Do They Know I'm Running? Paperback - 2010

Summary

Media reviews

"Eighteen-year-old Roque Montalvo must travel from California’s East Bay to El Salvador to help Tio Faustino illegally reenter the U.S. Faustino has been arrested in an illegal-immigration sweep in Oakland and immediately deported. Faustino’s son has made the arrangements for passage with MS-13, the Salvadoran multinational gang. But Roque soon learns that he must also shepherd a mysterious Arab as well as rescue Lupe, a beautiful, terrified, embittered, young Salvadoran woman, who is to be given to a psychotic MS-13 lieutenant en route. The journey is perilous, but so, author Corbett makes clear, is life for illegal aliens in California. Corbett is covering familiar ground (Blood of Paradise, 2007) but in this powerful, evocative, character-driven novel, he has written what should be a breakout success. What drives Corbett’s characters to risk death, violent gangs, ICE, armed “Minutemen,” deportation, and life as a fugitive in the U.S? As the Arab says to Lupe: “Yes, there is little hope in the world. But without America, there is none. Despite everything, you will have a chance.” Readers who devour and then forget formulaic crime novels won’t soon forget this one."--Booklist, starred review

"With lyrical yet muscular prose, an ahead-of-the-headlines plot, and utterly believable characters, David Corbett's Do They Know I'm Running? is nothing short of superb. This is not just a thriller, but an elegant novel, full of heart, soul, music, food, cruelty, betrayal, poverty and love. The line runs through Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene, straight on to David Corbett. I'm not kidding. He's that good."—John Lescroart, author of A Plague of Secrets

"A scintillating, politically fuelled mystery that grabs you by the heart and never, never lets up. Think Graham Greene writing today with the narrative drive of Michael Connelly. Borders–in every sense of the word–are transformed and manipulated by writing that seems as effortless as it is compelling. Rarely does a novel knock you totally out of the park; this one does."—Ken Bruen, author of The Guard

"David Corbett's new novel is a bold look into the darkness that is human-trafficking, a sharp revelation of the intended and unintended consequences of such evil. With powerful and observant prose he takes us on the smuggling routes, into the lives of those involved, the moments of terror and of hope. After reading Do They Know I'm Running? you can't plead ignorance anymore."—Daniel Woodrell, author of Winter's Bone