I registered this book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14079241

I guess this would be called a "police procedural" but it does expand beyond that. Chief Inspector Mario Silva leads the investigation into the death of a man found in his apartment in Brasilia. The man had been shot in the stomach and then beaten to death, an ugly and very painful death. At first it seemed a crime of passion committed by someone close to the victim, but then Silva discovers other crimes committed the same way in different cities. What is the thread that ties them together?

He does find the thread but that doesn't immediately point out the murderer. In investigating the case Silva and his colleagues visit other cities, other countries, and I admit that at times I did not remember who was who. Perhaps this is partly because I didn't get clear descriptions of each as they came on the scene and later.

The novel is written in a spare style with a great deal of wit. It was enjoyable and quick to read. ( )

This fourth installment of the Mario Silva series is just as good as its predecessors. I am always impressed when authors can maintain a high quality of writing and storytelling but am particularly chuffed when can do so while making some changes to their style. The most noticeable thing about this book for me is that it is fairly light in its tone. There is some violence (and a pretty high body count) but this book does not take readers into quite such dark subject areas as its predecessors and, because all things are relative, it feels almost jaunty by comparison. This sensibility is aided by the ever-present humour which is always particularly evident in the excellent dialogue. I always think I’d rather like to be a member of Mario Silva’s team.

It is, in short, the story of a series of brutal murders which at first appear unconnected. But, as any crime reader worth their salt would know, even once a connection has been identified a resolution cannot be had until a lot of investigative shoe leather has been expended. Although it would never be mistaken for a cosy novel EVERY BITTER THING definitely has overtones of the old-fashioned whodunnit with its finite cast of suspects that gets smaller as they are murdered one-by-one.

Although this book doesn’t need to reach into the darker corners of Brazilian society it still exudes the strong sense of place that I have come to expect from this series set in Gage’s adopted home. In particular the political environment and connections and rivalries with neighbouring countries let us know this is not a story taking place in one of crime fiction’s more usual haunts.

In the end I suppose this is a book about justice, or the lack of it, and depicts someone dealing with a complicated kind of grief in a way that is understandable if not justifiable. It’s a rollickingly good story to boot and reminded me anew what a loss the crime genre suffered when Leighton Gage passed away two years ago. I’d recommend this book to all but especially if you’ve been wanting to try the author’s novels but were a bit worried about the level of darkness. This book could easily be read without having read the earlier novels (though I do recommend them too).

I've chosen the Amazon synopsis this time because I feel that some others, including the one at the publisher Soho Press tell the reader too much and therefore reduce the elements of mystery in the plot, and also the reader's chance of working some things out for themselves.

EVERY BITTER THING is essentially a police procedural, with members of local and Federal police in Brazil working with overseas contacts to establish connections between various deaths occurring with the same MO. There is a brilliant red herring, which of course I won't tell you anything about, that will prompt most readers to come initially to the wrong conclusion.

I didn't think the novel was far off the standard that Leighton usually achieved. (see the About the author note below) and it certainly expands our knowledge of how Inspector Mario Silva's team functions. I think there was less of the social assessment of Brazil's economy and politics than we find in other novels in the series, but it is nevertheless there.

Leighton Gage is a writer we will miss. ( )

I'm so glad I won a copy of this book; I'm a fan now and can't wait to read the others. The characters were very well written and believable; the police procedures were very "real", and the setting were described flawlessly. Very engrossing and entertaining.

Well written-- definitely gives you insight into Brazilian culture and politics. And I saw a cocktail recipe the following day that included cachaca, so will remember that word at least!
I will go back and read the first in the series-- Silva is a great character, doing his best despite his boss, and I'd like to watch his development to this point. ( )