An immigration lawyer fights to keep her client from being deported to the country where his family was murdered many years ago. Then she finds out the killers are coming here—for both of them.   Seattle, Washington . Immigration attorney and single mom Laura Holban is an immigrant herself. Her newest undocumented client is Emilio Ramirez, who was arrested in front of his sons at their high school and scheduled for deportation. What Laura doesn't know is that Emilio's birth family was murdered in his home country many years ago. When Laura files for Emilio's asylum, false criminal charges prevent his release. Someone is following his family, and an ICE prosecutor threatens to revoke Laura's US citizenship. None of it makes any sense—until Laura uncovers an international conspiracy involving stolen data and human trafficking. Which puts her teenage daughter and Emilio's sons in mortal danger. Now the killers from the past come looking for the man who got away and the lawyer who's helping him. Can Laura and Emilio find a way to survive—and keep their children safe? If not, who will make it out alive? Buy this page-turner today! 2024 Independent Press Award Winner. 2023 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner. 2023 NYC Big Book Award Winner. "A humane, suspenseful thriller about immigration law and its fallout. (...) [A] legal thriller that lovers of humane suspense will enjoy for its fast pace, crusading hero, and character-driven storyline that doesn't skimp on tension or seedy, duplicitous characters. (...) [A] harrowing but empathetic story that captures the struggles and horrors faced by the undocumented and their families as they strive for a better and safe life in America. Arama captures a complex real-life bind in the language of a commercial thriller: how shedding and fleeing a dangerous past can lead to fighting unbending and unfeeling laws." —Editor's Pick, BookLife by Publishers Weekly "A remarkable cast sparks this incisive, riveting tale of intolerance. (...) Arama's taut narrative brims with tension and indelible characters. The author is sensitive to discrimination (...) and microaggressions: Several people make note of Laura's accent, as if she's a tourist in the country she's made her home. (...) Violence crops up in the final act, though it's nominal, and the ending packs a mean dramatic punch." — Kirkus Reviews "A genuinely gripping read. Roxana Arama has written a dynamic thriller that balances gritty realism with a keen sensitivity to the experiences of displacement, acculturation, and the human need for connection and belonging. The author's compassion is evident for those who flee danger in their own countries to seek a better life in the USA. As a Guatemalan-American who grew up nomadically, I found it refreshing to read a novel with protagonists originally from Guatemala and Romania who have chosen to become Americans—Americans who prove themselves to be extraordinarily brave while trying to lead regular lives. Extreme Vetting is a timely novel and deserves to be widely read." —Elizabeth Liang, award-winning creator of Alien Citizen: An Earth Odyssey "My good friend and fellow Seattleite [Roxana Arama] recently released her debut novel Extreme Vetting, and it is amazing! I don't usually read a lot of thrillers, but I wanted to read Roxana's because I'd heard so much about it while she was writing it, and I'm so glad I did. EV has rich characters and all the suspense, but Roxana did a really deep dive into the US immigration system when she was doing her research, and it shows. I learned so much! Brava!" —Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton series "A riveting thriller of suspense, politics, and one of the major social issues of our day, "Extreme Vetting" by author Roxana Arama is all the more impressive when considering that it is her debut as a novelist. "Extreme Vetting" is a deftly crafted novel that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Fiction collections. (...) [T]he stuff of which movies are made!" — Midwest Book Review "Extreme Vetting was unlike any thriller I have ever read; Arama kept me on my toes the entire novel, eager to know what the future holds for Emilio and his family. I appreciated how knowledgeable Arama was about the immigration process and her sensitivity to the struggles and major obstacles these peoples face. Truly a timely book, this novel can be an eye-opener to the violence and aggression so many immigrants are fleeing from." —5-Star Review, Seattle Book Review "Roxana Arama deftly tells the story of a complex America, one blanketed in hope for a better future while dogged by its dark imperfections. With an empathetic hand, she brings characters to life while weaving the alarming injustice of the immigrant struggle into a gritty, page-turning plot. A bold, thrilling story." —Karen Hugg, author of The Forgetting Flower and The Dark Petals of Provence "Fast-paced and chilling