Review: DEAD DROP by James L’Etoile

An accomplished writer, James L’Etoile has just released a new novel – Dead Drop. I was happy to have the opportunity to read an advance review copy of this suspense-filled read that highlights the issues surrounding illegal immigration.

About the Book

Hundreds go missing each year making the dangerous crossing over the border. What if you were one of them?

While investigating the deaths of undocumented migrants in the Arizona desert, Detective Nathan Parker finds a connection to the unsolved murder of his partner by a coyote on a human smuggling run. The new evidence lures Parker over the border in search of the truth, only to trap him in a strange and dangerous land. If he’s to survive, Parker must place his life in the hands of the very people he once pursued.

Border violence, border politics, and who is caught in the middle. The forces behind it might surprise you.

My Review

Nathan Parker is a detective with traditional views. If you want to enter the country, you have to do it the right (legal) way. It’s that simple. In pursuit of justice and the coyote who killed his partner, he takes on investigation of increasingly frequent body dumps just north of the border – presumably at the hands of the coyotes paid to smuggle them in. It was interesting to see how Nathan’s perspective changes as he is gets to know some of the would-be immigrants and becomes fully acquainted with the risks they take on their journery north. In this novel, the author shines light on complex issues, including human trafficking, and the plight of those in search of a better life, casting them in a more compassionate light without justifying their choice to cross the border illegally. An enlightening, fast-paced read.

FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher. This has not affected the content of my review.

About the Author

James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, facility captain, and director of California’s state parole system. He is a nationally recognized expert witness on prison and jail operations. He has been nominated for the Silver Falchion for Best Procedural Mystery, and The Bill Crider Award for short fiction. His published novels include: Black Label, At What Cost, Bury the Past, and Little River. Look for Dead Drop in the summer of 2022.