Buried Strangers

by Leighton Gage

Book Overview

In contemporary Brazil, a country with deep divisions between rich and poor, crime flourishes. In Buried Strangers, Chief Inspector Mario Silva faces his toughest, most gruesome case yet as he and his team pursue a ring of murderers intent on claiming the lives of the urban poor and indigenous natives in order to remove their hearts. Emotionally charged...vividly evokes a country of political corruptions, startling economic disparity and relentless...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1569475148
• ISBN13: 9781569475140
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Soho Crime
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.2" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Cool cops, creepy villains

In a frozen rainforest just outside Sao Paulo, the police uncover a clandestine cemetery: row upon row of graves of men, women and children, predominantly children. Chief Inspector Silva's team begins by exploring the idea of ritual killing by a cult or some kind of ethnic cleansing by a serial killer. But that's only the beginning. Silva's investigation moves forward despite the hostility of his boss, who only cares about politics and his own public image. Silva tells the boss what he wants to hear - and then quietly ignores pretty much all budget constraints and directives. Silva's cool, no-nonsense character contrasts with the more colorful personalities of his staff. The rough repartee between the cops is fun to read - and keeps the horrific subject matter of the book from being too much to take. A flirtation between Silva's nephew cop and an attractive woman pathologist also adds spice to the narrative. The villains turn out to be as creepy as one could wish, and come complete with repulsive henchmen. Leighton Gage paints an intriguing picture of Brazil with its high crime rate, widespread corruption and cultural diversity.

Leighton Gage is the real thing

After being thoroughly impressed by the first book in this series, Blood of the Wicked, which I considered one of the best mysteries I have read in the last year, I had to read the sequel. The truth is that I found this second novel even better than the first one, although before reading it I was convinced that was not possible. Gage does quite a few things in his novels, all of them extremely well. First of all the central plot in this book moves at a frantic pace, you will find yourself reading way into the night if you are not careful. Then, the characters are complex, have flaws as any human being, and provide the story with a very special flavor. Finally, the way in which the author portrays life in Brazil, the culture, the corruption, and the passions of its people, is spot on. The only caveat applicable to this series, and this novel in particular, is that those people that are bothered by excessive violence may find some passages hard to swallow. Those that have not issue with this should look no further, you have found one of the best mystery series available. Enjoy! I cannot wait for the third installment in this series.

Can't wait for the 3rd Mario Silva book

Just finished BURIED STRANGERS and loved it. Great plot, I love the characters and I really couldn't put it down. Great police procedural. Leighton Gage is the real thing, he's up there with my other favorite authors, Henning Mankell and Per Wahloo and Sojwall. If you like Wallander and Martin Beck you will definitely enjoy Mario Silva. I liked Gage's first Mario Silva, BLOOD OF THE WICKED, I don't think it matters which one you read first. I'm sorry I have to wait until Jan 2010 for Gage's third book in the series and wish he'd started writing sooner, I'd be reading another one now.

Thoughts on BURIED STRANGERS

BURIED STRANGERS By Leighton Gage ISBN: 978-1-56947-514-0 Soho Press, 2009 Hardcover, $24.00 In what has been called the largest urban forest in the world, the Serra da Cantareira, a young man seeking a dog stumbles across what turns out to be an entire clandestine cemetery. The local police delegado, Yoshiro Tanaka leads the investigation, but the case has also drawn the attention of the federal police, and Chief Inspector Mario Silva, who assigns his team to it as well. In the midst of this, Silva's maid has lost touch with her son, who was trying to enter the United States illegally. As Silva pursues his main investigation, he also gives some attention to the missing son, and finds his investigations unraveling strands of corruption, avarice, and murder that plumb the depths of human depravity. Leighton Gage has written a story that captures the reader from the first and doesn't let go. The Brazilian setting is well-depicted, with the isolation of the Serra da Cantreira within the urban environs of Sao Paulo, and the pricey condominiums cheek-by-jowl with the one-room shacks of the favelas. The venality of the local police and national politicians is contrasted with Silva's federal agents, dedicated to solving the case. The case itself involves as pure a depiction of evil as any I've read lately, and the pace of the book drives the reader on to the finish. This book is highly recommended.

tense Brazilian police procedural

In the Brazilian Rain Forest near Sao Paulo, Brazil, Herbert the "Mop" sheepdog finds a human bone. His owner Hans escorts local cop Yoshiro Tanaka, pathologist Gilda Caropreso, and others to the location of a grave. They soon realize they have found an unmarked mass grave site. In Brasilia, Federal Police Chief Inspector Mario Silva persuades his reluctant boss Nelson Sampaio to allow him and his top investigators Hector Costa and Arnaldo Nues to look into the mass graves in spite of the politically connected supervisor wanting the case buried before it harms tourism and his career. Each victim including the two dozen children had a body part removed leading Sampaio to fear a cult involvement will keep the westerners home and he will have to answer why. While Tanaka tries to extort money from his inquiries, Silva and his comrades begin to tie the deaths to the Sao Paulo travel agency whose customers were allegedly heading to North America, but never left the country. The killer remains unknown. The second Brazilian police procedural (see BLOOD OF THE WICKED) is an exciting whodunit made more fascinating by the corruptness of Tanaka. The story line is fast-paced while providing readers with an intriguing look at the country's largest city. Fans will be engaged with this tense crime caper as the local cop competes with the Federal Police trying to uncover the identity of the culprit for different reasons; one wants to make a lot of real money while the others want to solve the case. Harriet Klausner