Synopses & Reviews
A Brazilian bestseller, this sophisticated story of murder, sex, and corruption introduces a riveting new crime series.In a parking garage in the center of Rio de Janeiro, corporate executive Ricardo Carvalho is found dead in his car, a bullet in his head. It appears that he has been robbed and murdered. But the clues are few. The gun and his briefcase are nowhere to be found -- just the kind of case that is always assigned to Inspector Espinosa. Not your typical detective, the world-weary Espinosa has the mind of a philosopher, the heart of a romantic, and enough experience to realize that things are rarely as they first seem.
As Espinosa attempts to unravel the mystery of what really happened to Carvalho and his secretary, Rose, who disappeared shortly afterward, he discovers that the businessman had recently taken out a million-dollar life insurance policy. And there's another complication: Espinosa's attraction to Carvalho's beautiful widow, who is also one of the prime suspects. When two more bodies turn up, Espinosa is forced to shift the investigation into high gear before anyone else becomes a casualty.
Hurtling to a surprising and satisfying conclusion, The Silence of the Rain is an intelligent, unconventional detective novel with a distinctly Latin American flavor and a colorful, exciting locale. In Espinosa, America is about to meet an irresistible new sleuth.
Review
“Readers who like their thrillers to possess something beyond a fast-paced, tricky plot will find much to marvel over [here]...Breathes fresh air into the crime novel genre.” —
Los Angeles Times“Effortlessly conveys ideas and characters...[and] displays the mystery novel as a richly expressive medium for ideas... Garcia-Roza will find an eager audience in English.” —The Washington Post
“Combines elements of the suspense novel with an erotic Brazilian ambience in a mix that keeps the pages turning.” —St. Petersburg Times
“A beautifully atmospheric, hard-boiled crime novel.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Garcia-Rozas Hitchcockian trick of knowing exactly how much to reveal to keep his audience off-balance keeps this melancholic debut simmering.” —Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
A Rio de Janeiro ThrillerIn a parking garage in the center of Rio de Janeiro, corporate executive Ricardo Carvalho is found dead in his car, a bullet in his head, his wallet and briefcase missing. Inspector Espinosa is called in to investigate the apparent robbery and murder, but the world-weary Espinosa knows that things are not always as they seem. Carvalhos recently acquired one-million-dollar life insurance policy and the subsequent disappearance of his secretary Rose complicate matters—as does Espinosas attraction to Carvalhos beautiful widow, one of the suspects. And when two more people turn up dead, Espinosa must speed up his investigation before anyone else becomes a casualty.
About the Author
A distinguished academic,
Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza is a critically acclaimed, bestselling novelist who lives in Rio de Janeiro. The other books in his crime trilogy will also be published by Henry Holt.