book 3 of 7; next in series: A Window in Copacabana
Inspector Espinosa, the police man who nobody thinks is a policeman. The bookish, introspective detective who lives in the same apartment he grew up in, with a wife and son long gone to Washington, DC. The warm, wild streets of Rio de Janeiro as the southwesterly winds roll in, bringing change.
A young man comes to Espinosa, worried. A psychic told him he would commit a murder before his next birthday. He's now a complete wreck. Espinosa listens patiently and entertains him, assigning an old friend unofficially to the case. But when two people connected to the young man turn up dead, they have to look a little more seriously at the quiet young man.
I've been reading this series quite out of order, so keeping track of what is going on in the personal lives of Espinosa and the people around him is tricky. (I hate reading a series out of order, but I blame my library.) Espinosa is beginning to think he might like a relationship with a woman, but he really likes being alone as well. His friendship with 13 year old Alice in his building is touching, and clearly replaces the one with his son he never sees. Having already read the seventh book, Espinosa is still evolving and I'm looking forward to the next couple of books to see how he gets where he ends up.
The Silence of the Rain
December Heat
Southwesterly Wind
A Window on Copacabana
Pursuit
Blackout
Alone in the Crowd
For more participants in the Crime Fiction Alphabet for this week and the letter S, check here.
