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Chief Inspector Mario Silva #2
Buried Strangers
Praise for Leighton Gage’s Chief Inspector Mario Silva series:
“Realistic characters that the readers can care about. . . . The ultimate story of the haves vs. the have nots.”—Detroit Free Press
“Gage's compelling novels are good examples of how talented crime writers use the police procedural form to lay bare a society.”—Indianapolis Star
“Gage creates a contemporary tapestry of Brazil . . . [and] builds a compelling foundation for future Silva cases.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Emotionally charged. . . . Vividly evokes a country of political corruptions, startling economic disparity and relentless crime.”—Booklist
A playful dog finds a bone at the outset of this mystery set in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the federal police based in Brasilia and his team of investigators, Hector Costa and Arnaldo Nunes, are called in. The bone is human and the investigators soon unearth a clandestine cemetery. Someone has secretly disposed of the bodies of unknown human beings, often interred in family groups. And in Sao Paulo, it turns out, many patrons of a local travel agency have never reached their North American destinations. The motive for these mass murders is completely contemporary and completely appalling.
“Realistic characters that the readers can care about. . . . The ultimate story of the haves vs. the have nots.”—Detroit Free Press
“Gage's compelling novels are good examples of how talented crime writers use the police procedural form to lay bare a society.”—Indianapolis Star
“Gage creates a contemporary tapestry of Brazil . . . [and] builds a compelling foundation for future Silva cases.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Emotionally charged. . . . Vividly evokes a country of political corruptions, startling economic disparity and relentless crime.”—Booklist
A playful dog finds a bone at the outset of this mystery set in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the federal police based in Brasilia and his team of investigators, Hector Costa and Arnaldo Nunes, are called in. The bone is human and the investigators soon unearth a clandestine cemetery. Someone has secretly disposed of the bodies of unknown human beings, often interred in family groups. And in Sao Paulo, it turns out, many patrons of a local travel agency have never reached their North American destinations. The motive for these mass murders is completely contemporary and completely appalling.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
23 people are currently reading
229 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 67 reviews
January 31, 2021
The discovery of a number of graves where families are buried together sets of an investigation to find the cause of death and perpetrators of the crimes - is it a cult or a serial murderer or something else altogether. A very solid police procedural with a great cast of characters. I'm really enjoying this series.
December 28, 2008
Buried Strangers started slow for me but the pace picked up rapidly and continued to a dramatic and exciting ending. The slow start was due to the background of the political corruption and poverty that exists in Brazil. This background is necessary for the reader to fully comprehend the horrors set forth in Gage’s novel.
The Mop is a dog treasured by his owner and despised by Hans, an employee of the owner, whose main occupation was keeping track of The Mop. The Mop’s last excursion led to the discovery of a burial ground in Serra da Cantaria. Entire families were buried in the cemetery, some in the same graves.
Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the Brazilian Federal Police heads for San Paulo to lead the investigation. His superior, Nelson Sampaio is not pleased with Silva’s decision. He is most interested in Silva staying put and digging up dirt on Sampaio’s superior that Sampaio loathed. Silva was an expert on evading Sampaio’s requests and proceeding on his own investigations.
On arriving in San Paulo Silva finds that his early information lacks one important piece of information uncovered by the medical examiner having to do with the condition of the corpses. With the corruption in the local police department it is difficult to be sure who can be trusted and what is truth and what is lies.
To add to the mix Silva’s wife requests that he begin an investigation into the disappearance of the son of their housekeeper. The son had paid a large sum of money to a local travel agency to smuggle him into the United States and hadn’t sent any word except for a single postcard.
Silva begins to believe that there is some connection between the disappearance of not only this client of the travel agency but others that have left and haven’t been heard of since.
This is a story of politics, corruption and greed as well as poverty to a degree that is hard to imagine. The horrors that selfish individuals will impose on others leaves the reader with a lot to think about long after Buried Strangers is finished.
The Mop is a dog treasured by his owner and despised by Hans, an employee of the owner, whose main occupation was keeping track of The Mop. The Mop’s last excursion led to the discovery of a burial ground in Serra da Cantaria. Entire families were buried in the cemetery, some in the same graves.
Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the Brazilian Federal Police heads for San Paulo to lead the investigation. His superior, Nelson Sampaio is not pleased with Silva’s decision. He is most interested in Silva staying put and digging up dirt on Sampaio’s superior that Sampaio loathed. Silva was an expert on evading Sampaio’s requests and proceeding on his own investigations.
On arriving in San Paulo Silva finds that his early information lacks one important piece of information uncovered by the medical examiner having to do with the condition of the corpses. With the corruption in the local police department it is difficult to be sure who can be trusted and what is truth and what is lies.
To add to the mix Silva’s wife requests that he begin an investigation into the disappearance of the son of their housekeeper. The son had paid a large sum of money to a local travel agency to smuggle him into the United States and hadn’t sent any word except for a single postcard.
Silva begins to believe that there is some connection between the disappearance of not only this client of the travel agency but others that have left and haven’t been heard of since.
This is a story of politics, corruption and greed as well as poverty to a degree that is hard to imagine. The horrors that selfish individuals will impose on others leaves the reader with a lot to think about long after Buried Strangers is finished.
January 5, 2009
BURIED STRANGERS
By Leighton Gage
ISBN: 978-1-56947-514-0
Soho Press, 2009
Hardcover, $24.00
In what has been called the largest urban forest in the world, the Serra da Cantareira, a young man seeking a dog stumbles across what turns out to be an entire clandestine cemetery. The local police delegado, Yoshiro Tanaka leads the investigation, but the case has also drawn the attention of the federal police, and Chief Inspector Mario Silva, who assigns his team to it as well. In the midst of this, Silva’s maid has lost touch with her son, who was trying to enter the United States illegally. As Silva pursues his main investigation, he also gives some attention to the missing son, and finds his investigations unraveling strands of corruption, avarice, and murder that plumb the depths of human depravity.
Leighton Gage has written a story that captures the reader from the first and doesn’t let go. The Brazilian setting is well-depicted, with the isolation of the Serra da Cantreira within the urban environs of Sao Paulo, and the pricey condominiums cheek-by-jowl with the one-room shacks of the favelas. The venality of the local police and national politicians is contrasted with Silva’s federal agents, dedicated to solving the case. The case itself involves as pure a depiction of evil as any I’ve read lately, and the pace of the book drives the reader on to the finish. This book is highly recommended.
By Leighton Gage
ISBN: 978-1-56947-514-0
Soho Press, 2009
Hardcover, $24.00
In what has been called the largest urban forest in the world, the Serra da Cantareira, a young man seeking a dog stumbles across what turns out to be an entire clandestine cemetery. The local police delegado, Yoshiro Tanaka leads the investigation, but the case has also drawn the attention of the federal police, and Chief Inspector Mario Silva, who assigns his team to it as well. In the midst of this, Silva’s maid has lost touch with her son, who was trying to enter the United States illegally. As Silva pursues his main investigation, he also gives some attention to the missing son, and finds his investigations unraveling strands of corruption, avarice, and murder that plumb the depths of human depravity.
Leighton Gage has written a story that captures the reader from the first and doesn’t let go. The Brazilian setting is well-depicted, with the isolation of the Serra da Cantreira within the urban environs of Sao Paulo, and the pricey condominiums cheek-by-jowl with the one-room shacks of the favelas. The venality of the local police and national politicians is contrasted with Silva’s federal agents, dedicated to solving the case. The case itself involves as pure a depiction of evil as any I’ve read lately, and the pace of the book drives the reader on to the finish. This book is highly recommended.
May 21, 2012
Buried Strangers is an engaging read. Gage writes in an assured, economical style heavy on dialogue and action. The political, social and economic relations of modern Brazil are laid bare without overly dominating the text; there’s plenty of context without it being a geography/history lesson. The characterization is good, with Gage able to quickly sketch a portrait that appears in the reader’s mind’s eye. The storyline for Buried Strangers is contemporary and interesting, if more than a little unsettling. The pages just fly past. That said, the book suffers from too many awkward plot devices. For example, moving a pair of witnesses hundreds of miles away to where they were uncontactable, a mother living next door to her son, Silva’s cleaner’s son using an underground emigration network in a city hundreds of miles away. There’s coincidence and then there’s plot device coincidence. There’s 200 million people in Brazil and it’s a massive country, the chances of Silva’s cleaner’s son having anything to do with the case must be astronomical. I don’t mind having to suspend disbelief every now and then, but I like it to be near-credible disbelief. Moreover, the ending unfolded in a very quick, straightforward fashion, with no twists or turns, though there was some tension. Overall, an enjoyable read, which could have been great if it hadn’t been reliant on obvious plot devices. The next book in the series is Dying Gasp and it's on my to read list.
March 14, 2011
Once it gets going, it definitely has some suspense, but I had trouble getting into the story. There are many, many, many different characters and there is very little character development. I felt the story line was a bit implausible and the ending came out of left field. The author makes a case for the plausibility of the ending in the afterward, but that doesn't change the fact that the possibility was never even hinted at before the last few pages. And, after spending an entire book showing how corrupt their entire legal system was, it struck me as disingenuous to tie everything up so neatly at the end.
I was never tempted to quit reading, but it is unlikely I will seek out more in this series.
I was never tempted to quit reading, but it is unlikely I will seek out more in this series.
May 7, 2016
I’m not sure when I discovered Leighton Gage, but he’s a jewel. The Chief Inspector Mario Silva series is classic police detective work in corrupt Brazil. If the idea of street kids disappearing and the trafficking in organ transplants doesn’t wrinkle your nose, pick up “Buried Strangers” (2009) for a well-written, fast-paced, violent “whodunit.” Unfortunately, Gage died in 2013. All of his crime novels, seven in all, are terrific reads.
October 23, 2015
I was in Brazil for just about four hours once to visit a waterfall. For that I had to make two visits to the Brazilian embassy for a visa. So, I've always wanted to go back. However these books make me kind of glad I'm not in Brazil. The level of street crime described in the series is shocking and I don't know how far off the mark it is. Good books, definitely not for the faint of heart.
January 21, 2017
To be honest, I'm still not sure what I think about this book. When I started it was okay, got to about the ¼ mark and thought 'what the hell am I reading this for?', kept going until I finally finished, but it is so unlike anything I've read recently that I don't know whether I liked it - or not.
If you're looking for an interesting police procedural/mystery à la JD Robbs In Death series (feat. Lt. Eve Dallas), then this is not it. The corrupt officials, uncaring, self-serving police officers, plus everything else that seemed to support the stereotype about the prevalent corruption in government, was really off putting. And one character - that I thought was going to be Silva's no.2 man on the ground - turned out to be as corrupt as any of them!
Chief Inspector Mario Silva was the one saving grace for me. It wasn't until he was front and centre, on the trail of the killers, that I found myself drawn into the story more. I found this book gritty, realistic and at times heartbreaking (oh God, the Indian babies!), but as much as I disliked the first portion of the book I would give this series another go, but would choose the subject involved more carefully.
If you don't like reading books that include scenes about mass graves, or violence against children then this probably isn't for you. Even though the babies was only one scene (and mentioned a few times), I didn't know about it before hand and I still wish I didn't because you know that it probably happens somewhere in the world.
3¼ ★
If you're looking for an interesting police procedural/mystery à la JD Robbs In Death series (feat. Lt. Eve Dallas), then this is not it. The corrupt officials, uncaring, self-serving police officers, plus everything else that seemed to support the stereotype about the prevalent corruption in government, was really off putting. And one character - that I thought was going to be Silva's no.2 man on the ground - turned out to be as corrupt as any of them!
Chief Inspector Mario Silva was the one saving grace for me. It wasn't until he was front and centre, on the trail of the killers, that I found myself drawn into the story more. I found this book gritty, realistic and at times heartbreaking (oh God, the Indian babies!), but as much as I disliked the first portion of the book I would give this series another go, but would choose the subject involved more carefully.
If you don't like reading books that include scenes about mass graves, or violence against children then this probably isn't for you. Even though the babies was only one scene (and mentioned a few times), I didn't know about it before hand and I still wish I didn't because you know that it probably happens somewhere in the world.
3¼ ★
April 17, 2020
This series is growing on me (I'm reading it out of order for some reason). This is a character driven crime series. I love the setting of Brazil, it really gives you a good look at what it's like to live there - everything from national/regional character to geography to history, weather, politics, traffic, corruption, etc. Even though it's a Mario Silva headed series, all of the characters in it together make it work. Silva is a chief inspector in the Brazilian Federal Police, he has an incompetent but attention loving boss. It's a good thing he has an efficient and hard working supporting cast of detectives and agents.
The crime part is only so-so. We often see the crimes from the criminals' POV, which somewhat takes away the suspense part of it but when the crooks are incompetent it's also somewhat entertaining. The writing is also easy to read and follow which helps a lot with the slow parts. The slow part to me is the build-up where characters, even small ones, can get a long build up. I don't think it's necessary if they don't play a major role.
Spoiler/synopsis: This book deals with the transplant situation in medicine where in common with all over the world, patients have to wait for organs which officially cannot be bought. But it's Brazil, so you know what happens. A graveyard of many people are found. In parallel, a family of 4 is missing. The investigations proceeds in parallel, but eventually they find that the family of 4 has been murdered for organs.
The crime part is only so-so. We often see the crimes from the criminals' POV, which somewhat takes away the suspense part of it but when the crooks are incompetent it's also somewhat entertaining. The writing is also easy to read and follow which helps a lot with the slow parts. The slow part to me is the build-up where characters, even small ones, can get a long build up. I don't think it's necessary if they don't play a major role.
Spoiler/synopsis: This book deals with the transplant situation in medicine where in common with all over the world, patients have to wait for organs which officially cannot be bought. But it's Brazil, so you know what happens. A graveyard of many people are found. In parallel, a family of 4 is missing. The investigations proceeds in parallel, but eventually they find that the family of 4 has been murdered for organs.
March 4, 2025
This is the second book in the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series set in Brazil. This book is a page-turner for sure. This is a series not for the faint of heart. There's lots of violence and propulsive action, and nothing is really sacred in Leighton's delivery. The book is a compelling story about the difference between the haves and have-nots in modern-day Brazil where the politicians and the police officers seem to have their fingers in every pot. But not Mario Silva and his team. Silva will go as far as he needs to get to the bottom of a mystery. When a plot of land is discovered deep in the Amazonian forest that holds approximately thirty graves, Silva knows that this is not a case that will be easily solved. The fact that the bodies are unidentifiable, and had been there for seven years and didn't match with any missing persons listed, make him realize that this was a graveyard for the forgotten poor. As they dig, Silva is horrified to uncover what has been actually going on for decades right under police noses. While trying to find the guilty parties, and doing this while keeping his superior completely in the dark, Mario is shocked to the core as the appalling details come out. The book moves along very quickly, and left me wanting to quickly read the next in the series. The scope of the police corruption in Mario's police force was as frightening as the degradation of the killers.
April 12, 2022
Intriguing murder mystery that begins with the discovery of an unmarked cemetery with 23 familial groups buried in 23 graves. Serial killer? Ritual killings? But wait, the sternum in each body was opened with a medical saw. What is going on?
An unusual crack in the case opens when CI Silva is asked to find out about the missing son of his housekeeper. The boy left to illegally enter the US two months ago and has not been heard of since. Silva send Nunes in undercover to find out about a travel agency that is helping people through illegal channels. When Nunes disappears, Silva begins to see how things might be related.
The case is solved with a surprising twist at the end.
An unusual crack in the case opens when CI Silva is asked to find out about the missing son of his housekeeper. The boy left to illegally enter the US two months ago and has not been heard of since. Silva send Nunes in undercover to find out about a travel agency that is helping people through illegal channels. When Nunes disappears, Silva begins to see how things might be related.
The case is solved with a surprising twist at the end.
March 19, 2022
Someone has secretly disposed of the bodies of hundreds of human beings—their corpses often interred in family groups. Now, to get to the bottom of these heinous deeds, Silva must navigate a twisted and dangerous web of politics, corruption, and greed. This a fast-paced investigation as Chief Inspector Mario Silva has to find who killed hundreds of human beings in a mass grave.
Is this it? Are there more? This book is like a Kurt Wallander novel, so if you liked that series, you may like this series. I really liked this book a lot.
Is this it? Are there more? This book is like a Kurt Wallander novel, so if you liked that series, you may like this series. I really liked this book a lot.
May 24, 2020
I really liked it. The characters are well developed and realistic, the plot is good, and I love the Brazil setting. Leighton Gage wrote seven of these Chief Inspector Mario Silva mysteries, and I found them all to be very entertaining. Perhaps it is because Mr. Gage only wrote seven, but I found the series to be one of the most consistent with respect to the high quality of the individual books.
January 15, 2024
Gruesome
I am unfamiliar with the functioning of Brazil's law enforcement system, but it's represented as riddled with corruption in this story. The mystery revolves around a cemetery with unmarked graves with the remains showing the sternum split by an expert. The reveal is that they were unwilling donors for heart transplants. The descriptions for the psychopaths and their enterprise are horrific, be forewarned.
I am unfamiliar with the functioning of Brazil's law enforcement system, but it's represented as riddled with corruption in this story. The mystery revolves around a cemetery with unmarked graves with the remains showing the sternum split by an expert. The reveal is that they were unwilling donors for heart transplants. The descriptions for the psychopaths and their enterprise are horrific, be forewarned.
July 24, 2018
This is the second Inspector Silva mystery story by Leighton Gage I have read. The action takes place in Brazil, and much is revealed about life for the average Brazilian as the crimes are discovered. Not a country I'm eager to visit, but it is home for many who live on the knife edge between extreme poverty and death.
April 22, 2019
The story line was excellent. I never knew that the poverty and corruption was so bad. Corruption seems to be a everyday occurrence in Brazil. Thankfully there were a few honest cops left to solve the story.
If you want a good mystery, then this is the book for you. I will read more of his books.
If you want a good mystery, then this is the book for you. I will read more of his books.
December 7, 2025
Genuinely such a bad book I looked up if it was originally in English or not because the sentence structure and way things were described were so weird. I know nothing about any of the 4 million random ass characters in this book besides the fact that one person’s wife is fat which was mentioned so many times.
March 13, 2018
These are interesting stories; the Brazilian judicial system is pretty different than the one in North America. This was pretty dark subject matter (organ trafficking) and there were some plot points I didn't think held together superbly well, but on the whole, well worth a read.
December 7, 2020
Fast-moving, rather gruesome criminal mystery, set in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Not quite as good a story as “Every Bitter Thing” (the fourth book in the series, which I previously read), but definitely an enjoyable “police procedural” criminal mystery.
December 17, 2017
Police inspector Mario Silva is looking for a serial killer in a Brazil full of poverty and corruption, despite his boss's lack of interest.
September 18, 2018
Interesting but farfetched.
This book too quite a farfetched train of thought and moved at an alarmingly rapid rate which made it difficult to follow. I did enjoy it.
This book too quite a farfetched train of thought and moved at an alarmingly rapid rate which made it difficult to follow. I did enjoy it.
November 11, 2018
Excellent follow-up novel, thrilling, creepy and shocking.
July 26, 2021
The plot is a little shaky, but the characters and setting pull you through.
March 8, 2024
Many different characters that are all interesting and a lot of dialogue, the only problem being that some of the Spanish dialogue is slightly incorrect.
June 3, 2024
Great book
I enjoyed this book a lot, I am definitely going to try to read more Silva books if I can find them.
I enjoyed this book a lot, I am definitely going to try to read more Silva books if I can find them.
September 8, 2010
Leighton Gage’s first book, BLOOD OF THE WICKED, starts with the assassination of a Catholic bishop; from the first pages it is a book that can’t be put down. Gage’s second book, BURIED STRANGERS, begins with a dog and a bone and secret cemeteries. It, too, is a book the reader will not want to put down.
Hans claimed he spent half his working life chasing after his employer’s dog, Herbert, an old-English sheepdog generally referred to as The Mop. The Mop always found ways of escaping from his fenced in home and Hans always had the responsibility of finding him. One day, Hans finds The Mop with a large bone in his mouth; Hans thought it was the bone of a cow until he saw the skull. The police are called and the scientific investigators find the grave of a woman, an event disturbing enough. Then “…the sun crept over the encircling rim of forest. Long shadows fell across the field, emphasizing irregularities in the carpet of green. In the altered light, row upon row of rectangular mounds suddenly became visible….Graves. Tens of graves, lined up row-on-row….The Mop…hadn’t just found himself one corpse to play with. He’d found himself an entire cemetery.”
Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team are investigators for the federal police in Brazil. Although based in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, most of the action takes place in Sao Paulo. When Silva and his team arrive in Sao Paulo, they meet Delegado Yoshiro Tanaka, a man whose rank could save him from the more horrifying aspects of a crime. But Tanaka likes getting the feel of a crime that only came with being at the crime scene. And Tanaka,”…takes a personal interest in the murders that occur in his district.”
The usual experts are called in. Two or three people were buried in each grave and DNA proves they are related. There isn’t an obvious cause of death. The bodies are too recently buried to be those of the “disappeared”, the people who too vocally criticized a previous government in power. There seem to be too many bodies to be the work of a serial killer. Perhaps the victims were killed in a cult ritual. There are too many bodies and too few reasonable conclusions to suggest that this is not going to be a long and difficult investigation.
That is until Ernesto and Clarice Portella tell Tanaka about their friends who have disappeared. The Portellas and the Lisboas were neighbors on a favela, one of the desperately poor slums in the city. Clarice Portella explains to Tanaka that the family, Edmar, Augusta and their two daughters, had moved away when Edmar was offered a job, a job that even provided a home for the family. The Portellas had helped the Lisboas load the moving truck with their furniture. Augusta had given Clarice her new address. The girls had exchanged addresses with their friends. Then the letters were returned. It was when Clarice saw Augusta’s furniture, the same furniture that she had helped load onto the moving truck, in a second-hand store that she knew she needed to tell the police.
Silva becomes aware of another group of disappearing Brazilians when his maid tells him that her son paid $5000.00 to a travel agent who promised to get him a visa and the tickets necessary for him to emigrate to Boston. His mother received a postcard from him but the picture was of South Beach in Miami. When Silva encourages her to wait a couple of weeks until her son is settled before she starts worrying, she tells him the boy has been gone two months. Silva realizes that someone is stealing the young of Brazil.
As with BLOOD OF THE WICKED, the author creates an atmosphere and sense of place by the descriptions of the unimaginable poverty of a favela, the neighborhoods of the destitute, and the lavish, protected mansions of those who need not answer for the source of their affluence. Leighton Gage is a master of detail and each detail contributes to the story. Every word has a purpose.
The author builds the story on some of the greatest accomplishments of medical science while creating some characters who have sold their souls to satisfy their greed and for whom nothing is too depraved. That the author does not keep the reader in the dark throughout the novel only makes the end more satisfying.
Chief Inspector Silva is a worthy member of the club that includes Garcia-Roza’s Espinosa, Mankell’s Wallender, Grimes’ Jury, Wilson’s Falcon, Vargus’ Adamsburg, and Rankin’s Rebus.
January 23, 2010
From Booklist:
(Starred Review)
Jan 2009
Gage’s second Mario Silva mystery is an impressive follow up to an excellent debut (Blood of the Wicked, 2008), with an equally compelling plot, fascinating characters, and a story so real and chilling, it’s hard to image it happening anywhere else but Silva’s Brazil. When a dog accidentally locates a secret burial site in an isolated park on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Silva takes on the massive, country-spanning investigation.
With the assistance of his officers in Sao Paulo, competent nephew Hector, dangerously charming Babyface, and some no-nonsense street cops, Silva directs the investigation from Brasilia, uncovering links to an agency reputed to smuggle Brazilians into the U.S. Although the new novel is an oldschool police procedural in which procedure, not character development, is the focus of the story, the rapid character sketches are so vivid, and the dialogue between team members so snappy and realistic, it’s hard to imagine that these people are not real cops, working on a real crime. Gage’s talents include not only captivating characters and realistic plots, but also an intensely realized sense of place and an urelentingly fast pace that yanks the reader from beginning to end, unable to stop or pause, just as the cops are unable to take a day off. Silva just may be South America’s Kurt Wallander.
(Starred Review)
Jan 2009
Gage’s second Mario Silva mystery is an impressive follow up to an excellent debut (Blood of the Wicked, 2008), with an equally compelling plot, fascinating characters, and a story so real and chilling, it’s hard to image it happening anywhere else but Silva’s Brazil. When a dog accidentally locates a secret burial site in an isolated park on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Silva takes on the massive, country-spanning investigation.
With the assistance of his officers in Sao Paulo, competent nephew Hector, dangerously charming Babyface, and some no-nonsense street cops, Silva directs the investigation from Brasilia, uncovering links to an agency reputed to smuggle Brazilians into the U.S. Although the new novel is an oldschool police procedural in which procedure, not character development, is the focus of the story, the rapid character sketches are so vivid, and the dialogue between team members so snappy and realistic, it’s hard to imagine that these people are not real cops, working on a real crime. Gage’s talents include not only captivating characters and realistic plots, but also an intensely realized sense of place and an urelentingly fast pace that yanks the reader from beginning to end, unable to stop or pause, just as the cops are unable to take a day off. Silva just may be South America’s Kurt Wallander.
May 30, 2011
The writing is great, the mystery is wonderful, the characters true to life. This writer has a mystery series that rivals all the top names. One of the best things about the book is the setting--Brazil. Gage takes us to Sao Paulo in this novel and readers get a glimpse into the lives of the rich and poor and corrupt.
I must warn you, some parts in this book are really disturbing. In the book, a mass gave containing many including children was discovered. Perhaps I wouldn't have been so affected if I didn't live in Mexico. But, recently there have been mass graves found near where I live and the reasons given in this book (though slightly different) sent chills up my spine.
A topic discussed in the book is human-organ theft--a topic that I'm sure many feel is urban legend but in my opinion, it happens. Also, class distinctions are discussed--how the poor view the rich and how the rich view the poor or those from different cultures. I see that distinction shown even here in Mexico.
Could the events described in this book have happened?
Yes.
Did they happen?
Possibly.
Does that make me sad?
Yes.
Does that make the book powerful?
Definitely.
Will I read another of his books? Yes!
I must warn you, some parts in this book are really disturbing. In the book, a mass gave containing many including children was discovered. Perhaps I wouldn't have been so affected if I didn't live in Mexico. But, recently there have been mass graves found near where I live and the reasons given in this book (though slightly different) sent chills up my spine.
A topic discussed in the book is human-organ theft--a topic that I'm sure many feel is urban legend but in my opinion, it happens. Also, class distinctions are discussed--how the poor view the rich and how the rich view the poor or those from different cultures. I see that distinction shown even here in Mexico.
Could the events described in this book have happened?
Yes.
Did they happen?
Possibly.
Does that make me sad?
Yes.
Does that make the book powerful?
Definitely.
Will I read another of his books? Yes!
July 2, 2016
Buried Strangers is the second book featuring Mario Silva, the Chief Inspector for Criminal Matters of the Federal Police of Brazil. When a handyman reports human remains discovered by his dog, detective Yoshiro Tanaka and his team search the area expecting to find a single skeleton, but ultimately realize they are in a mass grave of bodies that appear to be families. Even though Brazil records over 32,000 missing persons cases each year, very few of them involve entire families. Before long a neighbor reports that a family of four is reported missing. Silva's boss sends him to consult with Tanaka because Silva is also investigating the missing son of his housekeeper. He senses a connection between these two cases, but there's no obvious evidence to link them.
I thought the author did a great job of creating a story that is vividly linked to the cultural, political, and social system of Brazil. Buried Strangers is a swiftly paced mystery. Silva is an interesting character, one who must navigate the treacherous waters of Brazilian politics. I think this is a great read but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone who doesn't like a lot of violence in their police procedurals.
I thought the author did a great job of creating a story that is vividly linked to the cultural, political, and social system of Brazil. Buried Strangers is a swiftly paced mystery. Silva is an interesting character, one who must navigate the treacherous waters of Brazilian politics. I think this is a great read but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone who doesn't like a lot of violence in their police procedurals.
May 15, 2011
What an entertaining read!
I received this book directly from the author and I’m very glad I got a chance to review it. What first attracted me to the story was its location. It’s not very often that detective novels take place in Brazil, which made it stand out from the crowd. I loved the gritty atmosphere, the detailed descriptions of the country’s underbelly, and the use of the language throughout the pages that never gets too repetitive or distracting.
The characters are not as important as the plot, but still we get a good glimpse at private lives and of one particular character who is anything but usual and more than a little disturbing.
The pace is quick, never allowing for boredom and never including extraneous information that might make the reader sigh and wish he or she were doing something else. The writing style itself is straight-forward, as you would expect in a mystery/thriller novel.
I can highly recommend this book, (this whole series, really) to all the fans of crime shows and novels, and as soon as I finish with this I am going to start the next part in the series, Dying Gasp.
I received this book directly from the author and I’m very glad I got a chance to review it. What first attracted me to the story was its location. It’s not very often that detective novels take place in Brazil, which made it stand out from the crowd. I loved the gritty atmosphere, the detailed descriptions of the country’s underbelly, and the use of the language throughout the pages that never gets too repetitive or distracting.
The characters are not as important as the plot, but still we get a good glimpse at private lives and of one particular character who is anything but usual and more than a little disturbing.
The pace is quick, never allowing for boredom and never including extraneous information that might make the reader sigh and wish he or she were doing something else. The writing style itself is straight-forward, as you would expect in a mystery/thriller novel.
I can highly recommend this book, (this whole series, really) to all the fans of crime shows and novels, and as soon as I finish with this I am going to start the next part in the series, Dying Gasp.
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