World Cup fever reaches its peak in Leighton Gage’s A Vine in the Blood (Soho Crime), to be released in the U.S. on Dec. 27, 2011. This book, like all of the titles in Gage’s Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigations series, throws a spotlight on the society and politics of contemporary Brazil. A Vine in the Blood attests to that country’s intense involvement with the game of soccer.
Federal Police Inspector Mario Santos is charged with the investigation into the kidnapping of Juraci Santos, mother of Brazil’s premier soccer player, Tico "The Artist" Santos, and the consequent murder of her two housemaids. Assisting the inspector once again are Arnaldo Nunes, Hector Costa and Haraldo Gonçalves.
Many Brazilians see Juraci Santos' kidnapping as an attempt to pressure Tico to lose the upcoming World Cup game against the rival Argentinean team. Chief Inspector Silva soon realizes, though, that the case is more complicated than it appears.
Gage effectively increases the suspense of his latest work by creating a variety of characters, each with a valid motive for the crime. Tico’s girlfriend, top model Cintia Tadesco, falls under suspicion when Silva learns that Juraci Santos had recently hired a private investigator to look into her background.
Two of Tico’s soccer teammates also get added to the suspect list. Tico was responsible for an injury that ended Joãozinho Preto’s career, and Romário de Barros is anxiously awaiting an opportunity to replace Tico as the star of the Brazilian team.
Silva gets help with his investigation from several unlikely sources. Fiorello Rosa, a professor of criminology currently serving a prison sentence, offers to profile the kidnappers. Captain Miranda, a Brazilian drug lord, contacts Silva with a clue to their identity. But when additional murders take place, Chief Inspector Silva must decide if he is dealing with one crime or with two.
Leighton Gage began his Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigations series with the 2007 novel Blood of the Wicked. Buried Strangers followed in 2009, with Dying Gasp and Every Bitter Thing released in 2010. A Vine in the Blood is the fifth addition to this series.
FTC Full Disclosure: A review copy of this work was provided by Soho Crime.
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