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Tulum Takedown
A journalist. A missing girl. A fatal deadline. Layla Navarro, new head of Mexico’s most powerful cartel, knows sometimes even drug lords need to run for cover. Hiding out in Mexico City after her daring assassination of a cartel rival, Layla is searching for a safe place to land until the ruckus dies down. She develops an unlikely friendship with a reporter whose niece has gone missing, and travels incognito to the sun-drenched beaches of the Yucatán and the one-time sleepy pueblo of Tulum to help.
In a desperate race against time to find the girl, Layla teams up with a fellow dealer and a cartel fixer. Now she must piece together a complex puzzle of money laundering, dirty politics, and million-dollar land grabs before another innocent victim is lost to the shady world of human trafficking.
In a desperate race against time to find the girl, Layla teams up with a fellow dealer and a cartel fixer. Now she must piece together a complex puzzle of money laundering, dirty politics, and million-dollar land grabs before another innocent victim is lost to the shady world of human trafficking.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2020
4 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 27, 2020
Mexico Cartels, Danger, and Adventure wrapped up in an action-filled story
This is the first Jeanine Kitchel novel for me. Tulum Takedown is the second book of the Wheels up series.
This story was engaging, gripping, and thrilling. I found myself enjoying this story, even though I hadn't read the first. I'll have to go back and read the first book soon. It was intense and awesome. I love these types of stories where you get so involved it erases your surroundings. Diving into the world of cartels and danger, I found myself enthralled.
Kitchel's writing drew me in and kept me there. I'm so thrilled to have come across her book. I'll definitely be adding Kichel to my permanent tbr list.
This is the first Jeanine Kitchel novel for me. Tulum Takedown is the second book of the Wheels up series.
This story was engaging, gripping, and thrilling. I found myself enjoying this story, even though I hadn't read the first. I'll have to go back and read the first book soon. It was intense and awesome. I love these types of stories where you get so involved it erases your surroundings. Diving into the world of cartels and danger, I found myself enthralled.
Kitchel's writing drew me in and kept me there. I'm so thrilled to have come across her book. I'll definitely be adding Kichel to my permanent tbr list.
June 23, 2020
Good story about the real Mexico
An exciting story about Mexico's underbelly of drug cartels, kidnapping, dirty politics and sex trafficking. A group rescues a kidnapped girl from danger.
An exciting story about Mexico's underbelly of drug cartels, kidnapping, dirty politics and sex trafficking. A group rescues a kidnapped girl from danger.
April 11, 2020
Layla’s back... in a sequel that shows the potential for this narco series
A thriller series with a strong female protagonist makes good reading for lots of people, and that appears to be the target market for this second book by Jeanine Kitchel. It shows the series has real potential in what some people call the narco noir niche.
The first book in this series introduced Layla, an accountant in her uncle’s cartel, who ascended to the day-to-day leadership role when he went to prison. She discovered that a cartel rival was operating a sex trafficking business on the side, which offended her in more ways than one. What could go wrong when she tried to shut him down? Plenty.
For starters, he indirectly caused the crash of her jet stuffed with a cocaine shipment from Colombia to Cancun, but she survived the crash in the Yucatan jungle and went into hiding. Eventually, she earned revenge and respect by assassinating him point-blank at a gala fiesta and succeeding in a daring getaway.
In the aftermath, while she is hiding in Mexico City in plain sight, this second book shows her softer side again when she offers to help a new social acquaintance (a journalist) locate the woman’s missing niece. Not the usual activity for a cartel boss in hiding, but hey -Layla has a heart.
The bad guys are still looking for Layla, she flees just in time after a phone call warning from her brother, and the chase is on. The twists and turns take her to a sex-trafficking ring at Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula that involves a triangle of corrupt politicians and bankers and more narcos. And she's pissed all over again.
The title foreshadows the wham-bam action-packed conclusion, but I won’t spoil it for readers. Yeah, there’s a little romance too. It's another solid 4-star effort by Kitchel, who adds local color and description from her previous life of living on the Yucatan peninsula.
A thriller series with a strong female protagonist makes good reading for lots of people, and that appears to be the target market for this second book by Jeanine Kitchel. It shows the series has real potential in what some people call the narco noir niche.
The first book in this series introduced Layla, an accountant in her uncle’s cartel, who ascended to the day-to-day leadership role when he went to prison. She discovered that a cartel rival was operating a sex trafficking business on the side, which offended her in more ways than one. What could go wrong when she tried to shut him down? Plenty.
For starters, he indirectly caused the crash of her jet stuffed with a cocaine shipment from Colombia to Cancun, but she survived the crash in the Yucatan jungle and went into hiding. Eventually, she earned revenge and respect by assassinating him point-blank at a gala fiesta and succeeding in a daring getaway.
In the aftermath, while she is hiding in Mexico City in plain sight, this second book shows her softer side again when she offers to help a new social acquaintance (a journalist) locate the woman’s missing niece. Not the usual activity for a cartel boss in hiding, but hey -Layla has a heart.
The bad guys are still looking for Layla, she flees just in time after a phone call warning from her brother, and the chase is on. The twists and turns take her to a sex-trafficking ring at Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula that involves a triangle of corrupt politicians and bankers and more narcos. And she's pissed all over again.
The title foreshadows the wham-bam action-packed conclusion, but I won’t spoil it for readers. Yeah, there’s a little romance too. It's another solid 4-star effort by Kitchel, who adds local color and description from her previous life of living on the Yucatan peninsula.
June 23, 2020
To read and review Tulum Takedown: A Wheels Up Yucatán Thriller without first reading Wheels Up: A Novel of Drugs, Cartels and Survival would be a disservice to both the author, Jeanine Kitchel, and the main character in the story, Layla Navarro. Ms. Kitchel thoroughly and intricately brings each character to life in the first novel and allows the reader important insight into Layla’s life as a child. Reading Wheels Up first allows the reader to become invested in the many colorful characters and the intro into Tulum Takedown becomes seamless and clear. Penning the two intriguing and at times disturbing novels, both stories by Ms. Kitchel depict Mexican Cartels and the drug trade in Central America.
Tulum Takedown focuses on the killing of journalists. Layla Navarro, appointed head of the Culiacan Cartel, is laying low and assuming another identity after killing a Guatemalan kingpin. She befriends a journalist who is frantic over the disappearance of her niece, and along with Layla’s contacts and cartel “fixers”—Layla Navarro turns sleuth. In an action packed drama, with just the right amount of romance and shock factor, the reader is taken on a ride through a beautiful country – Mexico – as seen through the eyes of the author who has made this country her new homeland.
A must read. Grab both. Wheels Up and Tulum Takedown. You will not be disappointed.
Tulum Takedown focuses on the killing of journalists. Layla Navarro, appointed head of the Culiacan Cartel, is laying low and assuming another identity after killing a Guatemalan kingpin. She befriends a journalist who is frantic over the disappearance of her niece, and along with Layla’s contacts and cartel “fixers”—Layla Navarro turns sleuth. In an action packed drama, with just the right amount of romance and shock factor, the reader is taken on a ride through a beautiful country – Mexico – as seen through the eyes of the author who has made this country her new homeland.
A must read. Grab both. Wheels Up and Tulum Takedown. You will not be disappointed.
September 6, 2020
Tulum Takedown is a fun read right from the first page and the author's description of the resorts in the Yucatan peninsula is a welcome fantasy for those of us eager to travel even if there's plenty of trouble to be had in paradise. The setting is further brought to life in large benefit to the author's real-world experience as Jeanine is able to translate that experience into an exciting character-driven story. Pick up this book if you're looking for fun diversion rooted in real unique experiences.
April 25, 2020
Adventure, danger and a compelling heroine
Wheels Up and Tulum Takedown are fast paced, non-stop action, and impossible to put down. Layla is tough with a heart of gold and Kitchel brings Q Roo of my memories to life. I binge read both books in two days, and can’t wait until the 3rd book in the series is released.
Wheels Up and Tulum Takedown are fast paced, non-stop action, and impossible to put down. Layla is tough with a heart of gold and Kitchel brings Q Roo of my memories to life. I binge read both books in two days, and can’t wait until the 3rd book in the series is released.
September 13, 2020
Adventure to the max!
Sex slaves, drive by shooting, mystery, a little romance. This book has it all. You can't put it down! The excitement builds to a grand and unbelievable crescendo. Read it but plan to not out it down till the last sentence!
Sex slaves, drive by shooting, mystery, a little romance. This book has it all. You can't put it down! The excitement builds to a grand and unbelievable crescendo. Read it but plan to not out it down till the last sentence!
February 13, 2023
An Exciting Read.
I couldn't put it down. A well written saga with a beautiful woman, danger, suspense, and romance. The tropical setting is true to life. I will be reading more of this series.
I couldn't put it down. A well written saga with a beautiful woman, danger, suspense, and romance. The tropical setting is true to life. I will be reading more of this series.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews