New Mexico Crime

When the long-cherished statue of the Santo Nino de Atocha disappears, village leaders decide to keep the news from the Church hierarchy for fear of reprisal. They suspect the culprits are among local hippies, Protestants, drug dealers, Anglos and other outsiders. But when the statue mysteriously reappears and their beloved chapel sacristan is attacked, favorite son Jay Sierra and his pal, Ernie Lucero, team up to investigate.

Caught in the crosshairs of Mexico's warring cartels, Juárez is the border city that most brutally exposes the lies that we tell ourselves about globalization, NAFTA, immigration, corruption, and the war on drugs. Once known only as the place where women disappear, its murder rate exceeds that of Baghdad and Mogadishu. In this heartbreaking, disturbing, and unforgettable examination, award winning-writer Charles Bowden takes an axe to the myths about the war on drugs—myths perpetuated by Mexico, the U.S. government, and the media.