From the dust jacket- On the surface, fifty-eight-year-old Jose Martinez didn't seem evil or even that remarkable- just a regular neighbor, good with cars, and devoted to his family. But in between taking his children to Disneyland and visiting his mom, Martinez was also one of the most skilled professional killers police had ever seen.
He tracked one victim to one of the wealthiest corners of America, a horse ranch in Santa Barbara, and shot him dead in the morning sunlight, setting off a decades-long manhunt. He shot another man, a farmworker, right in front of his young wife as they drove to work in the fields. The widow would wait decades for justice. Those were murders for hire. Other he killed for vengeance.
How did Martinez manage to evade law enforcement for so long with little more than a slap on the wrist? Because he understand a ark truth about the criminal justice system: if you kill the "right people"- people who are poor, who aren't white, and who don't have anyone to speak for them- you can get away with it.
Review-An interesting investigation into one of the most prolific killers for hire that America has ever seen. Garrison comes at this story from the beginning of Martinez's life and how that childhood shaped the man he would become. Garrison does her research, she interviews anyone involved in any of the cases that is willing to talk with her, some of the victims are still afraid of, The Manos Negra, The Black Hands as Martinez called himself. The reader follows more than just Martinez and the cops on his trail, the reader also follows the survivors of his murders, the families left behind. Their stories are moving, going from shock and grief to learning how to live without their fathers, husbands, and sons. The families are determined to survive and honor their lost loved ones. .I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to any true crime fans.
I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
