April 1914 and war correspondent Christopher Marlowe 'Kit' Cobb arrives in Vera Cruz, Mexico, to cover the country's civil war. A passionate believer in the power of a free press, Kit is no mere observer. He assumes a false identity to pursue German diplomat Friedrich von Mensinger en route to a meeting with revolutionary leader Pancho Villa, and Cobb soon finds himself up to his neck in political intrigue. Along the way he's nearly shot by a mysterious sniper, joins forces with a double agent and falls in love with a headstrong young Mexican woman who may be mixed up in the revolutionary plot. An exciting tale of intrigue and espionage, Pulitzer Prizer winner Robert Olen Butler's powerful historical thriller is not to be missed. 'A thinking person's historical thriller' - Washington Post
"The Hot Country draws on many elements of the traditional adventure yarn, including disguises, fist fights and foot races, double agents and alluring young women who may be honey traps or spies... though in prose that has been written with serious attention... this first report makes you want to read on into the war correspondent's second edition"
Guardian
"'Lately, I find myself drawn to literary thrillers: stories powered by a full-throttle narrative, driven by sharply drawn characters whose every turn has been carefully plotted'"
Thirsty
"'combines a fast-moving plot with characters of a complexity that is not always found in such fiction'"
