From Publishers WeeklyNear the start of Balmaseda's suspense-lite debut, gun-toting DEA agents burst into the house of Dulce Maria Mary Guevara, a divorced Miami, Fla., realtor, and arrest her, having mistaken Mary for cocaine queen bee Maria Guevara Portilla. The charges are eventually dropped, but the stigma remains. After Mary's boss puts her on mandatory leave and her ex-husband persuades a judge to give him full custody of their young son, Mary embarks on an improbable journey to do what the DEA can't: track down Bad Mary to clear her own name for good. While the author has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for journalism, Balmaseda can't resist chick litworthy twists and turns, including a breathless encounter with a high school sweetheart and a come-to-Jesus moment when Sweet Mary meets Bad Mary's young daughter. Screenplay-style scene intros and uninspired character development don't help. (July) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. "Liz Balmaseda is a gifted writer and a keen-eyed journalist, and Sweet Mary shimmers with authentic Florida heat. It's not often you find a thriller so richly textured, and so true to the culture and soul of its setting."-- Carl Hiaasen, New York Times bestselling author of Skinny Dip and Nature Girl"Sweet Mary, Liz Balmaseda's emotional, inventive and provocative writing, engrosses you in the most satisfying of ways."-- Andy Garcia, Academy Award-nominated actor"This book is teeming with sexy South Florida characters, but the biggest turn-on in Sweet Mary is Mary herself, a soulful, ass-kicking single mom who goes all out for the only real man in her life -- her son."-- Carlos Coto, co-executive producer of 24"Pulitzer Prize-winning Florida journalist Balmaseda makes her fiction debut with a fast-paced tale of mistaken identity and gutsy vigilante justice...Slick, efficient and spare, this story smokes like a well-rolled cigar. " -- Kirkus s"A drug bust, law enforcement run amok, vigilante justice -- Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Liz Balmaseda transforms today's headlines into Sweet Mary, an exhilarating fictional debut....[Sweet Mary] will resonate with readers long after today's six o'clock news has been forgotten."-- Carlos J. Queirs, AARP SegundaJuventud"Former Miami Herald reporter and two-time Pulitzer winner Liz Balmaseda goes from star journalist to debut novelist with her sleek ripped-from-the-headlines Sweet Mary....Sweet Mary is a wild ride, not just for Maria but for the reader." -- The Miami Herald"[Liz Balmaseda] knocks readers in the gut with her fast-paced fictional debut." -- Associated PressAbout the AuthorLiz Balmaseda (born January 17, 1959, Puerto Padre, Cuba) is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a writer for The Palm Beach Post and a former columnist for The Miami Herald. She was awarded her first Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1993 for her writings on the plight of Haitian refugees and the Cuban-American population. She shared a second Pulitzer forbreaking-news reporting in 2001, for thecoverage of the federal raid to seize refugeeElin Gonzlez. what blogs should i read Sweet Mary: A Novel
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Hada Moreirabought because she is a relative0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great FunBy B. KellerLiz Balmaseda's first book is a winner. It's a fun read with a plausible plot,an exotic background,interesting characters and a satisfying conclusion. I suggest you grab this book, get down to the beach (lake, river, pool, whatever), mix up a Mango Sour (recipe found in the book),crack it open and enjoy the ride! A great summer read. I look forward to more Sweet Mary adventures. I'm leaving one star off because I expect Liz to get better with her next effort!0 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Very interesting!By Nancy GeorgeI sent this book to my 95 year-old Mom who is a voracious reader. She really liked it! Thought it was most interesting.N