Synopsis (from
the publisher):
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.
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Dying Gasp
A Chief
Inspector Mario Silva Investigation
Leighton
Gage
Soho Crime (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-613-6 (1569476136)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-613-0 (9781569476130)
Publication Date: January 2010
List Price: $24.00
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Review: Chief
Inspector Mario Silva and his team take on the troubling case of
finding the missing granddaughter of a prominent politician in Dying Gasp, the third mystery in
this series by Leighton Gage.
15-year-old Marta Malan ran away from home two months earlier after
being beaten by her father for dating an 18-year-old woman. Anxious to
keep what he considers his family's indiscretions quiet, Deputado
Roberto Malan, the girl's grandfather, insists Silva handle the case
personally. Silva's investigation leads him to Manaus, the capital city
of the state of Amazonas, governed by inept politicians and a corrupt
police force. It is believed that Marta is being held by a man called
The Goat, who runs the most extensive network of underage prostitutes
in the region. But Silva also learns that Manaus may also be the home
of a former nemesis of his, Claudia Andrade, a surgeon who disappeared
after her illegal organ transplant ring was broken by Silva. That she
may now be involved with a new, even more disturbing, criminal activity
-- one that may have ensnared young Marta Malan -- troubles him greatly.
As the author notes in an afterward, Dying
Gasp is a work of fiction based on some sad realities. It's
sometimes difficult to get through some of the chapters, not because
they aren't well written -- they most certainly are -- but because of
how graphic they are. No punches are pulled in the description of some
of the horrific crimes committed within the context of the story, yet
their inclusion is not gratuitous in the least. The plot is well
considered and paced, with a cast of interesting characters in an
appropriately dank environment dripping with atmosphere. And while the
overall style is one of a police procedural in which the reader is
essentially omniscient, there are still a few surprising revelations.
In all, Dying Gasp is a
strong entry in this most sophisticated series of crime novels.
Special thanks to Soho Press for providing an ARC of Dying Gasp for this review.
Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Dying Gasp? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Blood of the Wicked
Soho Crime (Hardcover), January 2008
ISBN-10: 1-56947-470-2 (1569474702)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-470-9 (9781569474709)
Buried Strangers
Soho Crime (Trade Paperback), January 2010
ISBN-10: 1-56947-614-4 (1569476144)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-614-7 (9781569476147)
Dying Gasp
Soho Crime (Hardcover), January 2010
ISBN-10: 1-56947-613-6 (1569476136)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-613-0 (9781569476130)
Omnimystery keywords for Dying Gasp ...
Location(s) referenced: Brazil.
