Synopses & Reviews
The Edgar-nominated author acclaimed for his crackling courtroom scenes delivers an adrenaline-laced, no-holds-barred thrillerhis most powerful novel to dateas a disgraced lawyer travels the twisted border between justice and revenge.
Haunted by a tragedy in his past and wanted by the cops for his latest malfeasance, trial lawyer Jimmy “Royal” Payne needs to skip town. Thats when he crosses paths with twelve-year-old Tino Perez, newly arrived from Mexico with no money and no papers. The gutsy kid first robs Payne, then pleads for his help. Marisol, the boys mother, is missing, after crossing the border with a vicious coyote.
Payne doesnt go out of his way for anyone. But ex-wife Sharon, the L.A.P.D. detective he still loves, gives him a choice: help the boy or go to jail.
Following a chain of greed, corruption, and betrayal, Payne traces Marisols steps from Mexicali to Californias Hellhole Canyon, swept into the dark current of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and sexual slavery. Soon the cynical lawyer and the savvy kid are bonding…and battling cunning predators on both sides of the border. Its the two of them against an army of cops, coyotes, vigilantes, and sex slavers. Most dangerous of all is Simeon Rutledge, a wealthy grower and the biggest employer of farm workers in California.
Just why is Rutledge willing to bribe Payneor kill himto keep Marisol under wraps? Will Paynes quest redeem his mistakes and resurrect his dead marriageor get him buried in a shallow grave? Either way, hell find out theres no escaping his past….
From the shadows of migrant stash houses to the fertile fields of the San Joaquin Valley, Illegal delivers a searing mix of live-wire prose, shattering violence, and rich characterization. Set against a backdrop of larger social issues, this is a masterful tale from one of the most skillful practitioners of the contemporary thriller.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
Trial lawyer Jimmy “Royal” Payne was his own worst enemy—until now. Haunted by personal tragedy, wanted by the cops, Payne needs to skip town. What he doesn’t need is Tino Perez, a gutsy twelve-year-old Mexican boy in search of his missing—and undocumented—mother. But Payne’s ex-wife, an L.A.P.D. detective he still loves, makes him a deal: help the boy or go to jail. Soon Payne is following Tino into the dark side of the American dream. From bloody Mexicali to the bullet-ridden San Joaquin Valley, Payne will be swept into the dark current of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and sexual slavery—navigating the twisted border between justice and revenge.
About the Author
Paul Levine is a former trial lawyer and an award-winning author of legal thrillers, including Solomon vs. Lord (nominated for the Macavity Award and the James Thurber Prize), The Deep Blue Alibi (nominated for an Edgar Award), and Kill All the Lawyers (a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award). He won the John D. MacDonald Award for his critically acclaimed Jake Lassiter novels, which are now available as ebooks. He’s also written more than twenty episodes for the CBS military drama JAG. Paul Levine lives in Los Angeles, where he is working on his next Jake Lassiter thriller.