"Blood of the Wicked manages to pack a huge amount into a spare three hundred pages; power politics, petty violence, sexual scandal, saintly courage, staggering poverty and obscene wealth. A book that makes you care about its large cast of characters, even when you know that they are going to die-frequently horribly. This is a novel as rich and complex as Brazil itself, with villains who make you want to spit, and heroes whose goodness is heartbreaking."-Rebecca Pawel, Edgar Award-winning author of Death of a Nationalist

In the remote Brazilian town of Cascatas do Pontal, where landless peasants are confronting the owners of vast estates, the bishop arrives by helicopter to consecrate a new church and is assassinated.

Mario Silva, chief inspector for criminal matters of the federal police of Brazil, is dispatched to the interior to find the killer. The pope himself has called Brazil's president; the pressure is on Silva to perform. Assisted by his nephew, Hector Costa, also a federal policeman, Silva must battle the state police and a corrupt judiciary as well as criminals who prey on street kids, the warring factions of the Landless League, the big landowners, and the church itself, in order to solve the initial murder and several brutal killings that follow. Justice is hard to come by. An old priest, a secret liberation theologist, finally metes it out. Here is a Brazil that tourists never encounter.

Leighton Gage is married to a Brazilian woman and spends part of each year in Santana do Parnaiba, Brazil, and the rest of the year in Florida and Belgium. This is his first novel.

Praise for Leighton Gage’s Chief Inspector Mario Silva series:

“Realistic characters that the readers can care about. . . . The ultimate story of the haves vs. the have nots.”—Detroit Free Press

“Gage's compelling novels are good examples of how talented crime writers use the police procedural form to lay bare a society.”—Indianapolis Star

“Gage creates a contemporary tapestry of Brazil . . . [and] builds a compelling foundation for future Silva cases.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Emotionally charged. . . . Vividly evokes a country of political corruptions, startling economic disparity and relentless crime.”—Booklist

A playful dog finds a bone at the outset of this mystery set in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the federal police based in Brasilia and his team of investigators, Hector Costa and Arnaldo Nunes, are called in. The bone is human and the investigators soon unearth a clandestine cemetery. Someone has secretly disposed of the bodies of unknown human beings, often interred in family groups. And in Sao Paulo, it turns out, many patrons of a local travel agency have never reached their North American destinations. The motive for these mass murders is completely contemporary and completely appalling.

"Gage smoothly expands his focus on the assassination of an ambitious bishop to encompass the controversial and entirely absorbing issue of whether the clergy should involve themselves in the politics of land distribution among the poor."-The New York Times Book Review

"Gage's inspector is a fascinating character. Highly recommended."-Library Journal (starred review)

"Achieves both a powerful political thriller and gripping crime fiction in his fascinating debut."-Arizona Daily Star

"Powerful. . . . A chilling, complex and riveting plot."-South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"Terrifically written, intelligent and powerfully evocative. . . . Not to be missed."-Brian Haig

"A novel as rich and complex as Brazil itself."-Rebecca Pawel

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.

Leighton Gage has spent many years in Brazil, where he maintains a home. He also resides in Florida and lives part of the year in the Netherlands.

Praise for the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series:

“Realistic characters that readers can care about.”—Detroit Free Press

“A gritty police procedural that benefits from its offbeat locale and an impressive tapestry of believable characters.”—Kirkus Reviews

“New and convincing.”—Mystery Scene

“Gage's compelling novels are good examples of how talented crime writers use the police procedural form to lay bare a society.”—Indianapolis Star

In the jungle on the outskirts of São Paulo, Mario Silva and his team find hundreds of unknown corpses, often buried in family groups, and they learn that many would-be travelers to North America who used a local tourist agency have never reached their destinations. The motive for these murders is completely contemporary and completely appalling.

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.