"James Carlos Blake has long been one of my favorites, but his Wolfe family saga may be his best work to date."-Ace Atkins, on The House of WolfeLos Angeles Times Book Prize winner James Carlos Blake delves back into the dark realms of the Wolfe family, a clan whose roots run deep on both sides of the United States-Mexico border, and whose prevailing interests straddle both sides of the law.
Twenty years ago, college student Axel Prince Wolfe-heir apparent to his Texas family's esteemed law firm and its "shade trade" criminal enterprises-teamed up with his best friend, Billy, and a Mexican stranger in a high-end robbery that went wrong. Abandoned by his partners, he was captured and imprisoned, his family disgraced, his wife absconded, his infant daughter Jessie left an orphan. Two decades later, with eleven years still to serve, Axel has long since exhausted his desire for revenge against the partners who deserted him. All he wants now is to see the woman his daughter has become, despite her lifelong refusal to acknowledge him. When the chance comes to escape in the company of Cacho, a young Mexican inmate with ties to a major cartel, Axel takes it, and a massive manhunt ensues, taking the pair down the Rio Grande and into a desert inferno. With his chance to see Jessie now within reach, a startling discovery re-ignites an old passion and sends Axel headlong toward reckonings many years in the making.
Racing across desolate landscapes from West Texas to the Gulf of Mexico,
The Ways of Wolfe is the taut story of one man's love for a daughter he has never met and his fateful struggle with his own reckless spirit.
A Mexican-American convict escapes prison to find his daughter in this "gripping ride" by the Los Angeles Times Book Prize–winning author of The House of Wolfe (Arizona Daily Star).
Axel Prince Wolfe was the heir apparent to his Texas family's law firm and its 'shade trade' criminal enterprises. Then he took part in a robbery that went wrong. Abandoned by his partners, he was the only one caught. His family was disgraced, his wife absconded, and his infant daughter Jessie was left an orphan.
Two decades later, Axel has given up his desire for revenge against his partners. All he wants is to see the woman his daughter has become, despite her lifelong refusal to acknowledge him. With eleven years left to serve, Axel escapes with a young Mexican inmate, evading a massive manhunt by heading down the Rio Grande and into a desert inferno. But as his chance to see Jessie comes within reach, a startling discovery sends Axel headlong toward a reckoning many years in the making.
Winner of the Maltese Falcon Award and the Grand Prix du Roman Noir Étranger, James Carlos Blake has been hailed as "one of the most original writers in America today." The Ways of Wolfe continues his acclaimed saga of the Wolfe family (Chicago Sun-Times).
"James Carlos Blake has long been one of my favorites, but his Wolfe family saga may be his best work to date." —Ace Atkins, on The House of Wolfe
Praise for The Ways of Wolfe:
"The Ways of Wolfe exhibits James Carlos Blake's hallmark fast-paced, pummeling style, but it also proves to be a character study and a sort of examination of the allure of the unlawful . . . A rewarding, vividly wrought, gripping ride."-Arizona Daily Star
"Atmospherically, the book is rich and intense. The hot southwestern border is as distinctive and central to the book as snowy Minnesota was for Fargo . . . Blake's world [is] filled with hard men and mute consciences. Fans of dark noir about the seedier aspects of humanity will find a lot to appreciate."-Strand Magazine
"Blood loyalty, forgiveness, and the consequences of violence all figure in Blake's outstanding fourth Border Noir featuring the Wolfes . . . Tough, muscular prose complements Blake's powerful storytelling."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"You must read James Carlos Blake's books . . . every page, every paragraph, every book is a gem. His latest offering is no exception . . . [Blake's] characters are instantly memorable . . . his plots twisting and turning in their unpredictability from beginning to end . . . a dark, beautiful slice of border noir that continues Blake's multifaceted exploration of the Wolfe family. I hope that the series goes on forever."-Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter
"Blake is a writer fans will follow anywhere. He brings the border to life with blunt precision and evokes the lionization of outlaws that can be found there . . . Extremely satisfying, right up to the noir ending."-Booklist
Praise for James Carlos Blake:
"James Carlos Blake has long been one of my favorites, but his Wolfe family saga may be his best work to date . . . Brilliant and uncompromising, Blake again proves why he's one of the best writers working today."-Ace Atkins, on The House of Wolfe
"A writer with as many fine and wonderful skills as those possessed by James Carlos Blake should be well-known and embraced."-Daniel Woodrell, on The House of Wolfe
"Suspenseful . . . Readers who enjoy action, adventure and lethal weaponry will relish every moment."-Washington Post, on The Rules of Wolfe
"[Blake] writes of grisly death and violence like a singing Gaelic bard . . . [A] tough, honed-to-the-bone thriller."-Dallas Morning News, on The Rules of Wolfe
"A hard-edged, fast-moving thriller that will hold your attention hostage-good luck getting away."-Booklist (starred review), on The House of Wolfe
