Ian Vasquez

Riley James grew up with an alcoholic mother and hustler father who was rarely home. Riley, knowing his way around the rainforest, coastal waters and back roads of Belize, was an easy pick as a smuggler for the Monsanto brothers. Twenty years later, he owns a bar with his good friend Harvey Longworth and has one last run to make before he can call it quits with the Monsantos and enter into a legal life with his American fiancée, Candice. Events spiral out of control beginning with a car accident that pulls Riley into the greedy clutches of corrupt government officials, and no matter how hard Riley tries to make things right, his life is governed by betrayal and violence.

This gritty crime novel moves at a fast pace, building tension and suspense to a surprising end. Vasquez’s Elmore Leonardesque writing style guarantees a good read, with well-developed characters and a plot that will not disappoint. Although Riley James is a criminal, he is a likeable, empathetic character and readers will be vested in his attempts to normalize his life. Vasquez’s visual descriptive of Belize adds a colorful ambiance, further enriching this intriguing story.… (plus d'informations)

A middleweight boxer, a money launderer, a corrupt policeman, and a selfish teenager face off in a below the belt fight resulting in some dangerous consequences. Miles Young is a boxer trying to make a big comeback. He’s returned home to Belize to concentrate on his daughter and to train, train for that last big fight - the one that will set him up right. The only problem is that the $30,000 purse comes with a few strings attached and one of them is finding the runaway daughter of Isabelle Gilmore. How hard can that be? Miles has connections, he grew up there, people respect him. But Isabelle Gilmore isn’t who she pretends to be and a much deeper conspiracy will pull Miles into a pile of trouble he might not be able to fight his way out of.

Vasquez's Miles Young is in the vein of Walter Mosley's Leonid McGill. A guy getting by the best way he knows how and trying real hard to stay on the good side.… (plus d'informations)

Leo Valera works the night shift on a psychiatric ward but his real passion is poetry. Leo’s brother Patrick is commissioner for Miami-Dade County with plans to run for mayor in the upcoming election. The two brothers are polar opposites: Leo is lackadaisical and prefers to spend time smoking pot and composing poems while Patrick is aggressive and ambitious and will do anything to accomplish his goals. Leo’s girlfriend is pregnant and he knows he needs to do something more with his life but isn’t motivated. Patrick, married to Leo’s former girlfriend, is as content as Leo to keep their relationship at a distance. Both brothers share one thing in common: escaping the vile secrets from their past which will undo them if revealed. When Freddie Robinson, a friend from their childhood, shows up where Leo works and tries to coerce Leo into releasing one of the patients, Leo reaches out to his brother for help, not realizing this is the first step for the two brothers in a sequence of events leading them back to their past and the demons they have tried to elude.

Ian Vasquez writes with an interesting style, drawing the reader in with his flowing cadence wrapped around a fast-paced plot filled with mystery and suspense. Character development is superb. Leo, the quintessential underachiever, is forced to take a serious look at his life and choose whether to remain uninvolved or become the man he should have been. Patrick’s true character is revealed when he is confronted with having to decide what matters most: family or career. Dialogue stands out, especially with the secondary characters, who add an extra dimension to this engaging thriller.… (plus d'informations)