Wintner's latest Mexican margarita blends plenty of escapism with a dash of social consciousness. It's a formula that has served Wintner well before, in Homunculus, The Prophet Pasqual
and other novels set in exotic vacation locales; here again he provides sex, lush description of beautiful places and a peek into the machinery that makes such places work. Antonio Garza is a pool worker with charm and ambition in equal measure. He entertains guests poolside during the day, then pads his wages after the sun goes down by providing "service" to Mrs. Mayfair, a lusty resort guest a generation older. Antonio is the nominal head of a small clan of hotel workers that includes his slow-witted brother, Baldo, and Lyria, Antonio's long-time betrothed, a maid who cleans the same rooms that Antonio visits at night. Antonio has his economic climb planned in slow, steady increments, but his journey is disrupted when Baldo suddenly lops off the head of a local fisherman. This lands Antonio in the grip of the harsh Mexican penal system. Wintner, despite his best efforts, is more suited to bedroom whispers than prison beatings. Happily, Antonio is freed and the book regains its bearings, returning to its task of pairing everyone up and finding a way for them to live happily ever after. Wintner is careful to show that exploitation can happen anywhere—north or south of the border—but he maintains a light touch. This book is best suited to being read, cocktail in hand, while a real-life Antonio wanders by. (Nov.)
