Disappeared

Stork, Francisco X. Disappeared. Book 1 of the Disappeared series. 2017. 329p. ISBN 9780545944472. Available at FIC STO on the library shelves.

Sara and her brother Emiliano live in Juàrez, Mexico, with their mother. It was always Emiliano's dream that he and his father would open a food truck together, but his father left to work in the United States, and found love up there, leaving the family behind. Whereas Sara has adapted to her father's absence, Emiliano continually resents his father for abandoning them.

Sara works for a local newspaper, conducting investigations in the criminal world that dominates the city. When her best friend is kidnapped by the cartel, Sara decides to risk her own life to find out what happened to her. As she pursues leads, her life becomes increasingly in danger, and she soon realizes she is surrounded by spies and enemies that wish her harm.

Emiliano is in love with Perla Rubi, who comes from a rich family. An enterprising young man, Emiliano has worked with some local children to create art that he then sells for export to the United States. He also collects bottles from a local night club and resells them, hoping to make enough money to buy a motorcycle, which would allow him to expand his business. Offered an opportunity to meet with a businessman, Emiliano quickly learns that he would be joining the cartel and his art would be used to smuggle drugs.

With their lives in the balance, each member of the family must make an impossible decision that could destroy everything they have worked for. Can Sara and Emiliano successfully bring justice to the cartel and keep their lives?

A vigorous drama that switches between Sara and Emiliano's point of view, this book is not for the faint of heart. Fans of criminal investigation will appreciate how easy it would be for Emiliano to join the cartel and live a life of crime, and what rewards he would get from that. They will also like Sara's dedication to truth and justice, even putting her life on the line to rescue her best friend from sexual slavery. 

The story continues in Illegal.