This image is the cover for the book Dying Gasp, A Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation

Dying Gasp, A Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation

A detective follows a missing girl into the jungles of Brazil—and uncovers a terrifying criminal conspiracy—in this “fast-paced” police procedural (Booklist).

The Brazilian federal police wouldn’t typically get involved in the case of missing teenage girl—but when the girl in question is the granddaughter of a prominent politician, Silva and his team are, of course, put on her trail. It leads them to Manaus, a jungle hellhole in the Amazon.

All sorts of unsavory characters can be found in the seedier corners of this South American country—and as Silva investigates, he finds troubling connections to human trafficking and snuff films. Now Silva must battle indifference, of both the ordinary and the depraved kind, to save those he can save, and find some semblance of justice for the others.

Leighton Gage

Leighton Gage (1942–2013) wrote six other books in the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series: Blood of the Wicked, Dying Gasp, Every Bitter Thing, A Vine in the Blood, Perfect Hatred, and The Ways of Evil Men. Since 1973, he spent part of each year in Santana do Parnaiba, Brazil, where he met his wife, Eide. His books have been translated into French, Italian, Finnish, and Dutch.

Soho Press