Jessica Garrison

This book tells us the incredible story of Jose Martinez's reign of terror in California's Central Valley, spanning over 3 states and almost 4 decades. I was completely engrossed as I read about his childhood being a dirt poor farm worker and losing his father. It was then his mother married a well known drug dealer in the area, and Martinez was taught how to shoot guns and smuggle drugs.

His first killing was a man who he had been told raped a woman, although nothing ever proved it. He also show more shot a man for parking in his driveway and yet another for calling his eldest daughter a B****. He made money by contact killings, delivering drugs, threatening people, and taking people to and from Mexico. Yet, he had his family fooled the whole time, being a nice, giving family member and giving away the money he had made doing his terrible deeds. It's almost like he considered himself the Robin Hood, although he went by the nickname of El Mano Negra, "The Black Hand".

Now other parts of the book were interesting don't get me wrong, but they really didn't tie in with the story so when I read the working conditions of the farmworkers in Central Valley, how they were sprayed with pesticides, how they had little to no help from the police, how they did not have clean drinking water, I was a little disappointed. I found myself feeling sorry for them, but I was more interested in reading about Martinez.

Thank You Net Galley for another free sample. show less