Inferno

For eleven-year-old Kingie, there are lessons to be learned from drug trafficking.

His first job is as a lookout, working on the hillside slums of Rio de Janerio.

But as he grows older he realises that in order to survive you must also keep a close watch on yourself as well.

In her powerful new novel, Patricia Melo tells of Kingie's life of crime, of his poverty-ridden childhood, how he pursues his dreams and the way he learns to achieve leadership.

In his uncertain world, chaos manifests itself as violence and deprivation, whether machine-gun fire, unwanted adolescent pregnancy, or the fraught relationships between servants and their employers.

Kingie's path intersects with a network of stories of love, family, crime and power.

The plot twists through a compelling tale where rapid-fire language and a sharp sense of humour combine to make this gripping story.