Dying Gasp: A Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation [Hardcover]

Leighton Gage (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

Praise for the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series:

“Intelligent and subtle. . . . Lovers of suspenseful and sophisticated crime novels will be rewarded.”—Publishers Weekly

“An impressive follow up to an excellent debut. . . . Gage’s talents include not only captivating characters and realistic plots, but also an intensely realized sense of place and an unrelenting fast pace.”—Booklist

“Highly recommended.”—Library Journal, starred review

“Both a powerful political thriller and gripping crime fiction.”—Florida Sun-Sentinel

“Breathtaking. . . . A book you can’t afford to miss.”—Louise Ure

“Terrifically written, intelligent, and powerfully evocative. Leighton Gage is a master storyteller.”—Brian Haig

“As rich and complex as Brazil itself.”—Rebecca Pawel

The granddaughter of a prominent politician is missing. Silva and his team find her in Manaus, a jungle hellhole on the Amazon where an evil female doctor is making gory snuff films. Silva must overcome his own department’s indifference and the corrupt local cops before he can obtain a semblance of justice for the victims.

Leighton Gage has spent many years in Brazil, where he maintains a home. He also lives in Miami and spends part of the year in the Netherlands. His previous books in the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series, Blood of the Wicked and Buried Strangers, are also available.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chief Insp. Mario Silva does battle with not only criminals but also incompetence and corruption within the Brazilian bureaucracy in Gage's darkly violent third mystery to feature the wry, competent Silva (after 2009's Buried Strangers). The case of a missing teenage girl normally wouldn't involve the Brazilian Federal Police, unless the girl, Marta Malan, is the granddaughter of Deputado Roberto Malan, a powerful politician. Marta's disappearance is tied to a kidnapping and to a vile but lucrative international trade in underage girls, prostitution, and the making and distribution of snuff films. The trail leads to Manaus—the worst city in Brazil for crooked cops, poverty, and crime. While Marta, resourceful and brave, tries to avoid her fate, Silva and his small team of top cops try to ferret out her whereabouts before it's too late. Ruthless when necessary and under no illusions about the broken system within which he works, Silva is the right man in the right place. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Leighton’s third mystery starring Brazilian cop Mario Silva finds the chief inspector searching for the missing granddaughter of a prominent politician who happens to control the funding for the federal police. The search soon takes Silva to one of Brazil’s poorest provinces, deep in the Amazon basin. Meanwhile, a case involving a Dutch snuff-film distribution ring leads back to Brazil, and Silva’s nephew uses his international expertise to refine the search. As the investigation progresses, Silva begins to suspect that his nemesis from Buried Strangers (2009), Dr. Claudia, may be behind the snuff films. This story line makes Dying Gasp best for readers who are already familiar with Silva’s investigations. As with the previous books, Gage writes an engaging and fast-paced story with a strong sense of place, this time evoking the heat and humidity of the drenched jungle, where everyone eats and smells like fish. An outstanding series. --Jessica Moyer

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Soho Crime (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569476136
• ISBN-13: 978-1569476130
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Leighton Gage writes the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series, crime novels set in Brazil. His work has been praised by the New York Times, Booklist, Library Journal, Kirkus and a variety of other publications as well as by numerous online reviewers. You can visit him on the web at http://www.leightongage.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dying Gasp, another outstanding Mario Silva book, December 13, 2009

By 

Susie "Susie" (Chicago Area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dying Gasp: A Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation (Hardcover)

Leighton Gage has done it again.

DYING GASP is another brilliantly written book about horrific crimes and police official corruption that plague real life in Brazil.

Aside from the masterful storytelling, the character of Mario Silva is what makes this a most outstanding police procedural series and outshines the best writers we have today.

As a big fan of Henning Mankell I can say Leighton Gage is in the same league or better.

The story opens with Silva updating his boss on a prisoner being held in a cell where he's being raped at least six times a day. His boss is shocked, and tells Silva he's gone much too far this time.

Silva explains that this prisoner is no better than the others, the only difference, they prey on grown men while this prisoner preys on children.

I've never read a book with a protagonist as original and ruthless as Silva.

Before the book opens there is a quote from Job 11:20 (New International Version)
"...escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp."

I'm not sure if the quote applies to those who cross Silva's path or victims who have been horribly violated.

This is a gripping, fast paced, can't put it down read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gage Ranks Among the Aces, July 16, 2011

By 

zorba (Bala Cynwyd, Pa USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dying Gasp: A Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation Set in Brazil (Soho Crime) (Paperback)

Leighton Gage is as good a police procedural writer as you'll find out there today. Set in Brazil, his Chief Inspector Mario Silva books, so far, do not disappoint. In this offering Gage tackles two particularly gruesome and loathesome subjects -- child prostitution and snuff films -- the latter of which he declines to treat as an urban legend, with some basis in fact. Whereas Gage's characters are fairly well drawn, they are not subtle. The bad guys are real bad -- the good guys, angels. But Silva is a good character who, like most fictional cops, are harassed by their bosses and the public, only to emerge victorius in the end. This is a fast-paced, enjoyable thriller by a talented author.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leighton Gage Delivers on the Crime Front in this, December 18, 2011

By 

glen cantrell "Glen Cantrell" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dying Gasp: A Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation (Kindle Edition)

Set in Brazil, Leighton Gage the Author has weaved a mystery and crime novel that pushes so many other big Author names aside within this genre. The story is packed with everything you want a Crime novel to be and more. I was mesmerized from Page 1 and was swept off of my back and feet. I applaud Leighton Gage for his ability to write something fresh. A thrill a minute. This would make an awesome script and then movie for sure. Procure this book everyone.