The Mexican Gardener

He is tall, dark and handsome, an excellent marksman and skilled jet pilot,so what is he doing working for a beautiful Oscar-winning film actress as a gardener? He seems like so many other Mexicans and Central Americans, toiling anonymously in the yards and gardens of Californians. But there is a dramatic difference: Jose Diego-Rivera is actually a world-class scientist, hiding from a murderous drug cartel which plans to unleash a vicious chemical attack against the hated "Anglos," and restore the fabled "Aztlan Empire" in the southwestern United States. Not least amongst his enemies is a childhood "friend," now a powerful titan of industry. Jose is a member of a secret clique of distinguished scientists, working undercover to thwart this terrible conspiracy, but time is growing short and there are many unsuspected enemies. In this, his 8th published novel, Len Lamensdorf has once again deployed is remarkable knowledge of history, geography and current events tto create a spell- binding, suspense-laden thriller. Both Jose and his arch-enemy, Hector Palacios, are skillfully drawn, compelling characters, and their collision cannot have a fraternal ending. Len weaves much of his tale into settings into and around Santa Barbara, California, where he lived for decades. This sinister story is all the more intriguing, framed against the stunning beauty of its location: the threat of catastrophe in paradise. Lamensdorf does not concoct this menace out of thin air; rather, it seems all too possible in the light of recent, shocking disclosures,