Brazilian Psycho
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2.0 • 1 Rating
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
'BRAZILIAN PSYCHO is a riveting and explosive masterpiece of political crime fiction that deserves to share the shelf with AMERICAN TABLOID, THE POWER OF THE DOG and A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEVEN KILLINGS, and confirms Joe Thomas as one of our very best contemporary crime writers.' David Peace
'Complex and compelling, and shot through with moments of horror and beauty, BRAZILIAN PSYCHO is a magnificent achievement.' The Times Crime Club
'Fans of Don Winslow and James Ellroy's epic forays into the societal effects of systematic dysfunction and corruption will want to check this out' Publishers Weekly
Brazil, 1 January 2003: President Luis Inacio 'Lula' da Silva begins fifteen years of left-wing government.
1 January 2019: Jair Bolsonaro is inaugurated, a president of the populist right.
How did it come to this?
A blockbusting novel of our times, Brazilian Psycho introduces and completes Joe Thomas's acclaimed Sao Paulo quartet. Over sixteen years, a diverse cast of characters live through the unfolding social and political drama, setting in motion a whirlwind of plots and counterplots: the murder of a British school headmaster and the consequent cover-up; the chaos and score-settling of the PCC drug gang rebellion over the Mothers' Day weekend of 2006; a copycat serial killer; the secret international funding of nationwide anti-government protests; the bribes, kickbacks and shakedowns of the Mensalao and Lava Jato political corruption scandals, the biggest in Brazilian history.
Brazilian Psycho weaves social crime fiction, historical fact, and personal experience to record the radical tale of one of the world's most fascinating, glamorous, corrupt, violent, and thrilling cities.
PRAISE FOR JOE THOMAS
'Brilliant' The Times
'Feverish energy' Guardian
'Wonderfully vivid' Mail on Sunday
'Sophisticated, dizzying' GQ
'Vivid and visceral' The Times
'Superbly realised vivid and atmospheric' Guardian
'Original' Mail on Sunday
'A stylish, atmospheric treat an inspired blend of David Peace and early Pinter' Irish Times
'Sparse, energetic, fragmented prose' The Spectator
'Vibrant, colourful, and complex' Irish Independent
'Stylish, sharp-witted, taut. A must for modern noir fans' NB Magazine
'Definitive confident and energetic' Crime Time
'Brilliant manic energy' Jake Arnott
'Wildly stylish and hugely entertaining' Lucy Caldwell
'Vivid, stylish, funny' Mick Herron
'Gripping, fast-paced, darkly atmospheric' Susanna Jones
'Snappy, thoughtful, moving' John King
'Exciting, fresh, incredibly assured' Stav Sherez
'Happy days!' Mark Timlin
'Utterly brilliant' Cathi Unsworth
'Had James Ellroy and David Peace collaborated on a novel they'd have written something like this' Paul Willets
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thomas's frenzied final entry in his São Paulo quartet (after Playboy) charts the social and political upheaval of the rise of the populist right in Brazil from 2003 to 2019. Mario Leme, a rookie police detective, investigates the murder and subsequent cover-up of a British headmaster found bound in his home. Ray Marx, a former CIA operative turned freelance fixer, is instrumental in using dark money to influence the growth of the populist platform. Rafa Nascimento, a street kid, slowly rises among the ranks of a crime syndicate, PCC, against the wishes of his grandma, who's trying in vain to keep him off the same path as his incarcerated father. Rafa's entanglement grows as gentrification threatens the stronghold of the PCC's drug and gun operation. The numerous plots and subplots can be confusing, not to mention the abrupt shifts of points of view among the many characters. Fans of Don Winslow and James Ellroy's epic forays into the societal effects of systematic dysfunction and corruption will want to check this out.
