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The São Paulo Quartet #3
Playboy
MAIL ON SUNDAY THRILLER OF THE MONTH
SÃO PAULO, 20 MARCH 2016
A campaign for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff is in full swing, yet 100,000 people take to Avenida Paulista in São Paulo in her support.
On the same day, a young man from a wealthy family a playboy is murdered.
Detective Mario Leme discovers the body. Two Military Policemen confront him. They strongarm him into the back of an SUV.
Set against the backdrop of the biggest political corruption scandal in Brazilian history, Playboy is the story of Leme's attempt to clear his name, and find the young man's killer. Leme's investigation runs right through São Paulo society, from the bottom, to the very top and has implications far beyond. And the fight to prove his innocence might just cost Leme his life.
A stylish, taut, and atmospheric novel in the hardboiled tradition of American noir, Playboy is a thrilling examination of the seething, violent street life of São Paulo and the political convulsions of contemporary Brazil.
SÃO PAULO, 20 MARCH 2016
A campaign for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff is in full swing, yet 100,000 people take to Avenida Paulista in São Paulo in her support.
On the same day, a young man from a wealthy family a playboy is murdered.
Detective Mario Leme discovers the body. Two Military Policemen confront him. They strongarm him into the back of an SUV.
Set against the backdrop of the biggest political corruption scandal in Brazilian history, Playboy is the story of Leme's attempt to clear his name, and find the young man's killer. Leme's investigation runs right through São Paulo society, from the bottom, to the very top and has implications far beyond. And the fight to prove his innocence might just cost Leme his life.
A stylish, taut, and atmospheric novel in the hardboiled tradition of American noir, Playboy is a thrilling examination of the seething, violent street life of São Paulo and the political convulsions of contemporary Brazil.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 14, 2019
Thriller set in SAO PAULO
Playboy is a good thriller set amongst both the upmarket areas of São Paulo as well as the deprived favelas. It is city of enormous contrasts, of great disparities in wealth. The young inhabitants of the upmarket areas are frequently known as ‘playboys‘ – a term that has a precise meaning for Paulistanos, the people of São Paulo. It is not altogether complimentary.
Back in 2016 São Paulo was a city in crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people were on the streets protesting either for or against the imprisonment on corruption charges of President Dilma Rousseff. The whole political establishment seemed under threat. Corruption and misappropriation of public funds were rife, and the beneficiaries of such practices were scared for their future. During one of the disturbances, a playboy was found murdered just outside a notorious park. He was found by an off-duty policeman, Leme, who had been lead to the site by a tip off. But just as Leme discovered the body, the military police arrived and bundled him into a van as the prime suspect. He had been set up – but by who? The rest of the book is essentially Leme’s efforts to prove his innocence and bring the perpetrators to justice. The plot, though, is very murky…
Another playboy is missing and people are looking for him. The military police are not above suspicion. They are the elite of the forces of law and order in São Paulo, but they are not too concerned with obeying the law – only in maintaining order. They are gun runners and drug dealers… the most corrupt of the corrupt.
Leme, together with the girlfriend of the still missing playboy, and aided by an English investigative journalist, endangers his life as he pursues the truth. The end of the book is disquieting.
As I said, Playboy is a very worthwhile thriller but it is a great deal more than that. It is a very political book. Joe Thomas lived in São Paulo for 10 years and clearly has a great love for, and concern about, the city and its inhabitants. Playboy is the third book in his São Paulo series – the fourth and final one will be published in 2021.
A thought provoking read.
Playboy is a good thriller set amongst both the upmarket areas of São Paulo as well as the deprived favelas. It is city of enormous contrasts, of great disparities in wealth. The young inhabitants of the upmarket areas are frequently known as ‘playboys‘ – a term that has a precise meaning for Paulistanos, the people of São Paulo. It is not altogether complimentary.
Back in 2016 São Paulo was a city in crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people were on the streets protesting either for or against the imprisonment on corruption charges of President Dilma Rousseff. The whole political establishment seemed under threat. Corruption and misappropriation of public funds were rife, and the beneficiaries of such practices were scared for their future. During one of the disturbances, a playboy was found murdered just outside a notorious park. He was found by an off-duty policeman, Leme, who had been lead to the site by a tip off. But just as Leme discovered the body, the military police arrived and bundled him into a van as the prime suspect. He had been set up – but by who? The rest of the book is essentially Leme’s efforts to prove his innocence and bring the perpetrators to justice. The plot, though, is very murky…
Another playboy is missing and people are looking for him. The military police are not above suspicion. They are the elite of the forces of law and order in São Paulo, but they are not too concerned with obeying the law – only in maintaining order. They are gun runners and drug dealers… the most corrupt of the corrupt.
Leme, together with the girlfriend of the still missing playboy, and aided by an English investigative journalist, endangers his life as he pursues the truth. The end of the book is disquieting.
As I said, Playboy is a very worthwhile thriller but it is a great deal more than that. It is a very political book. Joe Thomas lived in São Paulo for 10 years and clearly has a great love for, and concern about, the city and its inhabitants. Playboy is the third book in his São Paulo series – the fourth and final one will be published in 2021.
A thought provoking read.
May 17, 2024
Junior
Im Frühjahr 2016 weiten sich die Proteste gegen Präsidentin Dilma Rousseff aus. Zur gleichen Zeit entdeckt der Polizist Mario Lerne in einem Park von Sao Paolo einen Toten. Der junge Mann wirkt wie eines dieser Rich Kids, was ihm aber nicht geholfen hat. Dummerweise taucht gerade zur falschen Zeit der Militärpolizist und Lerner ehemaliger Freund Carlos wieder auf. Der Tote verschwindet wundersamerweise, sogar ganz aus dem System. Das kommt Lerne fast wie eine Aufforderung vor, zu ermitteln, was hinter dem Mord steckt. Lerne gute Freundin, die britische Journalistin Ellie, ist derweil mal wieder hinter einer Story her, Follow the Money, heißt es.
In diesem dritten Teil des Sao Paolo Quartetts nehmen Lerne und Ellie die Geschichte von zwei Seiten in die Zange. Dabei arbeiten sie nicht zusammen. Sie sind einfach hinter eigentlich zwei ganz unterschiedlichen Sachen her. Für Ellie geht es mal wieder um die grassierende Korruption, um das Geld, um des Geldes wegen. Lerne dagegen ist der Spürhund, der der Spur der Straße folgt. Gäbe es nur nicht verschiedene Polizeibehörden, die nicht miteinander arbeiten, die teilweise sogar Gangmethoden anwenden, könnte seine Arbeit sicher erfolgreicher sein. Tja, aber manchmal ist der Ruf des Geldes einfach zu stark. Follow the Money.
Auch in diesem dritten Teil schafft es Mario Lerne, in ein Wespennest zu stechen. Noch immer hat er seine erste Frau Renata nicht vergessen, die durch eine nicht ganz so verirrte Kugel gestorben ist, Doch mit seiner Freundin Antonia ist er überraschend glücklich. Das hält ihn aber nicht davon ab, jedem Fall, in dem er eigentlich nicht ermitteln soll, nachzugehen. Daraus entspinnt sich eine fesselnde Geschichte über Mord, Korruption und Polizeigewalt. Wie soll man in diesem Moloch integer bleiben. Schafft man es überhaupt irgendwie nicht korrumpiert zu werden? Besonders, wenn es um das Leben geht? Nun, Lerne geht seinen Weg. Wobei dieser Roman mit einem Cliffhanger endet, der einen quasi zwingt, auch den vierten Band zu lesen. Da es immer wieder Rückbezüge auf vorherige Ereignisse gibt, enthält dieser Thriller in seiner Kürze einige Wiederholungen. Irgendwann saugt man daraus kleine Informationen, die einigen Sinn erklären. Sollte der finale Band dem Ganzen noch den letzten Schliff geben? Man darf gespannt sein.
Im Frühjahr 2016 weiten sich die Proteste gegen Präsidentin Dilma Rousseff aus. Zur gleichen Zeit entdeckt der Polizist Mario Lerne in einem Park von Sao Paolo einen Toten. Der junge Mann wirkt wie eines dieser Rich Kids, was ihm aber nicht geholfen hat. Dummerweise taucht gerade zur falschen Zeit der Militärpolizist und Lerner ehemaliger Freund Carlos wieder auf. Der Tote verschwindet wundersamerweise, sogar ganz aus dem System. Das kommt Lerne fast wie eine Aufforderung vor, zu ermitteln, was hinter dem Mord steckt. Lerne gute Freundin, die britische Journalistin Ellie, ist derweil mal wieder hinter einer Story her, Follow the Money, heißt es.
In diesem dritten Teil des Sao Paolo Quartetts nehmen Lerne und Ellie die Geschichte von zwei Seiten in die Zange. Dabei arbeiten sie nicht zusammen. Sie sind einfach hinter eigentlich zwei ganz unterschiedlichen Sachen her. Für Ellie geht es mal wieder um die grassierende Korruption, um das Geld, um des Geldes wegen. Lerne dagegen ist der Spürhund, der der Spur der Straße folgt. Gäbe es nur nicht verschiedene Polizeibehörden, die nicht miteinander arbeiten, die teilweise sogar Gangmethoden anwenden, könnte seine Arbeit sicher erfolgreicher sein. Tja, aber manchmal ist der Ruf des Geldes einfach zu stark. Follow the Money.
Auch in diesem dritten Teil schafft es Mario Lerne, in ein Wespennest zu stechen. Noch immer hat er seine erste Frau Renata nicht vergessen, die durch eine nicht ganz so verirrte Kugel gestorben ist, Doch mit seiner Freundin Antonia ist er überraschend glücklich. Das hält ihn aber nicht davon ab, jedem Fall, in dem er eigentlich nicht ermitteln soll, nachzugehen. Daraus entspinnt sich eine fesselnde Geschichte über Mord, Korruption und Polizeigewalt. Wie soll man in diesem Moloch integer bleiben. Schafft man es überhaupt irgendwie nicht korrumpiert zu werden? Besonders, wenn es um das Leben geht? Nun, Lerne geht seinen Weg. Wobei dieser Roman mit einem Cliffhanger endet, der einen quasi zwingt, auch den vierten Band zu lesen. Da es immer wieder Rückbezüge auf vorherige Ereignisse gibt, enthält dieser Thriller in seiner Kürze einige Wiederholungen. Irgendwann saugt man daraus kleine Informationen, die einigen Sinn erklären. Sollte der finale Band dem Ganzen noch den letzten Schliff geben? Man darf gespannt sein.
November 7, 2021
Great suspenseful read although you will need to read the first 2 in the series to understand the protagonists. Love the feel of walking through the grimy streets of sao Paulo.
July 11, 2021
Part Three 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.
Playboy is set in 2016. Joe Thomas shows the reader, through the eyes of the major protagonist, a civil police detective - Mario Leme, how corruption is endemic in Brazilian politics and how pay-offs and money laundering impact on every level of society.
Really good thrillers - gripping, perceptive and insightful.
These are very gritty series novels which explore the institutional corruption of Sao Paulo and juxtaposition of the extremes of wealth in the city.
Playboy is set in 2016. Joe Thomas shows the reader, through the eyes of the major protagonist, a civil police detective - Mario Leme, how corruption is endemic in Brazilian politics and how pay-offs and money laundering impact on every level of society.
Really good thrillers - gripping, perceptive and insightful.
June 25, 2022
This book got me hooked. One more playboy is missing and loads more looking for him! Having the military police who are not in suspicion, as they all are the elite of the forces of law and order in São Paulo, but they are not too at all concerned with obeying the law – only in maintaining order. They are gun runners and drug dealers… the most corrupt of the corrupt.
Leme, with the girlfriend of the still missing playboy, and aided by an English investigation, journalist, endangers his life as he pursues the truth. The end of the book is disquieting!!
Leme, with the girlfriend of the still missing playboy, and aided by an English investigation, journalist, endangers his life as he pursues the truth. The end of the book is disquieting!!
February 3, 2025
The third in the Sáo Paulo quartet and building nicely to the fourth and final book in the series, Brazilian Psycho. A sharp, short and to the point book which does a great job in transporting the reader to the underbelly of this great city. Being a quartet it also allows for a good degree of character development. Őtimo!
Postscript: The last paragraph in the postscript, presumably written in 2019, describes pretty accurately what happened in the 2024 presidential elections in America.
Postscript: The last paragraph in the postscript, presumably written in 2019, describes pretty accurately what happened in the 2024 presidential elections in America.
April 18, 2023
Society in São Paulo has an under belly of corruption, greed, drugs and poverty. Leme is learning to enjoy his new found love but his job in the Civil Police is still skimming the surface in making the city a safer place. The sights and smells are evoked along with the fear and worry of living in this high octane atmosphere. Can’t wait to read the final book.
September 5, 2019
Read my review at Crime Fiction Lover https://crimefictionlover.com/2019/09...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews