By David Corbett - Do They Know I'm Running?: A Novel (William Monk) (2010-03-17) [Paperback]

by David Corbett

From acclaimed author David Corbett, a stunning and suspenseful novel of a life without loyalties and the borders inside ourselves.

Roque Montalvo is wise beyond his eighteen years. Orphaned at birth, a gifted musician, he’s stuck in a California backwater, helping his Salvadoran aunt care for his damaged brother, an ex-marine badly wounded in Iraq. When immigration agents arrest his uncle, the family has nowhere else to turn. Roque, badgered by his street-hardened cousin, agrees to bring the old man back, relying on the criminal gangs that control the dangerous smuggling routes from El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, to the U.S. border.

But his cousin has told Roque only so much. In reality, he will have to transport not just his uncle but two an Arab whose intentions are disturbingly vague and a young beauty promised to a Mexican crime lord. Roque discovers that his journey involves crossing more than one kind of border, and he will be asked time and again to choose between survival and betrayal—of his country, his family, his heart.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Contemporary, Espionage

Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

David Corbett is the author of seven novels: The Devil’s Redhead (nominated for the Anthony and Barry Awards for Best First Novel) Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book and nominated for the Macavity Award for Best Novel), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), Do They Know I’m Running (Spinetingler Award, Best Novel—Rising Star Category 2011), The Mercy of the Night, The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday (nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery), and The Truth Against the World (June, 2023).

David’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, with two stories selected for Best American Mystery Stories.

In 2012, Mysterious Press/Open Road Media re-issued his four novels plus a story collection, Thirteen Confessions, in ebook format.

In January 2013 Penguin published his textbook on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible that will lead to your character’s soul.” —Elizabeth Brundage). he followed this up with The Compass of Character (Writers Digest Books).

He has taught creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Project, Chuck Pahalniuk’s Litreactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, Book Passage, and at writing conference across the country. He is also a monthly contributor to Writer Unboxed, an award-winning blog dedicated to the craft and business of fiction.

Before becoming a novelist, David spent fifteen years as an investigator for the San Francisco private detective agency Palladino & Sutherland, working on such high-profile civil and criminal litigations as The DeLorean Case, the Peoples Temple Trial, the Lincoln Savings & Loan Scandal, the Cotton Club Murder Case, the Michael Jackson child molestation investigation and a RICO action brought by the Teamsters against members of organized crime.

Reviews

[Still · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one twice. It’s in my top 25 of 21st century fiction.
All during the Trump fascist regime my heart absolutely ached for the migrant refugees fleeing from violence and poverty in their respective countries south of the American border.

You will learn for the first time (first time for me, anyway) how America under the Bush Junior administration in cooperation with the government of Salvador used convicted Salvatruchas (MS-13) to drive American vehicles carrying supplies under hostile fire from Taliban fighters in Iraq. They were promised pardons and American citizenship- instead upon their arrival they were promptly bused from the airport back to serve their prison terms.

It’s the story of how the youngest male member of one family must run a gauntlet of murderous encounters with narco gangs, crooked cops, immigration authorities on the take, more narcos, and multiple double crosses to earn enough to buy his family’s passage to America.

This is a pulse-racing thriller that -if you ever rooted for the families on the border waiting for passage to America- will almost rip your heart out.
I thought of this novel throughout the rage inducing Trump years. I wanted to pull it back down from the shelf and read it a third time.
It’s not preachy or overtly political.
It’s just the story of an impoverished family trying to migrate to America, the obstacles they face, and the young hero who will do anything to obtain freedom - freedom from the Salvadoran gangsters and crooked government.

There will be violence… much violence.

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent novel--very well written with memorable characters and a gripping tale of human trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border. The story focuses on an extended family of immigrants, some of whom are legally in the U.S. and others of whom are not.

The central character is Roque Montalvo, a talented young musician. The family is living a hard-scabble existence in California when Roque's uncle is arrested by immigration agents and deported. This throws the family into crisis and Roque, who is an American citizen, is charged with the responsibility of going to El Salvador and smuggling the uncle back to the U.S.

In the meantime Roque's brother, a damaged veteran of the war in Iraq and their cousin struggle to raise the money that will be necessary to pay the gangs, corrupt police and others who control the human smuggling route that stretches from El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico before reaching the U.S.

Inevitably, things go wildly amiss for everyone involved and tragedy piles upon tragedy. This is not a book that will raise your spirits and leave you with a happy smile on your face. But those readers who would appreciate some insight into the problem of illegal immigration that goes beyond the simple-minded sloganeering of some politicians and others, will find this an eye-opening book.

Read in tandem with Don Winslow's great book The Power of the Dog, the two books will break your heart and will convince you that the politicians haven't a clue when it comes to dealing with the complex problems that bedevil the southern border of the United States.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the title of this book.

The story handles some heavies like human trafficking, Iraq war veterans, women's rights, Palestine and loyalty. And really that's not all, it hovers dangerously close to overwhelming. It is very detailed and complex the events that happen in this book, one has to think to keep track as deals are made and trusts broken. Luckily the characters are well depicted and you can come to empathize with their situations. Also, there's a San Francisco angle, and well, who doesn't love that?

Roque, who is 18, orphaned and gifted musically lives with extended family members, Salvadorans, in the bay area. His uncle is snapped up by ICE agents and the family sends Roque down to El Salvador to sneak him back across the border by way of Guatemala and Mexico. Never an easy task and we are soon waist deep in corruption, gang violence and FBI deals. All of this is happening at a quick pace too with tightly coiled suspense. Things go wrong, horribly wrong in ways I could never have foreseen when I started this book.

All the main characters in the book are carrying around their own versions of private hell while trying to pull this off this caper or exist within it. Hells like being a damaged war veteran or those bad decisions that a person make that end up ruining your life... all swept up in an action-packed thriller.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corbett provides us with an entertainment in Do They Know I’m Running, if you can call something so mired in grim zeitgeist politics entertaining. Combining the social novel, political thriller, docufiction (its fiction from the authors mind, but in many ways it is as “true” as any documentary), the betrayals of noir, and a road novel from hell. This novel dramatizes the nest of scorpions (literally at one point) that human trafficking in Central America has become after the drug gangs gained control of it, and drawing in the plight of Iraq war veterans (on both sides and soldiers and contractors), the absurdity of the ‘war on terror”, corruption on the border, private security firms, arms dealers, and other victims and wolves of unfettered capitalism. This sounds top heavy but Corbett stick you with a group of characters that you can see the impact of this moral abyss as you see them move toward some Peckinpahesque violent redemption, freedom, or some small gesture to arrest the plummet of our collective soul. He is being compared to Green and Stone and while he doesn’t have their prose mastery, his combining of classic tragedy with a before the headlines story is reminiscent of those masters.

[Katy Pye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do They Know I'm Running was my first D.C. read. It came out of a challenge during David's class on character. I wimp-out during violent scenes. David's suggestion: fear means we have something to look at. Instead of closing your eyes when you hit the fear, keep them open and keep going. I did. I don't regret it. Do They Know I'm Running embodies just that.

This powerful and beautifully-crafted story rides the main character, Rogue, deep into the underbelly of a drug-smuggling mafia that is alive and well today in Mexico, Central America, and the U.S. Corbett sinks the reader into a world of corruption, violence, and terror, while weaving in expertly timed threads of love, loss, and longing, letting the reader surface and breathe. Allowing Rogue to understand, to grow, and move again.

The engine powering Do They Know I'm Running runs on high-octane fuel: family, honor, and love. The world Corbett creates demands impossible decisions -- from Rogue, his family, and ultimately the reader. His world is real, few get this close. While we can ignore the immigration and drug issues, and do, ignorance costs all of us.

[Jonathan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time I reached the last thirty or so pages of this book, I had to remind myself that if I read any longer, I was going to start missing deadlines and I was going to cause more trouble at my job than I wanted. It was still really tempting though. The plot is so gripping and suspenseful, and the characters were so compelling. I struggled with Roque beyond I think what you're supposed to feel in terms of frustration with him at the beginning, but Corbett redeems him by the end. The character of Godo is one of the better portrayals of a person I've read in recent memory. Also, it wasn't necessary to grasp the concepts and themes of the book, but I liked having the reader's guide with the author at the end.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really mixed feelings about this book. The writing was really good- all the details painted such vivid pictures, and I liked the complexity of the characters. But it really was not my type of book. I like learning about social issues and lives different from mine, and I think that was actually part of the author's goal in writing it. But it was mostly action, crime, scheming, violence, and suspense. And I am uneasy reading a book about undocumented Salvadorans written by a white man from Ohio.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual kind of read, but I met the author at a writer's workshop in Guatemala and had to support such a great talent. Now I'll go back and read his earlier work and wait patiently for the next book.

[Luanne]

I went to a reading at Third Place Books for the author. Since there were only four people were there. Mr. Corbett was very gracious and answered a dozen questions I had about how he approached his work. Intrigued, I bought this book even though I'm on a strict 'library only' budget. I've just started it but am really blown away by his character development. He's been compared to Graham Greene, one of my favorite authors, and I'm not surprised. Will report back when I finish.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story and particularly compelling characters. Immigration seen from the far side, the dirty and ugly side. Gangs, coyotes, crooked feds vs desperation and dreams to make it into the U.S. from central America. Author is recommended reading for his skills with characterization.

[Avra Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, tense, sad, scary, exciting, Dan Corbett's the real deal. So glad to know there's another one out there.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

An above average thriller that overstays it’s welcome in the last quarter of the book. It does a very good job, though, presenting the various factors that influence immigration patterns on our southern border. I didn’t think the book was overly preachy, but I found Corbett’s “dossier” at the end to be so.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[anonymousreader]

to-read

[Michael Pronko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters, a long but gripping storyline, and excellent atmospherics make for a very compelling novel. It's great to get into the situation quickly and fully and to have characters that stand out as complex, even if stuck inside the simplest and grimmest of situations. Some of the scenes did not connect completely for me, but that's a small quibble when each of the scenes are intense.

[Tim Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it, although at first I was somewhat leery and I still have one or two issues with it. I felt the whole Hispanic violent sub-culture angle was overplayed - I certainly won't be booking any scenic tours through Mexico & central America anytime soon based on this book, that's for sure. I also felt initially that the characters seemed a bit thin and also somewhat stereotypical. However they did fill out as the book progressed and to be fair this is a crime drama genre novel albeit with an alternate Hispanic cast, so the actual plot details are allowed to suspend belief. The author had a parallel message going with this novel though, and all the social commentary buttons that the author wanted to press were all firmly pressed. This was fine for me, although others might take umbrage at the proselytizing. In fact the 4th star is only there because I liked the political meta story so much.

[Charisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally! This took me forever.. more just life business than problems with the book.

There was so much going on in this book. I was trying to imagine how they would make a movie from it and kept shaking my head. It's violent and some scenes turned my stomach but I thought it was a strong story(stories).

The main story revolves around family members trying to get an older uncle, who was deported from the US, out of El Salvador. You have the drug cartel, Mexican criminals trying to stop them as they are smuggled through Guatemala and Mexico. In this group is a man from the Middle East and a beautiful young singer. A love story develops along the way...

All in all, a good read. I'll have to check out more by Corbett.

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of Elaine Petrocelli's picks, I'm beginning to wonder about Elaine...A winning young man in a losing situation in life is charged with saving his uncle from his illegal immigration deportation to South America. That's just the beginning, there are gangs in the U.S. & below the border, brutality beyond description and sadly misused army veterans from the Iraq War and on and on. I had to put the book down, too many burdens and not enough light to make me care.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gritty but ultimately so-so story about a young Latino musician who tries to smuggle his illegal-immigrant uncle from El Salvador back to the US. While that would be enough to carry the book, the author adds several sub plots, including his ex-soldier brother suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome and double-crossing drug lords. And he must also smuggle a Palestinian ex-soldier of dubious character as well as escort a drug lord's mole (with whom he falls in love, of course).

[Sam Reaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to classify what David Corbett writes-- the term 'crime novel' doesn't do his books justice. Blood of Paradise took on the dubious achievements of U.S. policy in El Salvador; this novel explores similar territory, recounting how a young Salvadoran-American, through family obligations, becomes entangled in the murky world of immigrant smuggling. Central America is a region in crisis, and David Corbett is writing cutting-edge fiction about it.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another very good book with substance that was recommended to me by Jason Hafer. Written in the noir tradition, and handling a difficult topic that faces the US today, it is gripping, emotional, suspenseful and thought provoking. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to discussing it.

[Wanda37sd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought this take on human trafficking & Roque Montalvo, a young musician, would grab me but it came off as a bit preachy. The author was a detective once but his attempt to bring a real-life vibe to the story comes off as strained at best, trying too hard to convince.

[Jodi Mae]

This was a well written book, with well developed characters and a colorful, honest story about illegal immigration, family, ties that bind, poverty, survival and loss. I hope to pick it up again to read sometime; it was a heavy story that I just was not up to reading at the current moment.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a beach or plane read, but don't want something terribly trashy, pick up this book. Part of it is set in the Bay Area, which made this more interesting for me to read.

[Joe Boland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Returned to library overdue, half-read.

[Nathaniel Winters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written story about a California family involved with Central American gangsters. It is hard read parts of the book due to its brutality and the cynicism it shows for society.

[George Klima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tight action, strong characters, interesting glimpse into a life completely unfamiliar to me. But it gets too intense and I can't continue reading.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible.

This book tries to be ambitious on so many levels and falls flat on them all.

I love how the author has a "dossier" at the end in an attempt to explain himself. What a joke.