Narco: A Novel

Nando Flores sits in El Loro bar drinking his complimentary bottle of Carta Blanca beer waiting to answer his summons from Mexicali Rose. When she appears with her face hidden behind the large shield of black sunglasses, Flores already knows what to expect. "What would you say if I told you that I had the ultimate score lined up?" she asks, catapulting Flores into a journey that will change - and possibly end - his life.

Mexicali Rose knows that Flores cannot reject her offer, not when he is desperate to escape his career of smuggling cars, drugs, and people for meager bundles of dollar bills. When Mexicali Rose’s instructions lead him to Xiomara, a brave and puzzling woman willing to pay him one hundred thousand dollars to lead her safely to Ciudad Juárez, Flores knows he will pay for his decision. With tires spinning, Flores and Xiomara struggle to traverse the sparsely inhabited desert all the while trying to evade the henchmen of two rival drug cartels.