A Vine in the Blood Audiobook

It is the eve of the FIFA World Cup, the globe's premier sporting event. The host country is Brazil. All eyes are on the country's principal striker, Tico "The Artist" Santos, the greatest player in the history of the sport. All the politicians in Brasilia, from the President of the Republic on down, have their seats squared away for the finale, when they hope to see Argentina, Brazil's bitterest rival, humbled by the Brazilian eleven. But then, just three weeks before the first game, Juraci Santos, Tico's mother, is kidnapped. The star is distraught. The public is appalled. The politicians are outraged. And the pressure is on Chief Inspector Mario Silva to get her back. Suspects aren't lacking. Among them are a cabal of Argentineans, suspected of having spirited the lady away to put Tico off his game; the star's gold-digging, top-model girlfriend, whom his mother dislikes and has been trying to get out of his life; his principal rival, who wants to play in the World Cup in Tico's place; and the man whose leg Tico broke during a match, thereby destroying his career. In the end, Silva and his crew discover that the solution to the mystery is less complex—but entirely unexpected.

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"Always a joy and thrill to read these tales from Brazil by Gage and how appropriate to finally have a mystery centered around football, the national sport. I enjoy more the interaction between Silva and his team and his jerk of a boss than the actual solving of the crimes. They make for entertaining exchanges. As usual I couldn't put this one down and finished it in less than 24 hours. It's that type of book. Violent kidnapping of Brazil's best player's mother right before the big match with Argentina. The police actually seek out known criminal kingpins for their help and this leads to some diverting but engrossing subplots. We also encounter the shallow and very unlikeable characters who you want to be behind the crime. Just lots of surprises in this one and we meet an interesting character in jail who helps Silva for a good recommendation for parole. It will be interesting to see if their paths cross again. Book Six is done according to the author but it won't be released until late 2012. What a long wait for the next one!!"

— Chris (5 out of 5 stars)