Playboy

(Paperback)

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MAIL ON SUNDAY THRILLER OF THE MONTH

Sao Paulo, 20 March 2016

A campaign for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff is in full swing, yet 100,000 people take to Avenida Paulista in Sao Paulo in her support.

On the same day, a young man from a wealthy family is murdered.

Detective Mario Leme discovers the body. Two Military Policemen confront him.They strongarm him into the back of an SUV.

Set against the backdrop of the biggest political corruption scandal in Brazilian history, Playboy is the story of Leme's attempt to clear his name, and find the young man's killer. Leme's investigation runs right through Sao Paulo society, from the bottom, to the very top and has implications far beyond. And the fight to prove his innocence might just cost Leme his life.

A stylish, taut, and atmospheric novel in the hardboiled tradition of American noir, Playboy is a thrilling examination of the seething, violent street life of Sao Paulo and the political convulsions of contemporary Brazil.

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 manic energy' Jake Arnott

'Wildly stylish and hugely entertaining' Lucy Caldwell

'Vivid, stylish, funny' Mick Herron

'Gripping, fast-paced, darkly atmospheric' Susanna Jones

'Snappy, thoughtful, moving' John King

'Exciting, fresh, incredibly assured' Stav Sherez

'Happy days!' Mark Timlin

'Utterly brilliant' Cathi Unsworth

'Had James Ellroy and David Peace collaborated on a novel they'd have written something like this' Paul Willets

Reviews

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
As 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
I felt my hackles rise on more than one occasion. [...] Thomas consistently exposes the naked truth behind the power and oppression of the more vulnerable in society. [...] powerful and thought provoking... The weighty social issues of the book are more than balanced with the superb characterisation... [Gringa is] a great read for those who like their crime on the darker side of the tracks, and dare I say it, even better than the debut [Paradise City]. Highly recommended --Raven Crime Reads
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

Author Bio

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.