The Last Client of Luis Montez

Hard-luck attorney Luis Montez has hit the big-time at last. He's successfully defended Jimmy Esch, the good-for-nothing son of a powerful Denver family. No small bonus, Jimmy's attractive sister Lisa is, as the saying goes, appreciative. It's enough to make a man quit moping about a lost love. What a difference a day makes. Inside of twenty-four hours, a cop rumored to have received bribes from Montez takes a header off a mountain, Jimmy Esch is found butchered, and the cops consider the attorney their top suspect. Lisa -- Montez's alibi -- has conveniently disappeared. As if all that wasn't enough, Montez must also cope with the news his father is in the hospital. Distracted by family strife and a media circus, Montez broods on the latest wrong turns in his life. Then he decides to act. Jumping bail, he heads across the Rockies to the barrios of San Diego. It's not easy to unravel the perfect set-up when you're down to your last cent. But Montez pursues the truths that will clear his name, and ultimately confronts the powerful force that is Family.

"Ramos knows his way in a courtroom and writes a vivid action scene. . . . The family world of these Chicanos is wonderfully outlined, and I only hope Ramos will fill in their history in coming installments of the series. This is good storytelling." --Washington Post

"Ramos tells a gripping story with panache and humor, offering an inventive plot, a cast of appealingly oddball characters, and a refreshing and likable hero." --Booklist

"Ramos's finely crafted tales contribute a welcome Hispanic voice to the mystery genre." --Publishers Weekly