Corridor of Death Along Saints Cross, the Santa Cruz River

Corridor of Death is a novel about the homicide of aEl Tigre, a Ricardo Baca, Tucsonas son, and a contender for the welter weight boxing championship. It is also about two real corridors of death. The first cuts a swath through the aSouthsidea of Tucson. Its portal is a hundred year-old church. It meanders three miles through Tucsonas predominately Hispanic neighborhoods, ending at a modern day icon, a Circle-K. The second begins at Nogales Wash. It follows the land north, ignoring the International Boundary, and joins the winding passageway of Santa Cruz River by cutting a path through Altar Valley to Tucson. Rickyas death appears to be the result of drugs. Detective Karl Tedford, a professional boxer prior to becoming a policeman, was a friend of El Tigre. His investigation leads to Mexico and the Maquiladora plants that have brought Mexicans to the border area from deep in Southern Mexico as the result of NAFTA. Karl promises to find the killers. He is determined to restore Rickyas honor. Along the way, he discovers there is more to life than his work.