'Illegal' - A Tale of Drug Wars and Human Trafficking

A Missing Woman, a Shady Lawyer, and a Perilous Road Trip

LOS ANGELES, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- A woman is kidnapped and her 12-year-old
son forced to carry drugs. Predators on both sides of the border chase mother
and child. And a midnight border crossing explodes in gunfire.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/LA87153)

If that sounds ripped from today's headlines, it is. Just this week, The Los
Angeles Times reported that Mexican drug cartels are taking over human
trafficking operations. "Illegal" (Bantam Hardcover), the new novel by
award-winning author Paul Levine, probes both worlds.

The story begins when twelve-year-old Tino Perez maims a Mexican drug lord
who assaulted his mother, Marisol. That sends mother and son on a desperate
run to the U.S. where they're intercepted by the Border Patrol. Marisol goes
missing. Tino - with no money, no papers, and no fear - finds his way to Los
Angeles where he teams up with Jimmy Payne, a lawyer planning to skip town
after his latest scrape with the law.

The cynical lawyer and the savvy kid track Marisol from migrant stash houses
to the lush fields of central California. It's there they encounter Simeon
Rutledge, a mega-grower whose family has employed - and abused - migrants for
three generations. Payne takes on the powerful Rutledge in an explosive
confrontation with Marisol's life on the line.

"Illegal" probes the shadowy world of drug trafficking, illegal immigration,
and sex slavery. A thriller with a social conscience, the book presents
arguments - economic, legal and moral - on all sides of the dispute over
broken borders. Already, "Illegal" is gathering glowing reviews.

"A riveting read filled with action, pathos, and even humor. Chilling and
rings with authenticity." -Booklist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul Levine is an award-winning author of legal thrillers. Solomon vs. Lord
was nominated for the Macavity Award and the Thurber Prize. The Deep Blue
Alibi was nominated for an Edgar, and Kill All the Lawyers was a finalist for
the International Thriller Writers Award. He won the John D. MacDonald Award
for his critically acclaimed Jake Lassiter series. He also wrote the CBS
military drama JAG.

For more information: http://www.paul-levine.com

EDITORS: For a review copy or an interview, contact
paul.publications@gmail.com or Wendy Sachs (212) 981-5180.

Related Links:
http://www.paul-levine.com/
http://www.bloodonthepage.com
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/new_releases/

SOURCE Nittany Valley Productions, Inc.

Wendy Sachs, +1-212-981-5180, for Nittany Valley Productions, Inc.