June 1, 1989
This new thriller by De Sario ( Limbo ) shows a sure knowledge of Guatemala and its history; the Sanctuary movement run by American religious groups; the inner workings of scandal sheets; the lower rungs of baseball scouting; and the distinctly unglamorous lives passed in inland California--but combines these disparate elements in a topsy-turvy plot that resists straightforward summary and wears a reader's patience thin. In essence, De Sario tells the story of a ``yellow journalist,'' Matt Teller, who discovers a dead body and, he hopes, a hot story in the California desert, but is hard-pressed to fulfill his dreams of glory when interference presents itself in the form of priests (bringing peasants into the U.S. illegally), an alcoholic big-leaguer (now scouting in Guatemala), homicidal Guatemalan intelligence officials (invading U.S. territory in pursuit of popular rebel leaders) and many, many others. The author's large cast of characters vies for our attention in violent scenes piled on so gratuitously that a reader quickly becomes jaded.
July 1, 1989
Tabloid reporter Matt Teller is tracking down a routine lead in the California desert when he encounters the mutilated corpse of a man recently tortured to death. His pictures mean front-page news to his callous editor, but Matt hopes this will be the story that finally earns him a job on a respectable newspaper. Rival tabloid reporter Don Kozlowski and Matt's former girlfriend are also after the details. Then there's Bill Buchanon, erstwhile temperamental pitcher turned alcoholic scout for the Yankees, who's trying to sign a star pitcher from Guatemala. Probing the mystery of the corpse in the desert brings them to the remote hideaways of the Sanctuary Movement, where they must contend with Mago, sadistic head of the Guatemalan secret police, for a long-hidden secret key to power in Central America. Though well paced and written, this novel contains numerous instances of graphic violence and torture.-- William C. McCully, Park Ridge P.L., Ill.
Copyright 1989 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.