A Mexican-American convict escapes prison to find his daughter in this "gripping ride" by the Los Angeles Times Book Prize–winning author of The House of Wolfe ( Arizona Daily Star ). Axel Prince Wolfe was the heir apparent to his Texas family's law firm and its 'shade trade' criminal enterprises. Then he took part in a robbery that went wrong. Abandoned by his partners, he was the only one caught. His family was disgraced, his wife absconded, and his infant daughter Jessie was left an orphan. Two decades later, Axel has given up his desire for revenge against his partners. All he wants is to see the woman his daughter has become, despite her lifelong refusal to acknowledge him. With eleven years left to serve, Axel escapes with a young Mexican inmate, evading a massive manhunt by heading down the Rio Grande and into a desert inferno. But as his chance to see Jessie comes within reach, a startling discovery sends Axel headlong toward a reckoning many years in the making. Winner of the Maltese Falcon Award and the Grand Prix du Roman Noir Étranger, James Carlos Blake has been hailed as "one of the most original writers in America today." The Ways of Wolfe continues his acclaimed saga of the Wolfe family ( Chicago Sun-Times ). "James Carlos Blake has long been one of my favorites, but his Wolfe family saga may be his best work to date." —Ace Atkins, on The House of Wolfe Praise for The Ways of Wolfe : “ The Ways of Wolfe exhibits James Carlos Blake’s hallmark fast-paced, pummeling style, but it also proves to be a character study and a sort of examination of the allure of the unlawful . . . A rewarding, vividly wrought, gripping ride.” — Arizona Daily Star “Atmospherically, the book is rich and intense. The hot southwestern border is as distinctive and central to the book as snowy Minnesota was for Fargo . . . Blake’s world [is] filled with hard men and mute consciences. Fans of dark noir about the seedier aspects of humanity will find a lot to appreciate.” — Strand Magazine "Blood loyalty, forgiveness, and the consequences of violence all figure in Blake's outstanding fourth Border Noir featuring the Wolfes . . . Tough, muscular prose complements Blake's powerful storytelling." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “You must read James Carlos Blake’s books . . . every page, every paragraph, every book is a gem. His latest offering is no exception . . . [Blake’s] characters are instantly memorable . . . his plots twisting and turning in their unpredictability from beginning to end . . . a dark, beautiful slice of border noir that continues Blake’s multifaceted exploration of the Wolfe family. I hope that the series goes on forever.” —Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter "Blake is a writer fans will follow anywhere. He brings the border to life with blunt precision and evokes the lionization of outlaws that can be found there . . . Extremely satisfying, right up to the noir ending." — Booklist Praise for James Carlos Blake: "James Carlos Blake has long been one of my favorites, but his Wolfe family saga may be his best work to date . . . Brilliant and uncompromising, Blake again proves why he's one of the best writers working today." —Ace Atkins, on The House of Wolfe "A writer with as many fine and wonderful skills as those possessed by James Carlos Blake should be well-known and embraced." —Daniel Woodrell, on The House of Wolfe "Suspenseful . . . Readers who enjoy action, adventure and lethal weaponry will relish every moment." — Washington Post , on The Rules of Wolfe "[Blake] writes of grisly death and violence like a singing Gaelic bard . . . [A] tough, honed-to-the-bone thriller." — Dallas Morning News , on The Rules of Wolfe "A hard-edged, fast-moving thriller that will hold your attention hostage—good luck getting away." — Booklist (starred review), on The House of Wolfe James Carlos Blake was the author of thirteen novels, including The House of Wolfe , The Rules of Wolfe , which was shortlisted for the CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger Award and named one of Booklist 's Best 101 Crime Novels of the Past Decade, and Country of the Bad Wolfes . He was a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and a recipient of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for In the Rogue Blood . He was born in Mexico, raised in Texas, and lived in Arizona. They're only a hundred yards from the prison and still in blurry sight of it_and less than a mile from where the road ahead curves west and out of sight behind a range of hills_when, through the pounding of the rain, they hear the rising wail of Zanco's lockdown sirens. "They're on to us!" Axel says. "Go! Hit it!" says Cacho. As the van gains speed, there's a thunk-pock of a bullet piercing the roof and forming a starburst near the bottom of the windshield an instant before they hear the rifle shot. "Floor it!" Cacho shouts. "It's floored!" the driver says. "It's four-cylinder." The tower guard is armed with a semiautomatic Ruger and its reports come in quick succession.