Sleeping with Pancho Villa

Rick Skwiot's novels, Flesh and Sleeping With Pancho Villa, are like a fine pair of custom-made Mexican boots, crafted by hand in the good old way, with love and expertise and an eye for the important detail. You will get a lot of flash and wear from these babies and every step will surprise and comfort you as you make your way along the camino real.

The small Mexican town this novel is set in is virtually the main character. The author has captured the sense of the country in a way that makes me want to go back and appreciate the people better than I have as a tourist in the past.The murder mystery is a backdrop to the characters and setting, and kept me turning the pages. But what I remember best are the people and places. I'd like to hang out with them in the kind of town I would have driven through without noticing before. Skwiot creates a vivid world, draws you into it, and makes you want to stay.