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Pasadena Payback
PASADENA PAYBACK
A crime novel
Crispín Gomez Diaz runs cash between Pasadena and Nogales. His family in Los Angeles is watched as collateral to guarantee delivery.
On his last run, Crispín loses his backpack to joyriding barrio boys who have no idea they stole a small fortune in narco dollars. With only thirty-six hours until his appointment in Nogales, Crispín must locate and steal back the money to make his delivery and keep his family from being executed as punishment.
When Crispin’s status becomes a political issue in a local city council race, the gardener no one ever noticed is suddenly the subject of intense interest. But all he needs is to stay invisible long enough to track down his stolen backpack.
Old debts and raw ambition collide in this fast-moving tale of honor and payback.
A crime novel
Crispín Gomez Diaz runs cash between Pasadena and Nogales. His family in Los Angeles is watched as collateral to guarantee delivery.
On his last run, Crispín loses his backpack to joyriding barrio boys who have no idea they stole a small fortune in narco dollars. With only thirty-six hours until his appointment in Nogales, Crispín must locate and steal back the money to make his delivery and keep his family from being executed as punishment.
When Crispin’s status becomes a political issue in a local city council race, the gardener no one ever noticed is suddenly the subject of intense interest. But all he needs is to stay invisible long enough to track down his stolen backpack.
Old debts and raw ambition collide in this fast-moving tale of honor and payback.
Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2012
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Rudolph
6 books96 followersM L Rudolph has worked for CNN and HBO among other American and International television companies around the world. He has written for general interest and trade publications, is a dual US/UK national, and lives in Pasadena, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 24, 2012
Enter a world where the rich use immigrants for their dirty work, crime rules the dark corners, and one man puts his life on the line to protect his family. This story took me on an unforgettable journey. The plot has tremendous depth and moves at a perfect pace. The characters are richly developed. I felt their pain, their anxiety, their joy. Pasadena Payback is a powerful story that could easily be taking place in a dozen cities right now.
June 14, 2012
Undocumented workers, barrio punks with guns, high-tech strip clubs, grubby city politics, and a backpack full of dirty money--all play a part in this smart new crime novel by my friend and fellow indie author, M.L. Rudolph. The action mostly takes place in Pasadena, but it starts with a gripping scene on the Arizona border and inevitably leads back there for its life-or-death finale. Serious stuff, but it's the ride getting there that makes this a fun, fast-paced read.
Crispín, an undocumented landscaper, is at the center of the storm. Everyone is looking for him, or maybe it's what he knows, or what he's carrying that they want. Poor Crispín has certain obligations he never asked for and family on both sides of the border. He's just trying to keep a low profile like all those men who stand in front of the Home Depot looking for day labor. But things go quickly awry.
Rudolph has lots of fun exposing the characters of the people looking for Crispín, and for me it was this social satire that made the book so enjoyable. Everyone wants power--control really--over others. The ones with power are looking to keep it; the ones with money are looking to buy it; the ones without money are looking to steal it. Power, it turns out, is illusory and quickly vanishes because there's always a payback for getting it.
I enjoyed the West African setting of Rudolph's first novel, Facing the Son, but this one is even better. It's gritty, contemporary and right in our own backyard, with characters and issues that are all too real.
Crispín, an undocumented landscaper, is at the center of the storm. Everyone is looking for him, or maybe it's what he knows, or what he's carrying that they want. Poor Crispín has certain obligations he never asked for and family on both sides of the border. He's just trying to keep a low profile like all those men who stand in front of the Home Depot looking for day labor. But things go quickly awry.
Rudolph has lots of fun exposing the characters of the people looking for Crispín, and for me it was this social satire that made the book so enjoyable. Everyone wants power--control really--over others. The ones with power are looking to keep it; the ones with money are looking to buy it; the ones without money are looking to steal it. Power, it turns out, is illusory and quickly vanishes because there's always a payback for getting it.
I enjoyed the West African setting of Rudolph's first novel, Facing the Son, but this one is even better. It's gritty, contemporary and right in our own backyard, with characters and issues that are all too real.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews