Dry Season

by Dan Smith

On the banks of a sprawling Brazilian river lies Sao Tiago - a small town without a conscience, forsaken by its people and by God - the perfect place for a fallen priest to escape his past. Sam whiles away his time drinking and fishing, but when one bloody night he helps a dying stranger, he feels a change is coming.
Soon Sam catches the attention of the dead man's employer, the formidable Catarina Da Silva whose hypnotic gaze he has trouble resisting. But little does he know that in a place where life is cheap, love can be deadly. Trapped in Da Silva's dangerous web, Sam finds himself plummeting towards Sao Tiago's dark heart. And as the heavens finally open, he must face his past if he is to find redemption...
When the rains come, will they wash away the blood? A powerful and moving debut novel of one man's search for redemption deep in the badlands of South America...

(From Publisher).

Dan Smith grew up following his parents across the world to Africa, Indonesia and Brazil. He has been writing short stories for as long as he can remember and has been published in the anthology MATTER 4, shortlisted for the Royal Literary Fund mentor scheme, the Northern Writers Awards, the 2010 Brit Writers Published Author of the Year award and the Authors' Club First Novel award. He lives in Newcastle with his family.

This debut novel captures love, violence and danger. The description, imagery and characters are very real, which reflects the time Dan spent in Brazil during his childhood. The content is exciting, gripping and in places devastating right up until the final chapter.