Lives Laid Away

By: Stephen Mack Jones

Narrated by: Luis Moreno

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Detroit ex-cop August Snow takes up vigilante justice when his beloved neighborhood of Mexicantown is caught in the crosshairs of a human-trafficking scheme.

When the body of an anonymous young Hispanic woman dressed as Queen Marie Antoinette is dredged from the Detroit River, the Detroit Police Department wants the case closed out fast. Wayne County coroner Dr. Bobby Falconi gives the woman’s photo to his old pal August Snow, insisting August show it around his native Mexicantown to see if anyone recognizes her.

August’s good friend Elena, a prominent advocate for undocumented immigrants, recognizes the woman immediately. Her story is one the authorities don’t want getting around - and she’s not the only young woman to have disappeared during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid only to turn up dead a few weeks later.

Preyed upon by the law itself, the people of Mexicantown have no one to whom to turn. August Snow, ex-police detective, will not sit by and watch his neighbors suffer in silence. In a guns-blazing wild ride across Detroit, from its neo-Nazi biker hole-ups to its hip-hop recording studios, its swanky social clubs to its seedy nightclubs, August puts his own life on the line to protect the community he loves.

©2019 Stephen Mack Jones (P)2019 Recorded Books

Simply love this author

Too many to count. The method the story is told, one can visually picture the actions and scenes. I simply love the Latin/Mexican/American recipes.

Great story about harsh truths

This was a well written crime drama. I especially enjoyed the supporting characters like Elena and her husband. It was a vivid portrayal of Mexicantown and the surrounding areas. It deftly described the dichotomy of the diversity of SE Michigan and the dangerous hate groups throughout the state. Everyone I know, knows to avoid certain towns and author Jones brings the reader in on it while telling a compelling story about humanity, race and justice.

Excellent book and performance

Luis Moreno brings magnificent life to the award winning words of Stephen Mack Jones. Excellent writing and equally wonderful performance.

great story great performance

the narrator is amazing and the story was great. I hope this gets turned into a TV show

Disappointed

I loved the first book in this series, this book, the character, Octavia Snow cats, a little unrealistic with how many people he can shoot and kill and he doesn’t get hurt. Also, it gets a little political which I do not appreciate in authors. He feels that undocumented people should be left alone and doesn’t seem to see the other side of the equation where there are a lot of other hard-working people coming from those same countries that are trying to do it the correct way and the lawful way.

Excellent!

These series is gritty and real. If you’re not interested in either of those, look elsewhere for a different title. Thoroughly enjoyable, fast paced and well read.

Today’s World 😒

A real world look at the way our country accepts or rejects people from other countries based on race.

Drowned in machismo & violence

Hiding behind the worship of senseless and endless confrontations purportedly “resolved” by impossible heroic violence, is a story of moral corruption.

Not like the 1st one

I really enjoyed the first in this series so I was excited to try this one but it's not good. 1st: a little banter, sarcasm, absurd threats or snark is OK but every character in almost every conversation doing it is exhausting. 2nd: there are too many characters bringing nothing to the story but snark and childish fights. It was hard to follow who was who or why they were even mentioned. 3rd: I do not condone illegal immigration but this book seems written just to justify it, complete with misplaced righteous indignation and physical attacks on ICE agents trying to do their jobs.
I finally could take no more, stopped listening and returned it.

Immigration Politics, not a story

Unfortunately, I wasted my time (about 1 hr) and my money on this one. This isn't a story. This is propaganda, painting everyone who is anti- illegal immigration to be cold hearted and abusive. HORRIBLE!!!