Customer Reviews

December Heat: An Inspector Espinoza Mystery

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Garcia-Roza has established himself as one of the most exciting authors of mystery novels in contemporary Brazilian literature. This book, originally entitled "Achados e Perdidos", is a testament to his good reputation. From the first page, the reader is drawn into to an all-too-real universe set in the city of Rio de Janeiro without any hope of exit before the final sentence in the book. The story starts with an intoxicated, retired policeman losing his wallet during an outing with his girlfriend, who happens to be a prostitute. The wallet is immediately picked up by a street boy, who from that point on is catapulted into a sequence of events that spirals out of control. The next morning, the girlfriend is found dead, tied to her own bed, and in the scene of the crime the ex-policeman's belt is found. Progressively, more and more unlikely participants slowly get pulled into a tight web where timelines, opportunities, and motives converge and diverge, at the same time. The prose is stylish and deep, and the story never stops surprising. All in all, an excellent book. (These comments apply to the original in the Portuguese language.)

Although I probably will never travel to Rio de Janero, Garcia-Roza makes me feel as if I have been there. His sensual descriptions of the city and its people bring the city to life. The plight of the inner life of a street boy is poignantly realized, recalling the tragedy that unfolded in this year's fine documentary, Bus 174, which was more about the desperation of what it means to be a product of the streets, a sadly common phenomenon of Rio. Espinosa, Garcia-Roza's protagonist, is reminiscent of Inspector Montalbano in Andrea Camilleri's Sicillian series. Both have the same time worn quality, both love their food -- there are very sensuous descriptions of their meals, sometimes hilarious (as in Espinosa's consumption of a Big Mac on the Copacabana), but they both end up with answers to their puzzles and will hopefully expand on their experiences to us, their USA-bound fans.

The prose is delightful, sensuous, and enticing. The attention to detail and nuance is captivating and yet never bogs you down. The author's intimate knowledge of his homeland allows non-Brazilian readers a glimpse into a complicated and unique world. Characters are often ambiguous -- you don't really know for sure if you should love or hate them. Garcia-Roza does not give the reader any more information than his characters are privy to. The reader is not privileged at all and can thus just go along for the ride. There are twists and turns and even experienced sleuths will be kept guessing about many things until the very end. I am glad I found Inspector Espinosa and look forward to investigating his other adventures.

I don't know how a reader of this brilliant work could consider it stodgy and predictable as some dolt observed in a review printed above. This work moves like a bolt of lightning across the page. The plot and characters grabbed me by the throat from the first chapter and didn't let up until it ended. What delicious torture. Garcia-Roza's detective protagonist is wonderfully fresh and human, unlike any principal character I've encountered in the detective genre. I've read all of the work in this series save two. and I can't wait to get my hands on them.

George Gilbert
San Francisco

Maybe I'm an impatient reader, but I found the pace of this mystery leisurely to the point of glacial. The translation seems pretty mundane as well, rendering the dialog stilted and formulaic. I did appreciate the author's descriptions of Rio as the story eventually unfolds. Despite four murders (and a few more killings) the only real action in the entire story is confined to the final dozen pages or so. Despite the shortcomings, the setting kept me slogging along, hoping the pace would eventually pick up.

The main reason I was interested in this story is that it is set in Rio. By the end of the book the Copacabana, the Peixoto district, Ipanema, and Avenida Atlantica seem like a familiar and comfortable, if dangerous, neighborhood, perhaps better read than lived. The story caught me from the beginning and didn't let go to the end. A lot of action, perhaps too many grim or sad deaths, but a satisfying puzzle nonetheless. The characters are interesting and sympathetic, the prose well-written. Definitely worth your time.

"December Heat" is one of the early books in the excellent Inspector Espinosa series by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza. The setting is again Rio de Janeiro and the city is showcased in detail by the author.

This early Espinosa book is a bit more existentialist and less action filled (despite a spate of murders) than later books in series. There is a great deal of inner dialogue and coverage of the same interaction between the characters. While this provides depth and color to the story, it also slows things down considerably. The great saving strengths of the tale are the rich and detailed character portraits of the principal female characters in the story as well as Espinosa's reaction to and relations with each of them. Not to be overlooked is the terrific portrait of the city of Rio which is presented as Espinosa's beat and gives the reader a palpable feel for the place--particularly in the mid-summer of the December period when the story takes place.

To his great credit, author Garcia-Roza writes with credible sympathy and respect for Rio's underclass--the street kids, prostitutes and jobless scratching out a living in a city full of beauty, wealth and privilege.

"December Heat" is perhaps a more challenging book than some of Garcia-Roza's later stories, but a very good read and especially enjoyable for anyone with an interest in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro.

"December Heat" is one of the early books in the excellent Inspector Espinosa series by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza. The setting is again Rio de Janeiro and the city is showcased in detail by the author.

This early Espinosa book is a bit more existentialist and less action filled (despite a spate of murders) than later books in series. There is a great deal of inner dialogue and coverage of the same interaction between the characters. While this provides depth and color to the story, it also slows things down considerably. The great saving strengths of the tale are the rich and detailed character portraits of the principal female characters in the story as well as Espinosa's reaction to and relations with each of them. Not to be overlooked is the terrific portrait of the city of Rio which is presented as Espinosa's beat and gives the reader a palpable feel for the place--particularly in the mid-summer of the December period when the story takes place.

To his great credit, author Garcia-Roza writes with credible sympathy and respect for Rio's underclass--the street kids, prostitutes and jobless scratching out a living in a city full of beauty, wealth and privilege.

"December Heat" is perhaps a more challenging book than some of Garcia-Roza's later stories, but a very good read and especially enjoyable for anyone with an interest in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro.