The New York Times– bestselling author delivers a "rich and fascinating" tale of a desperate man's quest for revenge among Mexico's deadly cartels ( Booklist ).

The real Richard Marder would shock his acquaintances, if they ever met him. Even his late wife never knew the man behind the calm, cultured mask he presents to the world. Only an old army buddy from Vietnam, Patrick Skelly, knows what Marder is capable of.

When a shattering diagnosis awakens Marder's desire for vengeance, he sets off for his wife's hometown in Michoacán, Mexico, to punish the people who viciously robbed his life of happiness years ago. With Skelly by his side, Marder finds himself embroiled in a bloody war beyond anything he imagined. Now to save those he loves, he must finally confront the truth—and consequences—of his own motives.

"Rare and wonderful . . . this novel puts the work of other thriller writers to shame and raises the quality bar for the genre to a precipitously high level." — Kirkus , starred review