Rating: 
Summary: Just a copy and paste of History and jokes.
Review: The book is just a copy and paste of History and jokes. Worse is that sometimes both the History and jokes can't be understood by a non-brazilian. No wonder the author is just a brazilian copy of Leno and Letterman.
Rating:
Summary: The title is misleading.
Review: The title for this book in Brazil is "O Xango de Backer Street", which would be translated as "The Backer Street's Xango". It is a shame that the title in English got the reference to Sherlock Holmes, which can only be explained by deliberate greed to attract more readers. It is a shame, because the book is a joke in every sense.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining satire
Review: This book is an entertaining satire of a supposed Sherlock Holmes case in Brazil. The author does a good job of adding components of Brazilian culture to the case, poking fun at the concept of a know-it-all investigator while the story unfolds in pretty random fashion. It should be read as what it really is, a satire. This book is not for those seeking the brilliant problem solving of Sherlock Holmes, it is definitely not here.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining satire
Review: This book is an entertaining satire of a supposed Sherlock Holmes case in Brazil. The author does a good job of adding components of Brazilian culture to the case, poking fun at the concept of a know-it-all investigator while the story unfolds in pretty random fashion. It should be read as what it really is, a satire. This book is not for those seeking the brilliant problem solving of Sherlock Holmes, it is definitely not here.
Rating: 
Summary: FORCE THIS BOOK ON SOMEONE,"IT,S ELEMENTRY GREATNESS!
Review: THIS BOOK IS FULL OF BEHIND THE SCEEN HUMOR. THE ACTIONS OF HOLMES & WATSON ARE BELLY SHAKING FUNNY. DO YOUR SELF AND OTHERS A FAVOR , READ A ENJOY THIS STORY.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and historical
Review: This is a very funny book, it mixes real historical characters (like the emperor Pedro II and actress Sarah Bernhardt) with fictional ones (like Sherlock and Watson). Also, it pictures the Rio de Janeiro of the begining of the century perfectly. In my opinion, it is a book worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery, Comedy, Rio
Review: This is definitely one of the most entertaining, enjoyable, and well-written books I've read in a very long time. While it might not be filled with the poetic lyricism that bogs down so many more "literary" novels and its irreverence towards Sherlock Holmes may fluster the feathers of his most loving aficionados, Soares's story, writing, and conclusion is nothing short of fantastic. While comments on the site have been mixed, this book is definitely not one of the worst books ever written (it may well be one of the best of its genre- literary thriller) and is certainly enjoyable to people who are not Brazilian. The evocation of the city of Rio and the long-forgotten Brazilian empire firmly immortalizes both city and era. A truly wonderful, fast, and smooth read.
Rating:
Summary: Great, enjoyable book!
Review: This is not a book for Holmes fans.... I read some bad reviews about it and they are all from Holmes fans. When you are erading this book you have to understand that Jo Soares by no means tried to continue the legacy of Holmes. Just the way he puts D.Pedro II, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Olavo Bilac on the romance he puts Sherlock Holmes. It's a book filled with mistery, fun and unexpected things. Rafael
Rating:
Summary: The best Brazilian book I have read!
Review: This is the best Brazilian book I have ever read.
I don't have words to describe it!
But I think it's better for people who already know Brazil, and the best parts are out of the English version. (I read the original in Portuguese)
Rating:
Summary: As they say, you'll love it or hate it.
Review: This novel is a kind of litmus test for a sense of humor among Sherlockians. I've seen some turn red in the face and bellow cries of blasphemy, and I've seen others stand and defend it. I would count myself among the latter. Xamba is an astute book and Soares' viewpoint seems to be that Rio is so complicated even Sherlock Holmes couldn't figure it out. Holmes is a true fish-out-of-water here, fighting the indignities of intestinal para sites, the distractions of a beautiful dancer, and the complicated mess that was Victorian Brazil. What must shock Sherlockians is that their icon fails to bring the killer to earth- but then, that killer is none other than that other Victorian icon, Jack the Ripper himself. As the old hackneyed reviewers would say, you'll love it, you'll hate it, but you won't want to miss it.
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