First published 2007
Christmas 1989 finds Manuel Antonio Noriega trapped in his own country as his world collapses. The Panamanian dictator once counted George Bush, Fidel Castro, and Oliver North among his allies. Now the U.S. Congress, the Justice Department, the Colombian mob, and countless political enemies all want him dead or captured. Twenty thousand American soldiers hunt him through Panama while a million dollar bounty hangs over his head. Noriega turns to desperate measures for salvation. He prays to God and Satan alike. He consults voodoo priests and tries to commune with the spirits of his murder victims. But his options dwindle with each passing hour. The chase leads to a final confrontation in the Vatican embassy, where Noriega faces the papal nuncio in a psychological battle that will determine his fate. Wright transforms the historical record of Panama from 1985 to 1989 into a story that captures both the terror and absurdity of a dictator's downfall.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, political-intrigue
Setting: Colombia, Panama, Vatican
Period: 1985-1989, 1989
352 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: violence