Valentine's history, together with some questionable behavior observed by his superiors, puts him at the mercy of Isabel Puente , a U.S. government agent who is trying to obtain solid evidence of the illegal activities of a prominent Mexican family involved in drug smuggling, illegal alien movement across the border, and assorted other unsavory activities. Puente wants Pescatore to go undercover and infiltrate the family to try to curtail their business.

Sebastian Rotella, a journalist in the area in which his novel is set, has first hand experience with the type of situations described in his novel. He has a good command of the language employed by the characters in his novel including the slang both in English, Spanish, and Spanglish which lends an air of authenticity to the story. There are parts of the dialogue in which more than a passing knowledge of Spanish would be helpful. The author has elected not to slow down the momentum of the story with English translation, leaving the non Spanish reader to guess the meaning.

Rotella has captured the emotions of all of his characters and put them into words that his readers can appreciate. How ordinary citizens are caught up in the business of drug trafficking as well as people trafficking does not paint a pretty picture, but presents a reality check for those inclined to think that writers are trying to gain attention by exaggeration.

The actual plot of the book is convoluted and hard to follow. At almost four hundred pages there are many parts that are neither action nor necessary description making it difficult for readers unfamiliar with the problems in the area and Spanish language to maintain interest. Readers with more background and prior knowledge will probably find it easier to become engaged in the plot.

Another stumbling block for those unfamiliar with the subject is the use of acronyms. They are liberally sprinkled throughout the book and are important to the understanding of the story. Some are identified when they are first introduced but others are not, forcing the reader to guess at their meaning or fire up the computer and do a Google search.

My lower raring of this novel reflects my own ignorance of the Spanish language, knowledge of drug trafficking, and gang behavior in general. Had I begun this book with a better background I probably would have enjoyed it more.

--Andy Plonka