Valentine Pescatore is a rookie Border Patrol agent, just trying to survive the Line. Until he pursues a suspect across the border into Mexico, and finds himself in serious trouble. Isabel Puente is a beautiful US agent investigating a powerful Mexican crime family. She offers Valentine a chance – if he works with her as an undercover agent she’ll make his problems go away. But soon their relationship is no longer strictly professional. Over the border in Tijuana, anti-corruption chief Leo Mendez is working to bring criminals to justice. In a city where anyone can be bought, he’s made enemies on both sides of the law. All three have the same aim: to bring down the cartels. But in a world built on lies, how do you know who to trust? As the violence escalates, the stage is set for a showdown full of bloodshed and betrayal.
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Reviews
An astonishingly impressive debut from an investigative journalist with a sharp eye for the duplicity that stalks the border between the U.S. and Mexico...a taut, lean and satisfying thriller that lingers in your mind long after you've finished it.
Rotella is an expert on the vicious anarchy of Mexican crime and politics...His balance of intimate storytelling and operatic scale is stunning.
One of the most accomplished first novels I have ever read...full of dangers, deep characters and a story writ on a grand scale...an important piece of work from an author whose voice should be heard
Employs a journalist's sharp eye and a novelist's deft touch to give us a rich portrait of the sights, smells, sounds, beauties and dangers of life south of the border...honest and engrossing
A fast-paced thriller that rings true to the real story behind the political posturing over the drug war, illegal immigration and border security.