Mirage by Tony Burnett is a gritty crime thriller set along the US-Mexico border in South Texas, where corruption, human trafficking, and drugs flow freely under the desert sun. Carrie James, the first female deputy sheriff of Bee County, is a survivor, and her focus is on the need to find out why Carlos, her childhood friend, was murdered. What she uncovers is worse than expected. Carlos and Miguel were involved in human trafficking, but something goes horribly wrong, and tough decisions have to be made. When Carrie comes face to face with Kevin Cash, a man constantly on the search for opportunity and money, they unite to work undercover to bring down the enemy they both face. Neither of them likes or trusts the other, and their uneasy alliance against a corrupt administration will ignite a chain of events with catastrophic consequences.

Tony Burnett’s Mirage is a hard-boiled thriller with plenty of atmosphere and tension. This isn’t your average good-vs-evil story; it centers on two sets of characters – Carlos/Miguel and Cash/Carrie. The characters are all equally well-developed, and, as the plot unfolds, you learn everything you need to know about each of them. The chapters flit between each character’s story, gradually weaving together into a story that tells all – a deputy sheriff motivated by a personal reckoning, a hustler who walks a fine line between corruption and honesty, and a pair of human traffickers whose operation goes badly wrong. The action is non-stop and, as you would expect with a story like this, there is some violence along the way. Several threads – smuggling, drugs, cartels, personal betrayal - all converge on one another in an explosive tale of corruption and greed, where the tension rises gradually, building up steam until the explosive ending. This is an emotionally charged, character-driven story ideal for anyone who enjoys hard-hitting stories with depth, a strong plot, and fun characters.

In Mirage: A Cash & Carrie Adventure by Tony Burnett, eighteen young women were being trafficked by Miguel and Carlos. The women were lured with promises of a better life, but everyone’s life was turned upside down when their truck broke down. The tragic consequences changed the lives of everyone involved. Carrie, who once babysat Carlos, is devastated by his murder. Carrie has many unanswered questions surrounding his death and is determined to uncover the truth. Carrie became Bee County’s first female deputy sheriff and stepped into this role with courage and determination. Carrie met Kevin Cash through a friend. Cash is an arrogant DJ who annoys Cassie. Cash becomes involved with the unstable daughter of a trafficking boss. Cash and Carrie confronted corruption and danger, and their morals and resilience were tested.

Mirage by Tony Burnett was fast-paced with action that never stopped, and the characters are relatable and realistic. Carrie turned into a strong and determined woman after all her childhood trauma. Cash was complex. His reckless DJ charm was irritating, but the real person inside him had survival instincts. Both Carrie and Cash were struggling to survive systems that could destroy them. With all the twists and turns, I never knew what to expect next, and I was surprised every time. The different story threads came together beautifully. The chapters that described the young Carrie and Cash were excellent. This way, I got to know them better and understood where they came from. The book was skilfully written and had my attention throughout. I very much enjoyed reading this book.