In the Heat-Ian Vasquez

In the Heat
Ian Vasquez
St. Martin’s, Jun 2008, $23.95
ISBN: 9780312378097

In Belize, thirty five years old Miles Young has seen better days as a top middleweight contender, but based on losing to a journey level Mexican recently, he knows his big pay days especially in the States are over. Still he needs to find work to support his preadolescent daughter Lani; her mother deserted them a couple of years ago.

His local promoter Manny Marchand introduces Miles to wealthy Isabel Gilmore. She offers him $3000 to search for her seventeen year old daughter Rian who ran away with Joel Tablada, son of the former corrupt police chief Marlin . If he finds her before she turns eighteen and legally becomes an adult, a few days away, she will give him 3K more. To sweeten the pot, Manny offers 30K, after negotiations, to fight former champ Hakeen Wahen on the comeback trail. Miles accepts, but his trainer’s lawyer warns him to be careful when dealing with Isabel who uses Marlin’s firm for security; she has an agenda of sorts and it does not involve retrieving her runaway daughter.

This is an enjoyable amateur sleuth tale that focuses on a world class athlete after the skills have begun to deteriorate. Miles is terrific whether he is taking care of his child, preparing for a fight, unsure of his feelings towards his girlfriend, and untrusting of his client not just because the lawyer warned him; but her logic for hiring a non-pro seems false. Belize serves as a nice backdrop though more emphasis on the country would make IN THE HEAT a heavyweight champ. Still this is a strong character driven mystery in which the audience will be engaged for fifteen action-packed rounds.

Harriet Klausner