Meny
Portrait of Rubem Fonseca Photo: Hector Guerrero/AFP via Getty Images (2003)

Sample of authors

Fonseca, Rubem

Brazilian author, born in Juiz de Fora in Minas Gerais, but at the age of 7 moved to Rio de Janeiro. Fonseca gained a degree in Law at Rio de Janeiro’s federal university, UFRJ (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro). In 1952 he started a career in the police service, first as a patrolling police officer, advancing quickly in rank to eventually become police commissioner, one of the highest p...

Further reading

Literary figures

Donald Lam

Gender: Male

Although a capable lawyer, Lam is unpopular with both the police and his colleagues. There is no evidence or witness statements that he cannot distort in one way or another. He is employed by the tough private detective Bertha Cool. They make up a formidable pair in a series of light-hearted mystery novels by A. A. Fair (pen name for Erle Stanley Gardner).

Further reading