“Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.”

So speaks Escalus, a character in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, a play that tackles the subjects of justice and mercy, yet also addressees the abuse of power by those tasked with protecting the public. So, it should be no surprise that Philip Caputo’s first novel in eight years borrows more than just its title from the bard.

Set in the fictional north Mexico town of San Patricio trapped in a war between narco-traffickers and the Mexican army and federal police, Some Rise by Sin has a diverse cast of characters. American priest Timothy Reardon is torn by a classic dilemma, to abide by his promise to the church and maintain the sanctity of the confessional or tell what he knows and possibly end a reign of bloodshed that has beset his parish. Expatriate Lisette Moreno’s goal of making a difference by serving as the only doctor in San Patricio and the surrounding indigenous mountain villages is challenged by a stormy relationship with her artist lover Pamela Childress. Capitán Alberto Valencia is an elite paratrooper with an Ahab-like obsession as malignant as the criminals he pursues and an unsettling dislike of the church. Working with Valencia is the mysterious Professor, who has worked with everyone from the DEA to the cartels, often at the same times.

Some reviewers have found this story too violent. It is a violent story but, sadly, it is pretty mild compared to what actually happens in areas caught between warring cartels and where the police, in most cases, have had to choose between plata o plomo (silver or lead). Even so, Caputo has done a marvelous job of describing life in Mexico, a beautiful, sorrowful, blood-spotted country’ where no one is neutral.

Bottom line: It has been a long time since I have read one of Philip Caputo’s books but I quickly remembered why I enjoyed them so much. He has a marvelous ability to suck you in and make you believe that you are in San Patricio and the sense of danger is closing in. I highly recommend this book.

*Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire. ( )

'Some Rise by Sin' by Phil Caputo is the story of Americans living in the small Mexican village of San Patricio, a place that has suffered greatly from the oppression of a vicious drug cartel and a corrupt military. Father Tim Riordan is the priest in the village's Catholic Church. Father Tim is torn between keeping his vows to the church and protecting the people of the town when he is asked by the military to report what is told to him during confessions. Fellow American, Dr. Lisette Moreno is trying to serve the poor villagers while also maintaining a relationship with artist Pam Childress.

This story is well-written and engaging throughout. There are several interesting characters and side storiesthat keep the story rolling along. The characters are well developed and believeable. I have not read any of the author's other books, but i would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good drama.

Some Rise by Sin is a novel by Philip Caputo. The book tells the story of an American priest who has relocated to a remote Mexican village to serve the town. The story is set in a village that is at the center of the battle between the Mexican government and the drug cartels. It is a test of his faith in God and of his ability to serve as a priest.

The story is well told, but it turned out not to be one that was of much interest to me. If you are interested in this type of story, you will like this novel. Philip Caputo is a very good author and I have read all of his stories starting with Rumor of War. Rumor of War is what I think is his best work. His stories get deep into the character and you can really understand the motivations of the characters. You can visualize what the characters are going through with the way he writes. ( )

This very interesting novel centers on Father Timothy Riordan, an American Fransiscan friar with a Harley, and the challenges he faces while living in San Patricio, Mexico. One of these challenges is dealing with a vigilante group in the town, as well as staving off and dealing with the effects of a ruthless drug lord. Both factions go to war, with Riordan in the middle.

Lisette Moreno is another American expat who works in the town as a doctor, brining much-needed medical care to the poor. She faces her own challenges.

This is a story of good vs evil, and one man's spiritual challenges in the face of many physical ones. It's also a story of the challenges of sometimes not being able to distinguish between good and evil, and also learning how and when to fight. Riordan finds himself caught between the two factions, and the frightening challenges of trying to protect the town from both sides.

The characters are well-drawn, with dilemmas and storylines that are interesting and realistic.

Thank you to the author and publisher for a review copy. ( )

Let’s start with a summary of the story: Father Tim is a priest who has been posted to San Patricio, Mexico in the heart of cartel country. He is having a difficult time reconciling his religious principles with life on the ground, dictated as it is by the violence of the cartel.

Lisette Moreno is from a working class background and has spent her adult life pursuing and education and becoming a doctor. She got her education in Mexico and therefore has an obligation to put in part of the year working at a location determined by the Mexican government.

Lisette and Father Tim both feel responsibilities to the community they serve but they also both walk a fine line because they are forced to deal with the cartel, the politicians, the military and the police. Tim is also answerable to the church while Lisette has encouraged her lover, an art professor with mental health issues to join her in remote San Patricio.

It is said that the book is based on actual events. I enjoyed the book but as my regular readers know, I read Year of the Dog and The Cartel by Don Winslow recently (both 5+ star reads) and I had a very difficult time appreciating this book in the same way.

There were some striking similarities in the stories suggesting that both authors based their novels on the same events. I just felt Winslow did a better job of bringing the reader into the story and making the reader care about the people and events depicted.

Some Rise By Sin definitely spoke from the inner voice of Father Tim (and to a lesser extent Dr. Lisette) more than Winslow’s book, but I still felt the characters in the other book were deeper. This is the downside of reading two books based on the same subject matter so close together in time.
I can’t tell if my opinion about this book is entirely accurate or colored by how much I loved the other books. I wanted to love this book as much as the others but I just didn’t have the same feeling.

I know one of the things I did not like was the relationship between Lisette and her bi-polar art professor lover. It just didn’t feel genuine compared to Lisette’s devotion to her work and her down to earth attitude. I know people hook up with opposites but this went beyond that….it was simply unrealistic.

Please don’t be put off by my review. If the subject matter interests you, I encourage you to read all three books and make up your own mind. For me, this is a solid three star read. I just happened to love the other books about the same subject that much more. ( )