The Mexican Gardener

He is tall, dark and handsome, an excellent marksman and skilled jet pilot, so what is he doing, working for a beautiful, Oscar-winning film actress as a gardener? He seems like so many other Mexican and Central Americans, toiling anonymously in our yards and gardens. But there is a dramatic difference: Jose is actually a world-class scientist, hiding from a murderous drug cartel which plans to unleash a vicious chemical attack against the hated “Anglos,” and restore the fabled “Aztlan Empire” in the southwestern United States. Not least amongst his enemies is a childhood “friend,” now a powerful titan of industry. Jose is a member of a secret clique of distinguished scientists working undercover to thwart this terrible conspiracy, but time is growing short and there are many unsuspected enemies.

In this, his 8th published novel, Len Lamensdorf has once again deployed his remarkable knowledge of history, geography and current events, to create a spell-binding, suspense-laden thriller. Both Jose and his arch-enemy are skillfully drawn, compelling characters, and their collision cannot have a fraternal ending. Len weaves much of his tale into settings in and around Santa Barbara, California, where he lived for decades. This sinister story is all the more intriguing, framed against the stunning beauty of its location: the threat of catastrophe in paradise. Lamensdorf does not concoct this menace out of thin air; rather it seems all too possible in the light of recent, shocking revelations.