A World of Hurt

In her latest thriller (following To Catch a Storm), Mejia explores the opposite lives of a young woman named Kara and an Iowa cop named Max, who must work together to bring down a criminal enterprise. Kara is battling grief and intent on revenge after her lover died protecting her from a drug kingpin. Max gets an assignment to work with a DEA task force to dismantle a drug ring, and Kara is the key. They are going undercover, and Max needs to become a great babysitter. The circumstances rapidly change, and Kara and Max must rely on each other to complete the mission and survive. Mejia has crafted an intense and emotional novel. Max and Kara’s almost paternal relationship is antagonistic but also layered and realistic. It’s a terrific scenario as the two are forced to rely on each other as the people they would normally reach out to for support crumble. Paranoia and deceit follow.