First published 2009
Charlie Marsh spent twelve years hiding in the African nation of Batanga after fleeing murder charges in Oregon. The petty thief turned unlikely hero when he saved a prison warden during a riot, but that glory faded when police suspected him of killing a congressman. Now Charlie has bigger problems than the law. He made the mistake of sleeping with the favorite wife of Jean-Claude Baptiste, Batanga's brutal dictator. When Baptiste discovers the affair, Charlie runs for his life back to Oregon. Criminal defense attorney Amanda Jaffe takes his case, but keeping Charlie alive proves harder than keeping him out of prison. Baptiste's secret police want him dead. A mysterious killer will do anything to bury secrets from a decade-old crime. Amanda must navigate multiple threats while preparing Charlie's defense. The con man who once saved a warden now depends on a lawyer to save him from death row and foreign assassins.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, redemption
Setting: Africa, Batanga, Oregon
Period: 21st Century
344 pages · Hardcover · Harper
Content warnings: violence