Rico Lopez is a twice-divorced, moderately successful Mexican immigrant who is living the life of a small business owner when unexpectedly, an agent from the local DEA office shows up with a strange request. He would like to hire Rico for one day to go undercover and gather intel for them on a suspected drug cartel leader. Unfortunately, the seemingly easy, one-time assignment goes bad, and Rico is drawn into a life as a drug agent that while dangerous, also energizes him and forces him to draw on strengths he never knew he had. Rico's relationship with Mike Andress, the charismatic agent who hired him, is at the heart of the story. At times, as his operations intensify in danger and complexity, Rico becomes scared or disenchanted. But Mike persuades him to keep going, and over time, Rico realizes he's not only a good undercover agent but he's also never been happier in his life. As his confidence grows, Rico gets romantically entangled with a sexy, saucy woman who sees Rico as her very own James Bond. Their torrid love life adds a complicating wrinkle but fortunately, before things get too out of hand, Rico's first wife re-enters the picture and gets Rico centered again. This fast-moving tale, with its ordinary hero and a rich cast of nuanced, supporting characters, leads the reader through a series of improbable events until, sooner than the reader would like, the story with a twist that caps it off perfectly.
