December Heat

A Rio de Janeiro Thriller

A retired policeman spends a typically alcohol-filled evening with his girlfriend, a prostitute. When he wakes up the next morning, his wallet and car key are missing, his girlfriend has been murdered, and he can remember none of the events of the previous night. Inspector Espinosa, veteran detective and friend of the ex-cop, is convinced there's more here than meets the eye, and when other bodies begin turning up, he finds himself not only racing after a killer but falling in love.

A distinguished academic, Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza is a critically acclaimed, bestselling novelist who lives in Rio de Janeiro. The next book in the Espinosa series, Southwesterly Wind, is forthcoming from Henry Holt.