From Publishers Weekly Sacrifice. Balam， full-blooded Maya and part-time detective outside Cancun， is approached by an American， Vance Dugdale， to help set up a theme park called Dead Dinosaurs near Balam's Yucatan village. The PI also hires on as bodyguard for Bob Chance， an American lottery winner who is being chased by a friend who disputes Chance's ownership of the $3-million ticket. Dugdale's park proves to be a front for a fly-by-night gambling operation; the pursuing friend winds up dead in Chance's hotel room; and Chance turns out to have two ex-wives (with no legal divorces) in pursuit of a piece of his winnings. The plot lines advance at a leisurely pace， giving Alexander ample opportunity to offer wry observations on American society's fascination with (and abundance of) money. Balam and his friends， lawyer Ricardo Martinez Rodriguez and police Inspector Hector Salgado Reyes， effectively play with and against perceived stereotypes (the Latin lover; the corrupt policeman) as Alexander maintains an entertaining mix of seriousness and humor. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal Alexander endows his "hero" with a native historical context that results in humor and/or conflict when contrasted with the designs of outsiders. Luis Balam， a Mayan shop owner， tour guide， and private investigator， hires on as a bodyguard for lottery-winning Anglo Bob Chance in Cancun City. Chance stiffed his partner， who's now in hot pursuit， as are two willful wives. Meanwhile， Balam's friend， a lawyer and con artist， wants to build a dinosaur theme park in Balam's village. The narrative proceeds with irreverent humor， comedic situations， fanciful word plays， and sly intelligence. A fine selection.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews