward. The ending is a bit too traditionally resolved than I’d like, but I loved the fact that he pushed to the very end before giving the slightest hint of the culprit. A very colorful assortment of supporting characters.