Seven stories of desperation and death from a master of crime fictionSterling Associates recruited Satcher in the killing fields of Iraq. A marine who learned the brutalities and frustrations of war in Fallujah, Satcher was ideal for Sterling, a shadowy corporation whose business is to kill for America when the CIA can't. He comes to Guatemala, the deadliest nation in the Americas, to kidnap a Sinaloan cartel member and turn him against his family. There he meets Odilia, an idealistic young lawyer dedicated to raising her country from the mire. Both want to save Guatemala, but Satcher's method means destroying it first. This new story from the hard-boiled mind of David Corbett is a glimpse into a life most Americans prefer to ignore. Along with the six others in this volume, it provides a glimpse into the darkest corners of the modern world, and a reminder that hope springs even from the bloodiest soil. "Corbett writes crime with a deft touch, a professional investigator's knowledge, and a rare talent for telling details." -Mark Coggins, author of The Immortal Game "David Corbett writes with flair and passion, creating characters who live and breathe and do very bad things. I believed every word of it. Hit me again." -Robert Ferrigno, author of Flinch "[Corbett's] prose dazzles, cutting across the pages with passionate force." -Publishers WeeklyDavid Corbett spent fifteen years as an investigator for the San Francisco private detective agency Palladino & Sutherland, where he worked on numerous headline cases. In 2000, he sold his first thriller, The Devil's Redhead, which was nominated for Best First Novel for both the Anthony and Barry awards. His second novel, Done for a Dime (2003), was a New York Times Notable Book, and was followed by Blood of Paradise (2007)-nominated for the Edgar and named one of the Top Ten Mysteries and Thrillers of 2007 by the Washington Post. Do They Know I'm Running? (2010) received the Spinetingler Award for Best Novel: Rising Star Category. Killing Yourself to Survive is Corbett's latest work, and incudes "Pretty Little Parasite," which was selected for The Best American Mystery Stories 2009.