by Don Winslow
First published 2010
Ben splits his time between environmental causes and running a profitable marijuana business in Laguna Beach with his partner Chon, a former mercenary. Their operation has thrived by serving a dedicated customer base, with Chon handling any territorial disputes through violence. The Mexican Baja Cartel disrupts their world by demanding partnership terms that cannot be refused. When Ben and Chon reject the cartel's proposal, their opponents respond by seizing Ophelia, the woman both men love and trust. With O held captive, the partners must navigate a dangerous game of bargaining and strategy against an enemy far more powerful than any they have faced. The stakes climb beyond business profits to questions of survival and loyalty. What begins as a territorial dispute transforms into a brutal examination of how far two men will go to protect someone they cannot live without.
Genres: fiction, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Laguna Beach, Mexico
Period: 21st-century
302 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: drug-use, graphic-violence, violence