What’s it about?
Magdaleno is paroled from prison after serving time on a gun possession frameup. Rico, the rival who framed him, has taken over as gang shotcaller in Mags’s absence.
Back in Los Angeles, Mags promises himself and his Salvadoran immigrant family a fresh start. But he can’t find a decent job. His parents and his firefighter brother look at him as a disappointment. And Rico, needing to raise cash to bail out Cyco Lokos’ top leader, and eager to exert his authority, isn’t about to let Mags get away.
Mags’s desire for revenge and respect pushes him to make a decision that ensnares him in a world of deceit and betrayal, where the only escape from the deadly rules is the sacrifice of everything—and everyone—he loves.
What do reviewers say?
Hoag is a talented writer with a well-crafted engaging novel … surprisingly nuanced and wholly enjoyable.–Kirkus Reviews
Christina Hoag takes us on a wild ride through a world few of us get to see. Her descriptions of the gritty mean streets of Los Angeles are fluidly poetic, and her dialogue is spot on.–Christopher J. Lynch, author of One-Eyed Jack.
This is a very visual read, such a very touching story for such brutal reality. A brilliant book.–Susan Hampson, Books from Dusk Till Dawn.
Who wrote it?
Christina Hoag is a former journalist who’s been threatened with murder, had her laptop searched by Colombian guerrillas, had her phone tapped in Venezuela, was suspected of drug trafficking in Guyana, was hidden under a car to evade Guatemalan soldiers, posed as a nun to get inside a Caracas jail, interviewed gang members, bank robbers, gunmen, thieves and thugs in prisons, shantytowns and slums, not to forget billionaires and presidents, some of whom fall into the previous categories. Her YA thriller Girl on the Brink (Fire and Ice, 2016) was named to Suspense Magazine’s Best of 2016 YA list.
She also writes nonfiction, co-authoring Peace in the Hood: Working with Gang Members to End the Violence (Turner Publishing, 2014), a groundbreaking book on violence intervention used at several universities. Fluent in Spanish and French, Christina grew up as an expat around the world. She currently makes her home in Los Angeles. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads.
Where can I get it?
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
And wherever fine books are sold.
Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog Michael!