Review of Perfect Hatred by Leighton Gage

This novel Perfect Hatred was a pleasant surprise. I haven't read any crime fiction based solely in Brazil and I have to say that I like the change of scenery. It gives me the push I need to research about that country and see what I've been missing this whole time. Gage's Perfect Hatred delves into the seedy world of Brazilian politics and terrorist extremist groups.
Perfect Hatred opens with the bombing of a temple by extreme Islamist. A recently abducted baby is used to conceal bomb used for this temple bombing. As if chasing terrorists wasn't enough, Silva is also tasked with finding out why or who is behind the death of a gubernatorial politician. These occurances are great when setting the stage for a crime novel. And just for dramatic affect, there's a deranged madman out to get Chief Inspector Mario Silva and will stop at nothing to get him.

I felt that Gage created the perfect storm but it's execution was not to my liking. Don't get me wrong, the story was fast paced, well-written, and believeable dialogue. The major problem I had with this title is that I didn't know who anyone was and being that it was mostly dialogue based, there was no real opportunity to discover who they were. It felt like I stumbled on an hour long television show in the middle. There was no attempt to familiarize the audience or even followers of this series to the characters. It felt very vague to me. All the names mentioned were vague and the circumstances were just as vague. I don't know Silva any better after having read this novel, than what I did when I opened the novel.

I don't want my last gripe to seem like I didn't enjoy this novel. I really did enjoy this novel enough to go on Amazon and purchase the ones I've missed. Learning more about Brazil's police procedure inner-sanctum and getting to know this cast of characters is actually pretty high on my list. Gage does a great job at letting the readers know that money and power reign supreme in Brazil and neighboring countries such as Paraguay.  I look forward to going backward with this author.  I expect lovers of fictional crime mysteries will find this an interesting addition. I would suggest reading the preceeding books first. ***

Perfect Hatred by Leighton Gage

I have decided to devote the rest of the week reading books that are the most current in a series. When I read these books I try to be as honest as possible because I'm not clouded with the knowledge of having met the characters before. Good authors know that not every reader has the privelege of making the journey with their main hero so they must incorporate some of the past novels information into the current novel. I absolutely dislike not having read the series from the beginning but it should not get in the way of a good story. Hopefully Perfect Hatred will be a good standalone novel for those who are unfamiliar with Leighton Gage as well as satisfying for fans alike.

Synopsis: Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team have a heavy work load with several high-profile cases. First, a suicide bombing that was apparently the work of a militant Islamist group. Then, a gubernatorial candidate is assassinated in broad daylight at a campaign rally. Could the cases be related? To complicate Silva's investigation, a criminal with a very bad grudge against the Chief Inspector has been released from prison and is plotting ugly revenge.