An Inconsequential Murder - a political crime novel

Recent events in Mexico prove that the "War on Drugs" is not being won by anybody, and is being lost by all. Dozens of murders each day, billions of dollars invested in the war--money which could have been used to fight poverty and disease--are being wasted, and fear, suffering, and social dis array are widespread.

My novel deals with a central issue to this "war": legalization. For years there have been rumors and even public pronouncements by public figures hinting at the struggle between legalization and anti-legalization groups on both sides of the Mexico-US border. Conservatives in Mexico and in the US have traditionally opposed legalization of even the most "benign" of the currently outlawed drugs, that is, marijuana. On the other hand, liberal groups not only point to the success other countries have had in legalizing and controlling the use of such substances, but also of the regulatory measures which have kept usage in check of other substances such as the liquor and cigarettes.

Another question posed in my book concerns the lack of desire exhibited by the US government and the general population in the US to fight the consumption of drugs and the sale of armament to the Drug Cartels.

Most Mexicans believe, and with some validity, that if the Drug Cartels are exporting tons of drugs into the US, three things are evident: one, somebody is letting them into the US, two, the drug market there is bigger than anyone cares to admit, and three, past, present, and future governments of the US are content to portray this as a Mexican problem (of supply) and not an American problem (of demand).

The novel describes the murder of a young man in Monterrey, Mexico, a large, industrial city located in the country's northeast. The subsequent investigation discovers a "legalization war" involving public and private citizens of both countries, as well as the illegal activities of governmental institutions concerning the issue, from both sides of the border.

This is not a pitch for you to buy the book (although I would not mind if you do so) but rather a discussion of the issues that are part of the book's plot. In a future post I will provide a link to an excerpt of the book (as well as to the book itself). I would appreciate any comments not only on the matters mentioned above, but also on the book or the excerpt itself.