cover image The Last Client of Luis Montez

The Last Client of Luis Montez

Manuel Ramos. St. Martin's Press, $20.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-312-13997-1

Life looks good to Luis Montez, the Chicano lawyer introduced in The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz, who has just scored a surprising courtroom victory. Denver police and prosecutors thought they had an easy case against drug suspect Jimmy Esch, but Montez discovers an unconstitutional search and seizure that allows his client to walk. Within hours, though, Montez's outlook sours. Esch is murdered, and Montez, who find the body, quickly becomes the prime suspect of resentful cops. His only alibi is Esch's enigmatic sister Lisa, who had invited Montez to have a drink on the evening of the murder. When Lisa disappears, the lawyer realizes that he must uncover his own exculpating evidence. After hitchhiking west to question a cop involved in the Esch arrest, Montez returns to Denver to dodge police and smoke out Esch's killer. All the while, he and his family are strained by his elderly father's illness. Denver Legal Aid attorney Ramos's finely crafted tales contribute a welcome Hispanic voice to the mystery genre. (Mar.)