fun book by a good writer ( )

Angel Baby is a masterpiece of gritty crime fiction, professionally plotted from cover to cover, with richly drawn characters. Like Winslow's The Cartel, Lange here vividly portrays the horrors of the Narco cartels who have viciously carved out a bloody path through much of Mexico, turning what used to be a lazy beer-soaked desert into a scene of corruption, terror, and horror where people desperate for survival will do just about anything. Those horrors all too frequently poor over the Northern border.

The story is primarily about a cartel boss' wife finally doing what she's got to do to escape his control and the killer he sends to bring her back. It's a woman on the run story across the Mexican desert and across the border into California where a violent, nasty chase goes. Everyone involved is motivated by desperation, and by their twisted unhappy pasts that won't leave them be.

Most of all, it is high quality writing that bends the tension back from page one and never ever lets up until the very last page. An absolutely terrific piece of writing. ( )

When a life of sex, drugs and cheap-thrills began to grow old Luz decided she needed to find her child, the baby she gave to relatives years ago. Her life as wife of cartel boss, El Principe, had become decidedly dangerous for her health so in an ill-conceived plan she stole a suitcase full of money, shot his body guard and escaped into the night.
Knowing she had to flee to the States as soon as possible she managed to hook up with Malone, a gaboche with a talent to smuggle Mexicans across the border. Rumors have spread quickly that el jefe’s woman has gone missing, along with a lot of cash, and word gets back to him of her whereabouts.
Jeronimo has been sprung from prison with one mission; bring Lutz back. He has been the right hand man of el jefe for many years, and the only one he trusts to succeed, and to be sure El Principe is holding Jeronimo’s family as hostage.
Thacker, a Border Patrol officer has been on the take for years. His wife’s life-style demand s more money than his government pay provides. When word comes down that a top level smuggling mission is bringing a woman with a bag full of money over tonight he sees his opportunity for the good life and easy retirement.
Pretty soon Malone and Luz are in a chase for their lives when Thacker and Jeronimo, mortal enemies by day join forces on one fateful night in a joint mission to bring Luz and the money back to Mexico. Can a pact between thieves be successful? Lange successfully entangles all the above parties in a duel to the death. When the real prize, Luz’s daughter Isabel, is caught in the crossfire who will succumb first? The mother who wants, to protect her daughter no matter the cost, the rogue agent with a heart of gold or the bandito who is seeking a way out of the life he has carved for himself?
In a story that mirror’s life on the border between Mexico and the States we are dealt an insider’s glimpse on the emotions that lead these three desperate people into the awful decisions that they have act on.
( )

When a life of sex, drugs and cheap-thrills began to grow old Luz decided she needed to find her child, the baby she gave to relatives years ago. Her life as wife of cartel boss, El Principe, had become decidedly dangerous for her health so in an ill-conceived plan she stole a suitcase full of money, shot his body guard and escaped into the night.
Knowing she had to flee to the States as soon as possible she managed to hook up with Malone, a gaboche with a talent to smuggle Mexicans across the border. Rumors have spread quickly that el jefe’s woman has gone missing, along with a lot of cash, and word gets back to him of her whereabouts.
Jeronimo has been sprung from prison with one mission; bring Lutz back. He has been the right hand man of el jefe for many years, and the only one he trusts to succeed, and to be sure El Principe is holding Jeronimo’s family as hostage.
Thacker, a Border Patrol officer has been on the take for years. His wife’s life-style demand s more money than his government pay provides. When word comes down that a top level smuggling mission is bringing a woman with a bag full of money over tonight he sees his opportunity for the good life and easy retirement.
Pretty soon Malone and Luz are in a chase for their lives when Thacker and Jeronimo, mortal enemies by day join forces on one fateful night in a joint mission to bring Luz and the money back to Mexico. Can a pact between thieves be successful? Lange successfully entangles all the above parties in a duel to the death. When the real prize, Luz’s daughter Isabel, is caught in the crossfire who will succumb first? The mother who wants, to protect her daughter no matter the cost, the rogue agent with a heart of gold or the bandito who is seeking a way out of the life he has carved for himself?
In a story that mirror’s life on the border between Mexico and the States we are dealt an insider’s glimpse on the emotions that lead these three desperate people into the awful decisions that they have act on.
( )

The human thing is all an act. He can turn it on and off like that. What he is inside is a monster, a shark, something soulless and ravenous.

When i first started reading this I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I haven't read many books about Mexican drug cartels and drug lords so I didn't know if this was going to appeal to me. While it does mention the drug cartels and has a drug lord prominently in it, this book is more about Luz's journey to escape the clutches of her drug lord husband and reunite with her young daughter. This book is really about a mother's love for her daughter and the actions she will take to be reunited with her.

I really liked Luz right from the beginning and hoped that she would be able to get away from Ronaldo and get her baby girl back. With all that Luz has been through I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She strikes up an unlikely partnership with Kevin Malone, a man who at first seems to just be drinking life away because he can. Once you realize why Malone is the way he is you can't help but be heartbroken for him. Luz and Malone really make this book worth reading.

The book switches point-of-view between a few characters. I really did not like the two other main characters besides Luz and Malone. One is a corrupt border cop, Thacker, and the other is a former henchman of Ronaldo's being forced into trying to find Luz, Jerónimo. Thacker was a disgusting jerk and there was just nothing redeeming about him. Jerónimo was forced into this situation and must do it to protect his family but I like Luz and hated what he was doing to her that I just couldn't like Jerónimo at all. I have to say that even though I didn't like them, Thacker and Jerónimo definitely made the story interesting.

I was mostly happy with where each of the main characters were at the end, but I felt like some didn't deserve what they got and some needed to be punished. Overall this was a good read with complex characters and some great action. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read Angel Baby. ( )