The Lost World

After a decade on the run, ex-contract killer Máiquel returns to São Paolo to claim his aunt’s inheritance and to deal with some unfinished business. Ten years ago his girlfriend, Érica, ran away with an evangelical preacher, taking Máiquel’s baby daughter, Samantha, with her. Now, exiled and invisible, still hiding from the police, Máiquel has just one burning purpose: to track down Érica and Samantha and kill the man who tore his family apart.

With the help of a pair of private detectives and his latest girlfriend, Máiquel sets out on a journey across Brazil in pursuit of his daughter. Despite his attempts to keep his killer instinct at bay, the journey is full of violent encounters with gangsters, murderous evangelicals and beautiful, dangerous women.

Melo skilfully creates a strangely appealing protagonist who is both cold-hearted and vulnerable. His softer side is seen in his love for Tiger, a dog which he hits on the road and nurses back to health. Máiquel and Tiger have a lot in common: both are lonely strays, with no home and no purpose other than to hunt.

This intelligent, fast-paced thriller takes us into the mind of a killer on a gripping road trip across Brazil.