Edgard Telles Ribeiro narrates the behind-the-scenes nature of embassies, revealing their tensions and disputes. The action blends espionage, politics, and military brutality. The author paints a portrait of Max, a young man who joins the Brazilian diplomatic service and, due to his special skills, is coveted by scouts from more than one secret service. Edgard tells a bit of the story of his generation through the rapid rise of Max, a diplomat who, after the 1964 coup, makes a Faustian pact with the authoritarian regime, engaging in clandestine activities to overthrow the democratic governments in Uruguay and Chile. Max is a careerist capable of betraying anyone, but also a brilliant intellectual and a skilled political columnist. He enters the diplomatic service eager to reverse the decline of his family—traditional but impoverished—and a stroke of luck immediately launches him into the chancellor's office. There, he will witness a secret meeting with the Cardinal Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, where his performance will cement his position as a trusted figure of the Catholic Church in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Months later, with the military coup, Max will embark on an explosive path, bridging the gap between the Armed Forces, security services (the Fist), and the world of diplomacy and foreign governments (the Lace). • *The Fist and the Lace* will be published in the United States, England, Spain, Australia, and several South American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. • "This book, whose title refers less to the lace cuffs and more to brute force and corruption, will certainly elevate its author to the podium of the greatest fiction writers in the Portuguese language." – José Nêumanne, O Estado de São Paulo
