Precinct Puerto Rico: A Luis Gonzalo Novel, Book One (Luis Gonzalo Novels)

By Steven Torres

Book Overview

Near Rinc?n, Puerto Rico, 1987. Even a tropical paradise may have its little murders. In his years as sheriff of Angustias, a small town nestled in Puerto Rico's mountainous heart, Luis Gonzalo has seen his share of violence. People kill for love and money in Angustias just as they do anywhere else. But it is during a visit to his wife's family in the seaside town of Rinc?n that Gonzalo encounters his greatest challenge.A midnight call brings Gonzalo to a beach where bodies are washing ashore, victims of a shipwreck, victims of the illegal traffic in humans from the Dominican Republic. When he discovers evidence that the shipwreck was no accident, that the ship's captain was murdered, Gonzalo's life is threatened. When he discovers proof that Puerto Rican police were involved in the deaths of the illegal immigrants, the lives of his wife and children are threatened. The murder of one of his deputies bringsGonzalo no closer to the bottom of this mystery - a mystery no other law enforcement agency wants to help him solve.The first in a series of police procedural mysteries featuring Luis Gonzalo and the citizens and cops of Angustias, Precinct Puerto Rico: Book One is a brilliant beginning to a continuing story from a long overdue locale.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312285809
• ISBN13: 9780312285807
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.7" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Murder in Small Town Puerto Rico

Want to miss sleep? You'd better if you start reading this book. It pulls you right into the small town in Puerto Rico with its Mayberry RFD of police officers. Before you can reach for a coconut, you follow Sheriff Luis Gonzalo to the nearby town's beach where bodies have a tendency to wash up. Luis follows up on what appears to be a murder victim amidst the bodies coming from a ship of potential immigrants from the Dominican Republic. As he noses around, he gets threats from several directions. But he's the kind of guy that can't let murders go free - no matter what it costs him. My expectations were high after reading Steven Torres's terrific book "Concrete Maze." This gem didn't disappoint. I'm looking forward to the other books in this series and watching for more of Mr. Torres's work. We'll see Steven Torres in movie credits at some point.

A Small Town In A Big World

The first Precinct Puerto Rico novel is a dark and brutal picture of a small town and an even smaller police force. Torres makes the reader painfully aware of the consequences of evil acts. Can't wait to read the rest.

Bloody Sunday in Puerto Rico

Luis Gonzalo, long-time sheriff of the Puerto Rican hillside town of Angustias, visits his wife's relatives in seaside Rincon. That night, a ship with refugees from the Dominican Republic brakes up off the coast and Gonzalo hurries to help. He notices that one of the dead did not die naturally, but was murdered. As he tries to investigate this murder he runs into a wall of corrupt police who will do anything to keep their secret. Diversionary maneuvers include a bloody bank robbery and manhandling of the Gonzalo family.This is not the kind of book where the good guys suffer no lasting damage. It is written with a great deal of realism, and with feeling for the people of Puerto Rico. It is a wonderful book, well written with fully rounded characters.

powerful opening police procedural

Desperate for work, Marcos agrees to sail from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico with nine illegal immigrants on board. However, a wary and worried Marcos leaves his small hometown with twenty-two passengers in his hold and not much of his prepayment. They reach their destination with everyone, including Marcos, is dead, their bodies washing ashore.Luis Gonzalo, Sheriff of Angustias since the early 1970s, knows that recently the drug traffickers discovered his seaside town forcing the mayor to double the staff from three to six. Near retirement veteran Emilio Collazo and rookie Rosa Almodovar form one team. Computer guru Iris Calderon and wild man Hector Paredo are paired. Luis and San Juan transfer Abel Fernandez form the third squad. However, instead of just dealing with druggies and the occasional murder of passion (seven homicides since Luis joined the force in the sixties), the six cops finds themselves investigating a mass murder of illegal immigrants. The inquiry is further complicated by seemingly every other law enforcement organization preferring the case washed out to the sea rather than solved.PRECINCT PUERTO RICO BOOK ONE is a powerful opening police procedural that will remind the audience of the 87th Precinct novels. The story line is loaded with action as the three police teams investigate the major homicide case as well as what now appears to them as minor crimes. The deep personalities of the characters enable the audience to delineate each member of the sheriff's office and several prime secondary players too. Steven Torres provides a strong debut of a new series that sub-genre readers will welcome.Harriet Klausner