The Darkest Heart

by Dan Smith

Overview

Leaving behind his life of violence in Brazil's darkest shadows, Zico is determined to become a better man. But it seems his old life isn't quite done with him yet when he's tasked with making one last kill. It's one that could get him everything he has ever wanted; a house, some land, cash in his pocket, a future for him and his girlfriend, Daniella. But this one isn't like all the others. This one comes at a much higher price.The Darkest Heart is a journey through the shadowy heart of Brazil and the even darker mind of a killer, where fear is a death sentence and the only chance of survival might mean abandoning the only good thing you've ever known.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605988191
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	08/15/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	783 KB

About the Author

Among other novels, Dan Smith is the author of The Child Thief, which is also available from Pegasus Crime. He lives in Newcastle with his family. Find out more about Dan, his novels, and the places that inspire them at www.dansmithbooks.com

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2015
Small-time hit man Arthurzico “Zico” Alves, the narrator of this riveting existential thriller set on the rivers of backcountry Brazil, is trying to mend his ways. He’s found a shop clerk girlfriend, Daniella, and developed a bond with a boat transport operator, Raul. But then a local crime boss uses these burgeoning relationships to blackmail Zico into taking on the assassination of activist nun Sister Delores Beckett. Zico travels with Raul to take a cargo of smuggled goods to a delivery point that will also put him in a good location to murder Sister Beckett. But Daniella insists on going along, and tensions rise when Leonardo, the man who hired Raul to do the smuggling, comes aboard. Soon Leonardo precipitates a cascade of violence that Zico fears will end in either his own redemption or death for those he loves. Though the plot meanders at times, Smith (The Child Thief) does a good job depicting the stark choices his characters must face along the way to the stirring climax. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Showing the same skills that he exercised in The Child Thief, Smith has fashioned a story of page-turning intensity.

The Sunday Times (London)

An unusually thoughtful, complex narrator who describes the river world with perceptive beauty while deftly sidestepping threats and battling his conscience. A perfect summer-reading finale for fans of international crime fiction.

Booklist (starred)

A
journey of trials and confrontations through the depths of the Amazon jungle.
The heat, humidity and the smell of the river seem to emanate from the pages as
Zico plunges deeper into his nightmare. It’s a dark and gripping tale of love and hoped-for redemption.

AuthorLink

Smith recreates the horrible atrocities and constant danger so vividly you can’t help but glance over your shoulder. Each character and incident is memorable, so much so that the day may be sweltering as you read, but the wintry chills make you shiver. Highly recommended.

Historical Novels Review (Editor's Choice)

It wrapped me up and held me until the final page. Smith weaves a love story into an action packed thriller with a superb cast of villains. His prose is sound and the dialogue between characters is genuine. A thriller with a satisfying climax.

The Huffington Post

Smith’s latest is a winner.

Bookreporter

Though this thriller takes place in Brazil, its appeal is universal, so well-executed and its protagonist so accessible and relatable that cultural differences are irrelevant; the unpredictability of human nature has no borders. Richly atmospheric, The Darkest Heart is poignant, troubling and ultimately profound.

CurledUp.com

A superbly shivery atmosphere.

The Times (London)

Red Winter is filled with suspense, bloodshed, and vividly drawn characters, and offers a strong sense of the tragic arc of modern Russian history.”

Booklist