The Skins of Dead Men

Teresa T.C. Contreras, a tough but compassionate Tucson schoolteacher, has come to Puerto Vallarta to leave behind the pain of her ruined life: a failed marriage to a wayward cowboy, the tragic death of their only son. But when she stumbles upon a murder and kidnapping attempt, T.C. is suddenly jolted out of her despair and plunged into a shadowy world of international deception.A team of facilitators - mercenary agents hiding behind a cloak of diplomatic privilege - has been sent to Mexico to recapture the young son of a powerful Middle Eastern rebel leader. T.C. snatches the boy from their clutches, without thinking of her own survival, and sets out on a desperate flight for freedom through the back country of Mexico and the American Southwest.Tracked by the high-tech skills and corrupt connections of the mercenaries, T.C. and the boy barely manage to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. At last, with no place left to turn, they come to the New Mexico retreat of Ross Downing, a man with a mysterious past who was horribly burned while trying to rescue T.C.'s own son from a car crash he had, in part, caused.
A talented and consistent author of thrillers that seem to take a slightly different tack from the rest of the crowd.
ST. PETERSBURG TIMESJacket art by Shelley Eshkar