The laughing falcon

Originally published in 2002 and nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel

A blend of thriller, satire, and romance with a shocking twist

Romance novelist Maggie Schneider flees snowy Canada for Costa Rica, seeking inspiration ... and maybe even a romantic encounter. She finds far more than she expected when she's kidnapped by a rag-tag gang led by a handsome, charismatic revolutionary called Halcon: the Falcon. Also held hostage for ransom is Halcon's main target, the flirtatious wife of a right-wing U.S. senator, who seeks to capture the Republican nomination as U.S. president.

Enter burned-out ex–secret agent Slack Cardinal, the protagonist of Deverell's third novel, Mecca. Now he has changed his name and is hiding out in the Costa Rican jungles, working as a tour guide. But he is found there by CIA operative Ham Bakerfield and reluctantly pressed into service to try to rescue the women.