Saturday, March 31, 2012

"We should not be so taken up in the search for truth...as to neglect the ..duties of life." Marcus Cicero



Elvis Cole is hired by a woman, Nita Morales, to find her daughter, Krista who was with her boyfriend when she was kidnapped.

Nita is skeptical and wonders if the kidnapping was a ploy so Krista could obtain some money to elope. Even though Krista is ambitious and highly inteligent, Nita tells Elvis that even intelligent girls do stupid things when they think a boy loves them.

Krista and Jack were at a popular spot in the desert and were kidnapped by 'bajadores' -bandits who prey on other bandits and anyone else they find. They find immigrants who are crossing into the U.S. and hold them for ransom. If these poor people's family doesn't have money, the immigrant is killed. These bajadores believe that Krista and Jack are from families who would be able to pay a good fee to get their children back.

Elvis and his partner, Joe Pike, work together with Elvis posing as a dealer in human contraband who wants to meet the leader of the bajadores and pay for the release of the captives.

Elvis and Joe don't know it but the bajadores are heartless and think nothing of killing their captives if they can't extract money.

Will Elvis reach the prisoners on time? Will he succeed in his pose as a contraband dealer?

There is a high level of suspense in this dark novel. We find the plight of the immigrants, most of whom only want a better life in the U.S.

This is a well written, smoothly plotted mystery with excellent character growth as we learn more about Elvis and Joe, who combine to make this a memorable read.

Currently Reading

Currently Reading
Broken Promise