The walls of Rio de Janeiro’s 12th Precinct are rattled by the murders of three policemen. The victims were mediocre officers with no real friends, enemies or motives for their deaths. When the mistresses of these men also fall prey to the point-blank killer, police chief Espinosa suspects one of his own is the triggerman.
A Window in Copacabana follows inspector Espinosa on the trail. Meetings are conducted secretly with an uneasy eye watching other department colleagues. An eyewitness to one of the murders becomes obsessed with the crime and the investigator on the case. The interactions between Espinosa and the married woman add heat to the already sweltering Rio summer.
This is the fourth installment in the Inspector Espinosa series by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza. One need not read the previous novels to understand Espinosa’s history and complex life.
Benjamin Moser provides an excellent translation of A Window in Copacabana. The heat on the street resonates within the characters. Though the city is bustling with people, Moser captures their distance from each other.
The suspense builds steadily, but the conclusion doesn’t contain a standard blockbuster resolution like those found in many cookie cutter American thrillers. Espinosa is a likable character. The understated ending provides a fine example of South American thrillers and personal interest in future Inspector Espinosa novels.
