Borderland

Sam Westin Mysteries #5

by Pamela Beason

Wildlife photographer Jade Silva's last text message is a photo of a rare jaguar at the US-Mexico border wall. When Jade vanishes, her fellow Southwestern Research Station volunteer, Sam Westin, agonizes that something terrible has happened. But finding Jade seems an almost impossible mission in a rugged area overrun by undocumented immigrants, Border Patrol agents, vigilantes, construction crews, human traffickers, drug smugglers, and violent cartel thugs. Meanwhile, the ever-increasing militarization of the Arizona-Mexico border is destroying ecosystems and trampling the rights of US citizens. Trying to rescue her friend, Sam is sucked into a maelstrom of desperation, deceit, and danger.

Genres: Mystery, Adventure

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2019

About the author

Pamela Beason lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes novels and screenplays and works as a private investigator. When she's not on the job, she explores the natural world on foot, in cross-country skis, in her kayak, or underwater scuba diving.

Beason is the author of nine full-length fiction works: THE ONLY WITNESS, THE ONLY CLUE (books 1 and 2 of the Neema Mysteries); SHAKEN, CALL OF THE JAGUAR (romantic suspense novels), ENDANGERED, BEAR BAIT, and UNDERCURRENTS in the Summer "Sam" Westin series; and RACE WITH DANGER and RACE TO TRUTH, books 1 and 2 of a YA Run for Your Life adventure trilogy. She also wrote the nonfiction titles, SAVE YOUR MONEY, YOUR SANITY, AND OUR PLANET and SO YOU WANT TO BE A PI?. Pam's writing has earned her multiple prizes, including the Daphne du Maurier Award, two First Place prizes and two Grand Prizes in the Chanticleer Book Reviews Contest, and an Honorable Mention in a Library Journal contest.

As an avid outdoorswoman and animal lover, Beason challenges the human assumption that we are the superior species. Drifting through life is not enough; you have to live it.

Pamela blogs and tweets about writing, outdoor adventures, and the value of being present in the moment. She looks forward to connecting with readers on her Twitter, Goodreads Page or Blog.

Reviews

[Dave Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Westin and her crew are back in this fifth installment of the Sam Westin mysteries. I have read the first four, and this one was among my favorites. Sam accepts a volunteer assignment near the U.S. and Mexico border south of Tucson. In exchange for helping with meal preparation, Sam benefits with free room and board. After only a short amount of time on the assignment her roommate Jade Silva goes missing, but before her disappearance, she sends an email to Sam with a photo of a jaguar near the border wall. Sam embarks on a long and frustrating search for her roommate, and this necessitates overcoming a host of obstacles. Along the way she called upon her boyfriend, Chase, he ex-boyfriend, Adam, her roommate in Bellingham, Blake, and her young friend, Maya. The real star of this novel, however, is El Guapo, the rare jaguar sighted near the wall. Arizona is at the extreme northern edge of the American jaguar range; and the presence of one on the U.S. side of the border is big news. The author does a superb job of placing the reader inside Sam Westin's head, as she struggles with her insecurities, yet manages to persist in crime resolution. The relationship with Chase remains solid. As always, Pamela Beason does a fine job of describing the desert environment and the various species of unique birds and animals in the extreme southwest of the United States. I particularly liked the interaction with a coati that broke into her room. I anxiously look forward to reading number 6, Cascade.

[Judith Trail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good novel. This was the best of the series so far! Sam is volunteering at a camp in order to explore the Arizona desert and take photos of wildlife for articles. Her roommate, a fellow wilderness explorer and photographer, Jade, disappears and Sam sets out to find her, with no help from any local or federal law enforcement. This novel explores the real cost of that damn wall between the US and Mexico, the cost in human lives and in the disruption of the migration pathways for wildlife in the region. The tolerance for vigilante groups, armed and lawless, that patrol the area to stop illegal immigration, the indifference of our law enforcement agencies to crime against our citizens living along the border as well as the inhumanity of treatment to the desperate souls trying to come to this country for a better life is appalling and not the product of a literary imagination. The wall is a crime against humanity and every politician and so-called American patriot citizen that support its existence are damned in the eyes of humanity for all time for the suffering it causes. While this country is swept into the maelstrom of hatred and persecution of minorities spewed by the political right-wing, this novel focuses on the cost to thousands of innocent souls, both human and animal, that have suffered as a result of bigotry and hatred. This novel should make you angry.

[merlin513 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came out in 2019 so it preceded
‘The Vanishing Kind’ by Alex Carter by 6 years but they both deal with pretty much the same subject matter (Jaguar Conservation) and the highly fraught and volatile situation going on along the border between Mexico and the US.

The sheer amount of hate being thrown around indiscriminately is appalling. The MASSIVE amounts of tax dollars being wasted on what is basically a useless vanity project. A project that impacts residents, wildlife and the desperate people just looking for sanctuary and a better way of life.

The adverse effect it’s also having on native wildlife migration patterns, the destruction of wildlife sanctuaries, it’s sickening.

I bawled several times reading BOTH of these fictional books, with fictional characters highlighting a VERY REAL and horrifying situation that’s being egged on by nothing more than ego and hate.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I was sucked in immediately and had to know what happened to Jade. This is a great series and hope to see more in the future.

Another reason this book really stood out was that I’ve actually been to several of the places Sam visited (Naco, Bisbee, & Tombstone) Highly recommend if you love wild animals and like a good mystery.

[Diana Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plotted with current issues - my first of this author, will check out some more.

[Cherie O'Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A missing-person mystery like no other! Written by a world traveler, private investigator, and master of the genre, Borderland takes the reader on a journey to the beautiful Sonora Desert in the American southwest. Add lessons about the impact of the massive border wall being constructed on the wild animals who call that desert their home, and you have a truly captivating story. I could hardly put it down. This is a tale so timely and well-told it seems torn from today’s headlines. Photojournalist Summer Westin swallows her fears to find her missing roommate among the saguaro and dangers both natural and human-made in the rock formations of the desert. Readers are swept along on the search, feeling right there with her every step. Borderland is my favorite in this outdoor mystery series.

[david jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review

Just like all of her Sam Weston books, it truly brings into focus the issues of our environment and loss of so many things we should be aware of and do something about to protect our natural resources. Sam gets into trouble doing this and makes it so you want to jump in and get our hands dirty helping her. She’s smart and cares. I really liked this book and would recommend it. It is quick read and you don’t want to put it down.