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Extreme Vetting

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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.

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Roxana Arama
thriller meets speculative fiction
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Extreme Vetting
Published February 7, 2023
  • Thriller
GoodReads
ISBN-13: 978-1947845381

Extreme Vetting: A Thriller

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, 2019. Attorney and single mom Laura Holban is an immigrant herself, guiding clients through a Kafkaesque system of ever-changing rules, where overworked judges make life-shattering decisions in minutes. Laura’s newest client is Emilio Ramirez, who was arrested in front of his sons at their high school and thrown in detention.

When Laura files for his 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 sense—until Laura uncovers a deadly conspiracy involving ICE, stolen data, and human trafficking. Which puts her daughter and Emilio’s sons in serious danger. Not to mention Laura and Emilio themselves.


Extreme Vetting was published on February 7, 2023 by Ooligan Press (Portland State University).

Signed copies can be purchased from Madison Books, 2022 finalist for Publishers Weekly’s Bookstore of the Year Award. Paperback copies are available at bookstores everywhere and can be requested from local libraries.

Upcoming book signing: American Romanian Cultural Society, Seattle, May 4, 2023. Please RSVP here.


 

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What readers say...

“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

“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.”

~ Theresa Kadair
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 from the moment you crack open the cover, you won’t be able to put Extreme Vetting down. Roxana Arama’s deep knowledge of the immigration system and all its complexities gives this thriller a unique and timely presence in the genre.”

~ Suzy Vitello
author of Faultland

“Extreme Vetting is an excellent legal thriller with a pace that is sure to make readers never want to put the book down until the last page is turned. (…) Extreme Vetting has proven to be an excellent debut for Roxana Arama, and it will be exciting to see where her literary career goes next.”

~ Michael Costanzo
City on the Moon

“Roxana Arama infuses her compelling debut novel with a realism and depth that carries the reader into a deeper and greater understanding of her story in Extreme Vetting, a thriller. As an immigrant herself, she brings a marvelously nuanced journey that leaves readers quickly turning to the next page to continue their storytelling adventure.”

~ John Busbee
The Culture Buzz

“Roxana, you have written a thriller that cuts very close to the truth for me. Living in the border state of Arizona, we hear nightmare stories all the time, and I want to thank you for bringing this issue to life in a very reader-friendly novel.”

~ Linda Thompson
The Authors Show

“I’m not a frequent reader of thrillers, but I couldn’t turn away from this one. (…) It’s as well-versed in the intricacies of the legal system as it is in the tropes of suspense fiction, and it’s a perfect snapshot of our city when it’s snowbound.”

 

~ James Crossley
Madison Books, 2022 finalist for Publishers Weekly‘s Bookstore of the Year Award

Click here to read an excerpt >>

Chapter 1

On that Wednesday morning in February 2019, Laura Holban arrived at the Seattle Immigration Court determined to fight like hell for Felix Dominguez’s children. Seventeen-year-old Cruz and thirteen-year-old Clara sat beside her at the counsel’s table, looking terrified of being sent to Honduras, a country they didn’t even remember. At the government’s table, Immigration and Customs Enforcement trial attorney Josh Peterson appeared relaxed, as if he’d already secured the kids’ deportation.

“Any submissions for today’s individual hearing?” Judge Carolyn Felsen said.

Laura handed over a manila folder with pictures from Felix’s murder scene. He’d been Laura’s client prior to his deportation. He was a good man who’d lived in Washington State for many years, worked hard, and paid his taxes, but last October, Judge Felsen had denied his asylum application and ordered him deported to Honduras. By mid-November he was dead—murdered in his hometown of Choluteca as a warning for those who thought they could escape the local gangs by fleeing north.

Judge Felsen leafed through the photos. The courtroom was so quiet that Laura could hear the ceiling lights buzzing. A bench squeaked as someone from the children’s foster family shifted in an otherwise empty gallery. In the corner of Laura’s eye, Peterson was adjusting his tie, as if getting ready for his performance. He had a reputation for using technicalities and precise legal terms to counter the flesh and blood of the cases presented by immigration lawyers.

Laura took a deep breath to quiet her nerves. When her emotions ran high, her brain sputtered, unable to find the right words in English and reverting to her native Romanian. In immigration court, the government didn’t have to prove that Laura’s clients should be deported—she had to prove they shouldn’t. Keeping her cool in stressful situations was vital because her well-chosen words could make a huge difference in the lives of her clients. And at the moment, she was anything but cool.

She’d cried last night while printing the murder scene photos. Felix had been found in the driver’s seat of a gray Toyota pickup, head tilted back, eyes closed. There was a gunshot wound in his throat, and his white shirt was covered in blood. Close-ups showed a red-spattered hand clutching the steering wheel. Two bullet casings on the sidewalk. A blood-stained picture of Cruz and Clara taped to the truck’s dashboard. For contrast, Laura had added to the file a cheerful selfie of Felix in a green-and-blue Seattle Sounders T-shirt, a busy soccer stadium in the background.

Cruz bit his lower lip. Clara stared down at her chewed fingernails. Laura imagined her own fifteen-year-old daughter Alice sitting terrified at a table like this while a judge decided her fate. As an immigrant herself, Laura knew how awful it was to be at the mercy of a bureaucrat while her life hung in the balance.

Judge Felsen rubbed her forehead. “Let me get this straight, Counsel. Are you implying I’m responsible for the murder of your former client?” Her voice was calm, but her hand shook a little on the manila folder.

“No, I’m not implying that at all,” Laura said, now worried. Had she gone too far by sharing the photos with the judge? “Those pictures are . . . they show what might happen to Cruz and Clara if they’re deported.” She hated saying that in front of the children.

“Your former client,” Judge Felsen said, “he was just . . . unlucky. The asylum rules changed shortly before his hearing.” She tapped her finger on the bench. “As you may recall, the US attorney general wrote a formal legal opinion stating that victims of domestic and gang violence no longer qualified for asylum at that time.”

“Felix Dominguez was unlucky, yes,” Laura said. “Especially since a federal judge later struck down the asylum rules invoked to deport him. But by that time, my client—”

“This is preposterous, Your Honor,” the government attorney said.

“Don’t call me Your Honor, Mr. Peterson,” Judge Felsen snapped at him. “This isn’t a court of law. It’s an administrative tribunal.”

“I’m sorry, Judge,” Mr. Peterson said, sounding contrite.

Laura braced herself. Most judges didn’t mind being called “Your Honor,” so for Judge Felsen to point out that immigration courts operated under administrative law rather than the formal judicial system, applying rules and procedures created by government agencies—that meant she was angry. “I hate to bring up Mr. Dominguez’s tragic story with his children present, Judge. But if their application is denied, they . . .” Laura swallowed her words. Cruz and Clara looked terrified enough already. “The evidence I provided at their father’s hearing last year is just as relevant today. Perhaps even more so.”

“Circumstantial evidence, at best,” the government attorney said with a smirk.

“Circumstantial, Mr. Peterson?” Laura said, slowing down so she wouldn’t make mistakes. “At the hearing last October, I entered graphic pictures of my client’s stab wounds into evidence. I even asked him to lift his shirt and show his scars. Those wounds had been inflicted in Everett, Washington, long before his deportation.”

“Because he was involved with PSB,” Peterson said, meaning the Puget Sound Barrios gang, which was active in the Pacific Northwest and had connections with Mexican and Central American cartels.

“No. He was terrorized by PSB. He fled Honduras because he didn’t want to work for a drug cartel there. They found him here and—”

“And you believe that?” Peterson said.

Judge Felsen rapped her gavel. “Order! This is the last time you interrupt, Mr. Peterson.” She turned to Laura but didn’t look her in the eye. “And you, Counsel, make your arguments without throwing accusations at the court. Or it will not bode well for this asylum application or any other you may bring before us in the future. Because . . .” Her voice cracked. “I want you to know that I do my best to follow the law. Even when it breaks my heart.”

“I know, Judge,” Laura said, trying to sound warm. Judge Felsen could be fired if she didn’t meet the standards of efficiency set by the current administration. It was a conflict of interest challenged by lawsuits that would remain unresolved for years.

“No, you don’t know,” Judge Felsen said. “Day after day, I handle death penalty cases in . . . in a traffic court setting.”

Laura couldn’t agree more but remained silent.

Judge Felsen cleared her throat. “Please continue.”

“If my clients are deported to Honduras,” Laura said, “their lives are at risk. And one can hardly argue that they’re involved with PSB.” She pointed at the folder before the judge. “I think we’ve established a higher than ten percent likelihood of harm in this case. Under current law, Cruz and Clara Dominguez should be granted asylum.”

Cruz stared at the judge, begging with his eyes. Clara’s lips moved a little, as if in prayer. Laura remembered the phone call she’d received last November, the second worst call of her entire life. Cruz was choking on tears as he told her that his father had been killed in Choluteca. Everyone knew the narcos would kill him, so why had the government sent him back?

“What does the government have?” the judge said.

Peterson still looked confident, though he’d lost the smirk. “Judge, to your previous point about Mr. Dominguez’s deportation, neither you nor the Justice Department are in any way responsible for his tragic death in Honduras. Mr. Dominguez never reported the PSB death threats to the police in Everett. Therefore, I must ask: is this how someone in fear for his life behaves?”

Laura thought to argue that undocumented immigrants avoided the police because local authorities cooperated with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and because the current administration allowed ICE to arrest undocumented immigrants who had never been accused of any crimes.

“Trying to get on my good side, Mr. Peterson?” the judge said. “Do you think I was born yesterday?”

“Judge,” Peterson said, “there’s no proof that Mr. Dominguez’s children will be targeted by drug cartels in Honduras. As far as we know, they’ve never been threatened by PSB in Everett. And Honduras is their home country after all.”

“For God’s sake, they’re just kids, Mr. Peterson,” Judge Felsen said. “Mr. and Miss Dominguez, this is your home country.” She banged her gavel.

Laura could breathe again, but the children looked confused. They rose to their feet, and she gave them a hug. “You’re safe now,” she told them, and they broke into timid smiles. She sent them over to where their foster family was waiting. When she turned back, Judge Felsen had already left, and Peterson was closing his briefcase.

“You’re going to appeal?” she asked him.

“I’ll let the boss decide,” he said, heading for the doors at the back of the courtroom.

The man who nodded at him in passing was Mason Waltman, Seattle chief ICE prosecutor. He wore a black suit with a blue tie but didn’t look much different from the people he deported for a living—dark eyes and tanned skin, dark curly hair, short-cropped and graying.

Laura finished packing her leather tote bag, when Waltman stopped at her table.

“You might’ve won your case, Counsel,” he said. “But you’ve made an enemy today.”

“I thought we were already enemies,” Laura said. She’d never stood so close to Waltman before. She noticed an old scar on his left cheek.

Waltman laughed without mirth. “I’m not your enemy, Ms. Holban. I actually admire your idealism, though I don’t appreciate your lack of respect for the law.”

“Outdated law, Mr. Waltman, passed to protect people against oppressive governments. Now refugees need protection from gangs and cartels their governments can’t control. The law hasn’t kept pace with the times.”

“I meant you’ve made an enemy of Judge Felsen. She’ll go home tonight and tell her family that an immigration lawyer with an accent accused her—to her face—of murdering an applicant.”

Laura’s stomach turned cold. “That never crossed my head.” She heard herself and hurried to fix the Romanian leaching into her English. “Crossed my mind. Judge Felsen—”

“Judge Felsen is a human being.” Waltman smiled with the excitement of a kid plucking wings off a fly. “Word will reach the other judges, here and in Tacoma. They’ll blackball you, Ms. Holban.”

“Are you implying that our judges cannot remain impartial, Mr. Waltman? If word of your doubts gets around, they may blackball you.”

“Very funny, Ms. Holban.”

But his threat felt real. The five judges assigned to Seattle and Tacoma were a tight-knit group.

“Will you appeal today’s decision?” Laura said.

“Appeal? Haven’t you heard the good judge? They’re just kids, Ms. Holban. What kind of man do you think I am?”

The kind who destroyed families for a living, Laura wanted to reply. No, that wasn’t quite true. Waltman also deported dangerous criminals and disrupted international trafficking of drugs, arms, and people. There was nothing simple about what either of them did for a living.

“I’ll see you soon, Ms. Holban. Because ICE never rests in its mission to clean up the country.”

He said “clean up” as if immigrants like Laura and the Dominguez children were filth. But after her nerve-racking exchange with Judge Felsen, Laura was too spent to come up with a clever retort. Next time, maybe.

But if Waltman was right, there might not be a next time. Or a next win, anyway.

 

Order it now!

Laura's advice for people in Emilio's situation

  • Consider making a plan with your family for the possibility that you get arrested/detained/deported by ICE. The plan should include knowing your rights, having the phone numbers of a couple of law offices/attorneys your family can contact to figure out your options, and giving a power of attorney to a trusted friend/family member so they can make decisions about your finances and your children in your absence (particularly important if you are a single parent).
  • Consider scheduling a consultation with an immigration attorney who can screen you for any form of immigration relief you might be eligible for. Many places in the US have wonderful local nonprofits serving immigrants, such as Northwest IMMIGRANT RIGHTS Project in the Seattle area. Sometimes these nonprofits have long waitlists, so the sooner you contact them, the better. They also have lists of local immigration attorneys willing to provide legal advice at low cost.
  • Many people rely on rumors that circulate in their communities or on the advice of family or friends or other non-legal professionals in figuring out whether they are eligible for any immigration benefit. Immigration law is convoluted and arcane, and it’s unlikely that a non-practitioner can offer competent advice in your particular case. So please consider scheduling a consultation with an immigration lawyer before you conclude that there is no immigration relief for you or before you file an immigration application. This is particularly relevant for people who have been victims of certain crimes, because they could receive a specific type of immigration relief had they provided assistance to law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of those crimes.

Media Coverage

Live Events
Featured Debut Author — ThrillerFest XVIII, New York, May 30 – June 3, 2023 (upcoming)
Book Signing — American Romanian Cultural Society, Seattle, May 4, 2023 (upcoming)
Meet the Author — EPIC Group Writers, Edmonds, WA, March 30, 2023 (upcoming)

Podcasts
Roxana Arama Interviewed by Linda Thompson — The Authors Show, February 2023
Extreme Vetting: A Thriller — The Culture Buzz, February 2023
Author Interview with Roxana Arama — The Book Bistro, February 2023

Reviews
Extreme Vetting — Kirkus Reviews, March 2023
Extreme Vetting: 5-star review — Seattle Book Review, February 2023
New Book of the Week: Extreme Vetting — Madison Books Newsletter #184, February 2023
Fighting for a Future: A Review of Extreme Vetting — City on the Moon, January 2023

Q&As
Exclusive with Roxana Arama — The Strand Magazine, March 2023
Debut Spotlight: Roxana Arama — The Big Thrill, February 2023
Extreme Vetting: A New Legal Thriller — The Mystery of Writing, February 2023
Q&A with Roxana Arama — Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, February 2023
Roxana Arama Interview – Extreme Vetting — JeanBookNerd, February 2023
Roxana Arama — Authors Answer, February 2023
Roxana Arama on her debut legal thriller, Extreme Vetting — Sarahlyn Bruck, February 2023
IndieView with Roxana Arama, author of Extreme Vetting — The IndieView, February 2023

Guest Essays
How Writing about Immigration Helped Me Find Home — CrimeReads, February 2023
The Inspiration behind Extreme Vetting — Women Writers, Women’s Books, February 2023
Roxana Arama on the Inspiration for “Extreme Vetting” — Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire, January 2023

Book Lists
Roxana Arama Talks Immigration – Facts, Fiction, and Recommended Reading — Book Club Babble, January 2023
The best recent novels featuring voices of immigrants — Shepherd, January 2023

Roundups
Current Bestsellers — Madison Books Newsletter #187, March 2023
Panodyssey Listing — The Authors Show, March 2023
Recommended Reads — Women Writers, Women’s Books, March 2023
New Books by Members— The Authors Guild, February 2023
BookTrib’s Bites: A Black History Month Hero and Other Intriguing Stories — BookTrib, February 2023 (syndicated)
Book Blast! Extreme Vetting— Duffy the Writer, February 2023
Books Coming Out in February — Hasty Book List, February 2023
On the Radar — Crime Fiction Lover, January 2023
Weekly Bookstack — Hasty Book List, January 2023
Fresh Fiction Listing — Fresh Fiction, December 2022
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