Illegal: A Novel of Suspense

by Paul Levine

Book Overview

The Edgar-nominated author acclaimed for his crackling courtroom scenes delivers an adrenaline-laced, no-holds-barred thriller--his most powerful novel to date--as a disgraced lawyer travels the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553591053
• ISBN13: 9780553591057
• Release Date: January 2011
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 1.0" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended

Contemporary writers sometimes hit the nail right on the head with such a forceful blow that causes readers to wonder what is really going on at the border between the United States and Mexico. Paul Levine's novel Illegal is one of the few books with such clarity of description that he demonstrates the trafficking to be more horrific than the media leads us to believe. The main character in this novel is Jimmy "Royal" Payne. He is an attorney who from page one gets into trouble with the law, which leads to a never-ending saga of escapades back and forth across the border. Payne, even with his own problems, reaches out to provide assistance to Tino Perez, a 12 year-old boy that has illegally entered the United States. Perez's mother was separated from the boy as they tried to cross the border and the ensuing drama unfolds drawing Jimmy and Tino closer together as they follow leads to her location. The seamy side of smuggling human cargo is deftly exposed by the clear and concise writing of the Edgar Award nominated author Levine. Previous books have mostly been centered in the courtroom with intense cross-examination, but here is a different descriptive writing style which engages an audience about the realities of living in terror. Drugs are a part of the story, but the depraved conduct by the coyotes is a shocking wake-up call. It is critical that our borders be monitored more closely to prevent inhumane conduct. Current events are portrayed in this book as if you were reading a newspaper. What is most salient to remember when you read this book, is that even though this is fiction, the circumstances of these events are very realistic. Thousands of border deaths happen yearly and this book is a cry for helping the victims. We often read about the arrests of coyotes and the freeing of prisoners who have been held forcefully in isolation by them. More of these stories need to be told and Levine should be commended for bringing the plight of the illegally detained victims into a forum which is both entertaining and insightful. Illegal is highly recommended. Clark Isaacs Reviewer

Another great book

This book is full of laughs while it makes you think about issues that you see everyday in the newspaper. Illegal immigration, border crossing, and the reason why a person would go to such lengths in search of a "better" life. This book is a MUST READ!

Fantastic Thriller With Breakneck Pacing!

Paul Levine's latest thriller is more roller coaster suspense and action than courtroom drama, and I had a blast with the characters and plot. With this novel, Levine just throws his previous playbook out the window, pulls a page from Raymond Chandler's "The Simple Art Of Murder," and plunges his readers through ranks of gunmen, car chases, and crooked cops. I absolutely fell in love with Jimmy "Royal" Payne as he makes a complete wreck of his life, then struggles to put to rights the life of a twelve-year-old boy that won me over too. When I found out that Payne is the author's new signature character, and that a second book is already in the works, I was a happy reader. Jimmy is a fantastic character. In this first book, he starts out so close to the bottom that anything he does is going to show as character growth. I kept picturing a young Richard Dreyfuss playing the lead, and I think that's a good fit. Jimmy has been hammered at every turn by life, and in the opening chapters of this book he gets blackmailed into bribing a judge, which results in even harsher circumstances. Watching Jimmy in action is kind of like seeing a chain reaction car wreck taking place in slow motion. You see it, you know it's coming, and you can't believe the guy can't get out of the way of it. But, miraculously, Jimmy is the kind of guy that racks up a lot of damage and still manages to limp through by sheer force of will, cleverness, and desperation. I'm a sucker for those kinds of characters every time, and it stands to reason that Jimmy's favorite fictional hero is Jim Rockford, of The Rockford Files. Rockford is one of my favorites as well. After Jimmy puts his life and career in the toilet at the beginning of this novel, things get even more interesting. A 12 year old illegal named Tino comes looking for him after getting separated from his mother during a border crossing. Jimmy's work to get some illegals their paperwork only a short time ago has made him a hero down in Mexico. But after Tino breaks into Jimmy's office and steals money that Jimmy has stolen to get a cop in trouble, neither one of them are exactly enchanted with the other. However, they need each other to escape from the police. It's this forced symbiosis, this artificial father/son relationship, that takes shape during the course of this novel that is the heart and soul of the story. No matter what they do, they can't escape each other. Especially after Jimmy's ex-wife, whom he's still in love with, forces them to work together to try to find Marisol, Tino's missing mom. The novel takes a little bit of time setting up all the characters at the beginning. But once the road trip begins, Levine drives the plot full tilt, like an eighteen-wheeler that's just blown the brakeline on a downhill run. I couldn't put the novel down, and I'm betting that any reader who picks it up won't be able to either. Levine deals with the illegal immigration and employee problems with honest

Paul Levine has the gift of being a great storyteller whose concise and vivid prose hits with great

I generally don't pay too much attention to an author's dedication of his or her book, however, after reading Paul Levine's most recent work, Illegal, I found his words particularly moving as they effectively capture the spirit and soul of the book: "To the woman carrying a rucksack, clutching her child's hand, and kicking up dust as she scrambled along a desert trail near Calexico, California" Paul Levine has the gift of being a great storyteller whose concise and vivid prose hits with great force. In Illegal Levine narrates with a professional author's perception and persuasiveness a story involving a reckless attorney, (J) Jimmy Atticus "Royal" Payne who has recently lost his young son in a hit-and-run accident and a Mexican twelve- year old boy, Tino Perez, an illegal immigrant whose mother, Marisol is missing, after crossing the border with a cruel and nasty coyote referred to as El Tigre. The story unfolds with Payne being blackmailed into becoming a snitch and his assignment is to offer a fifty thousand dollar bribe to a corrupt judge. Payne decides to offer the judge only forty-five thousand dollars and he keeps the other five thousand dollars for himself. The judge accepts the bribe, however before standing trial, he commits suicide. The law enforcement officer who set this all up, Detective Eugene Rigney of the Public Integrity Unit is enraged as to what has happened, as he is now not only blamed for a messy entrapment but he is also a suspect pertaining to the missing five thousand dollars. Rigney is now determined to nab Payne, however, as he is about to discover, this will prove to be quite a task for Payne is not only running away from him but he is also searching for Manuel Garcia, the hit-and-run driver who killed his son in order to exact retribution. Perez crosses paths with Payne when he is told by his mother Marisol that should he manage to land up in Los Angeles alone he is to track down Payne and she gives her son Payne`s calling card. The unlikely pair find themselves thrown together both in search of someone important to them, one out of hate the other out of love. As the story unravels, Payne transforms from a person who does not give a damn about anything or anyone, least of all himself to someone who becomes kind-hearted and compassionate, even if it means risking his own life. Set in areas of California close to the Mexican border, Illegal will have you groaning, crying, and laughing as Payne and Perez tangle their lives in the pursuit of their objectives. Moreover, Levine`s book could have simply been an ordinary adventure story, but he has given it greater depth as he brilliantly captures the plight of illegal immigrants and the sickening conditions that they are subjected to including slavery, brutal punishments and even murder at the hands of their master employers who try to pass themselves off as good Samaritans. Paul Levine is a former trial attorney and the award- winning author of legal thrillers. He

Shyster lawyer... Jimmy (Royal) Payne

I'm sure Levine's new character, shyster lawyer Jimmy (Royal) Payne, will be around for more adventures. Illegal is fast-paced with plenty of action. I read Illegal in 2 nights.