Blood of the Wicked

I picked this book up at a local book store along with several other mystery novels whose authors I didn't recognize in an effort to broaden my horizons. I won't ever do it that way again. Picking up books randomly based on a whim may have something to recommend it, but I've decided it's just safer to buy based on other readers' recommendations and reviews. Or maybe I'll feel brave the next time I have extra money. Who knows? It's a mystery.

Blood of the Wicked is the 1st book in the Chief Inspector Mario Silve Investigation mystery series by Leighton Gage. This book is from 2008 but feels more dated than that to me. Much of the plot revolves around Liberation theology, which I remember being big in the 1970s but hadn't realized was still so controversial.

I thought the story wrapped up a bit quickly, with a solution that was neat and tidy and not too surprising. On the other hand, I guess it's nice to have characters who are obviously "good" or "bad" for a change. I'm not tempted to seek out others in this series, but that's just because there are so many authors out there I haven't tried yet.

from the back of the book:

In the interior of Brazil, landless workers battle the owners of vast fazendas. When a visiting archbishop is assassinated, Mario Silva of the federal police is called upon to investigate. Then a newspaper owner, a TV journalist, a landowner’s son, and a priest are brutally killed. In a country where dead street kids are known as “hams,” justice is scarce.

Mysterious Reviews offers some criticism of the plot but concludes, "On balance, however, Blood of the Wicked is a terrific mystery, a strongly written and powerful novel that will be remembered long after the final pages are read." Kirkus Reviews calls it "a compelling foundation for future Silva cases."