Clark Lohr’s debut novel is a cracker! It effectively transports you to Southern Arizona and the brutal Mexican borderlands while introducing you to a lorrie load of intriguing characters, starting with protagonist Manny Aguilar — a Mexican American detective for the Tucson Sheriff’s Department — who is called in when a corpse (well, head) is discovered in the local tip. Little does Manny realise the danger he is in when he refuses to settle for easy answers in the investigation. The fast-paced story is full of twists that keep you turning the pages, but there are also some beautiful bits of prose that sometimes make you stop for a moment just to bask in their poetry. If you enjoy noir with a good dollop of mysticism mixed in, this is definitely the book for you.