Michael Stephan Oates

The Stones in the Field Michael Stephan Oates

When Don Luis is taken from his farm at gunpoint, a wife, brother, sister-in-law and daughter must set aside their personal differences and fight for his return. Relationships are challenged, faith is questioned, and redemption is found in the most unlikely of places. Set in present-day Mexico and based on true events, the novel brings to light the now pandemic crime of kidnap for ransom once reserved for murderous mafias or drug running cartels. Blunt, edgy and disturbingly real, The Stones in the Field is a character-driven race of emotion told through the eyes of a family divided; the faithful wife Camila; the guilt-stricken brother Armando; Rosa, the vain sister; and Yolanda, the sweet and innocent daughter on the eve of her quince aNos. Juxtaposed with the family's battle for a peaceful resolution, is the cursed life of Gustavo Navarro, a trained assassin, battling demons of his own while forced to watch over the kidnapped Luis. When a ransom amount is agreed upon and an exchange of money for man arranged, the Castillos set off to retrieve their stolen patriarch. But in a world where money and violence reign, there is little room for happy endings.