If you’re a fan of the Solomon vs. Lord series, welcome back! Those books, featuring squabbling lawyers Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, were nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller Writers, and James Thurber awards. Notice I didn’t say the books won. They came up a yard short. Sort of like the Buffalo Bills, Al Gore...and Liechtenstein.
Say hello to Jimmy (Royal) Payne, the trouble-prone hero of ILLEGAL. Did I say “hero?” He’s a lawyer who skims money from a bribery sting, punches out cops, and skips town when he’s jailed for contempt. And yet the plight of a twelve-year old Mexican boy touches Payne’s cynical heart. The boy’s mother disappeared when a border crossing went to hell, and Payne hits the road to track her down.
The hard-boiled lawyer and the gutsy kid travel from Mexicali across the California desert and into the lush San Joaquin Valley, where wealthy farmers are more powerful than the law. Soon, Payne is swept up in the deadly world of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and sexual slavery.
Inspired by real events, ILLEGAL is a tale of broken borders and shattered hearts. A thriller with a social conscience, the book combines the moral decay of Chinatown with the sudden violence of No Country for Old Men. Woven throughout are the universal themes of love and loss, courage and redemption. And above all, the strength and resilience of family ties.
I think it’s my most powerful novel yet. Maybe it will even win an award.
"Chilling and rings with authenticity… A riveting read filled with action, pathos, and even humor."—Booklist
