Brazilian Psycho

Brazil, 1 January 2003: Lula begins nearly fifteen years of left-wing government; 1 January 2019, Jair Bolsonaro is inaugurated, a president of the far right. An occult history of S o Paulo, told through the lens of real life crimes, Brazilian Psycho reveals the dark heart at the centre of the Brazilian social-democrat resurgence and the fragility and corruption of the B.R.I.C economic miracle; it documents the rise and fall of the left-wing - and the rise of the populist right, prefiguring and explaining the violent political divisions of contemporary Brazil. Over the fifteen years in which the action takes place, a diverse cast of characters below the surface of power plays a significant part in the unfolding social and political drama, setting in motion a whirlwind of plots and counterplots: the murder of a British headmaster and the consequent cover-up; the chaos and score-settling of the PCC gang rebellion over a weekend in 2006; a copycat serial killer; corruption investigations, and the secret international funding of nationwide anti-government protests; the bribes, kickbacks and shakedowns of the Mensal o and Lava Jato corruption scandals, the biggest in Brazilian history. A blockbusting story resolutely of our times Brazilian Psycho weaves social crime fiction, high literary style, historical fact, and personal experience to record the radical tale of one of the world's most fascinating, glamorous, corrupt, violent, and thrilling cities.