L.A. defense attorney Jimmy Payne, overwhelmed by guilt and grief at his son’s death, also loses his wife, Sharon, to divorce, and morphs into “Royal” Payne to both cops and judges. It’s just a matter of time before he’s in deep trouble with both. Along with the trouble comes 12-year-old Agustino Perez, an illegal alien who is searching for his mother. Initially, Tino robs Payne, but Payne admires the boy’s toughness and determination and promises to help him find his mother. The trail takes them—dodging cops and assorted bad guys—from L.A. to Mexico and then back into the U.S. to confront a willful agri-tycoon who uses illegal aliens the way most people use Kleenex. Illegal is a riveting read, filled with action, pathos, and even humor. The portrait of the dangers and predations that Latinos face crossing the border is chilling and rings with authenticity. But the book’s best quality is the way Levine invests his characters with believable humanity. A compulsively readable yet character-driven thriller. --Thomas Gaughan
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