JOE THOMAS chats to Paul Burke about his new novel BRAZILIAN PSYCHO, São Paulo, the craft of writing, Harold 'Tanky' Challenor and how a flatscreen TV started a deadly riot.

"Brazilian Psycho is a riveting and explosive masterpiece of political crime fiction that deserves to share the shelf with American Tabloid, The Power of the Dog and A Brief History of Seven Killings and confirms Joe Thomas as one of our very best contemporary crime writers." DAVID PEACE

Brazilian Pscyho Brazil, 1 January 2003: President Luis Inácio 'Lula' da Silva begins fifteen years of left-wing government. 1 January 2019: Jair Bolsonaro is inaugurated, a president of the populist right. How did it come to this?
A blockbusting novel of our times, Brazilian Psycho introduces and completes Joe Thomas's acclaimed São Paulo quartet.
Over sixteen years, a diverse cast of characters live through the unfolding social and political drama, setting in motion a whirlwind of plots and counterplots: the murder of a British school headmaster and the consequent cover-up; the chaos and score-settling of the PCC drug gang rebellion over the Mother's Day weekend of 2006; a copycat serial killer; the secret international funding of nationwide anti-government protests; the bribes, kickbacks and shakedowns of the Mensalão and Lava Jato political corruption scandals, the biggest in Brazilian history.
Brazilian Psycho weaves social crime fiction, historical fact, and personal experience to record the radical tale of one of the world s most fascinating, glamorous, corrupt, violent, and thrilling cities.

JOE THOMAS is the author of the São Paulo Quartet - Paradise City, Gringa, Playboy and Brazilian Psycho - and Bent, his first London novel. 

Books mentioned by Joe in the interview
A Place of Greater Safety - Hilary Mantel
Apeirogon - Colum McCann
Painter to the King Amy Sackville
Long Bright Mirror - Liz Moore
The Flamethrowers, The Mars Room - Rachel Kushner

Listen to JOE THOMAS INTERVIEW DAVID PEACE on Crime Time FM
Episode produced by Junkyard Dog
Music courtesy of Southgate and Leigh
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