Brazilian Psycho

Description

'BRAZILIAN PSYCHO is a riveting and explosive masterpiece of political crime fiction that deserves to share the shelf with AMERICAN TABLOID, THE POWER OF THE DOG and A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEVEN KILLINGS, and confirms Joe Thomas as one of our very best contemporary crime writers.' David Peace 'Complex and compelling, and shot through with moments of horror and beauty, BRAZILIAN PSYCHO is a magnificent achievement.' The Times Crime Club 'Fans of Don Winslow and James Ellroy's epic forays into the societal effects of systematic dysfunction and corruption will want to check this out' Publishers Weekly Brazil, 1 January 2003: President Luis Inacio 'Lula' da Silva begins fifteen years of left-wing government. 1 January 2019: Jair Bolsonaro is inaugurated, a president of the populist right. How did it come to this? A blockbusting novel of our times, Brazilian Psycho introduces and completes Joe Thomas's acclaimed Sao Paulo quartet. Over sixteen years, a diverse cast of characters live through the unfolding social and political drama, setting in motion a whirlwind of plots and counterplots: the murder of a British school headmaster and the consequent cover-up; the chaos and score-settling of the PCC drug gang rebellion over the Mothers' Day weekend of 2006; a copycat serial killer; the secret international funding of nationwide anti-government protests; the bribes, kickbacks and shakedowns of the Mensalao and Lava Jato political corruption scandals, the biggest in Brazilian history Brazilian Psycho weaves social crime fiction, historical fact, and personal experience to record the radical tale of one of the world's most fascinating, glamorous, corrupt, violent, and thrilling cities. PRAISE FOR JOE THOMAS 'Brilliant' The Times 'Feverish energy' Guardian 'Wonderfully vivid' Mail on Sunday 'Sophisticated, dizzying' GQ 'Vivid and visceral' The Times 'Superbly realised vivid and atmospheric' Guardian 'Original' Mail on Sunday 'A stylish, atmospheric treat an inspired blend of David Peace and early Pinter' Irish Times 'Sparse, energetic, fragmented prose' The Spectator 'Vibrant, colourful, and complex' Irish Independent 'Stylish, sharp-witted, taut. A must for modern noir fans' NB Magazine 'Definitive confident and energetic' Crime Time 'Brilliant man

JOE THOMAS was born in Hackney in 1977. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Sao Paulo quartet - Paradise City, Gringa, Playboy, and Brazilian Psycho - and Bent, which was a Guardian Best Book of 2020 and an Irish Times pick of the best crime fiction of 2020. His new novel, White Riot, the start of a trilogy set in Hackney in the 1970s and 1980s, is to be published by Arcadia in January 2023, and will be followed by Red Menace and True Blue. Joe lives in London with his partner and son, and teaches at City, University of London.

'A tough, uncompromising style' Jon Wise 'Paradise City is a gripping read. This fast-paced and darkly atmospheric novel introduces Joe Thomas as a new and distinct voice in crime fiction of the city.' Susanna Jones, author of The Earthquake Bird '[A]s vibrant, colourful and complex as South America's largest city' Myles McWeeney, Irish Independent 'Fresh, gripping, and incredibly assured' Stav Sherez, author of The Intrusions 'Great crime fiction hinges on a sense of place, and Thomas proves an adroit guide to a city that has developed at dizzying speed' GQ 'Joe Thomas's work has been compared to James Ellroy, as it is abrupt, elliptical, and heavily loaded with slang in both English and Portuguese. That comparison is true' Shotsmag 'With its feverish energy, opulent nightlife, culture and chaos, the Brazilian megalopolis is a perfect setting for Joe Thomas's crime thrillers' Jane Dunford, Guardian Praise for THE SAO PAULO QUARTET 'Thomas's fine series offers a wonderfully vivid introduction to a society in violent, vibrant flux.' John Williams, Mail on Sunday