A riveting family drama set in the world of Mexico City’s cartels.
In Vasquez’s crime novel, a young woman is determined to escape her family’s criminal empire, but instead finds herself running it.
Sofia De Luna has always known that her family’s wealth and prestige didn’t come from the produce business her late mother owned, but she’s horrified when she learns that her father is putting her in control of the family’s extensive drug trafficking. When her mother was murdered 12 years ago, Sofia, then in her midteens, vowed to separate herself from them forever, and she eventually left Mexico City far behind for a new life in London. For the past eight years, she’s been far away from the cartels and the violence—and far from Andres Herrera, her first love, who broke her heart. Now she’s forced to contend with her brothers (who can’t forgive her for abandoning them), with family members who’d like to strip her of her newfound power, and with Andres, who may also be responsible for her mother’s murder. Vasquez’s page-turner is both an emotional family drama and a tense thriller. Sofia is a sympathetic protagonist, and readers will hope that she can use her family’s power for good. The author deftly paints a picture of a narco-state that’s intertwined with drug cartels who terrorize the people but also provide a measure of economic stability. Vasquez also offers vibrant descriptions of Mexican history and culture: “This complex, beautiful land of mountains and beaches and jungles and deserts had more to offer the world than drugs and violence.” But the novel also refuses to allow readers any illusions about how easy Sofia’s dreams for her country would be to accomplish. Indeed, a feeling of heartbreaking futility permeates the novel as Sofia navigates national and family politics. Flashbacks to Sofia’s mother’s early life enrich the story with the beginnings of the family’s empire and also show how small choices can echo for generations. A strong supporting cast adds depth, and gripping moments of violence and romance will leave readers wanting more.
A riveting family drama set in the world of Mexico City’s cartels.Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9781684632787
Page Count: 376
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.
A woman accused of shooting her husband six times in the face refuses to speak.
"Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer." Michaelides' debut is narrated in the voice of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a job at the institution where Alicia is incarcerated because he's fascinated with her case and believes he will be able to get her to talk. The narration of the increasingly unrealistic events that follow is interwoven with excerpts from Alicia's diary. Ah, yes, the old interwoven diary trick. When you read Alicia's diary you'll conclude the woman could well have been a novelist instead of a painter because it contains page after page of detailed dialogue, scenes, and conversations quite unlike those in any journal you've ever seen. " 'What's the matter?' 'I can't talk about it on the phone, I need to see you.' 'It's just—I'm not sure I can make it up to Cambridge at the minute.' 'I'll come to you. This afternoon. Okay?' Something in Paul's voice made me agree without thinking about it. He sounded desperate. 'Okay. Are you sure you can't tell me about it now?' 'I'll see you later.' Paul hung up." Wouldn't all this appear in a diary as "Paul wouldn't tell me what was wrong"? An even more improbable entry is the one that pins the tail on the killer. While much of the book is clumsy, contrived, and silly, it is while reading passages of the diary that one may actually find oneself laughing out loud.
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-30169-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
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