For fans of Tod Goldberg and Tim O'Brien, this debut contemporary noir follows a burned-out tech entrepreneur into the Wild West of California cannabis and the converging worlds of contraband weed and illegal immigration. There are only two reasons to take a left on Rancho: cannabis and immigration.
October 2019. Adelanto, a desolate outpost in the Mojave Desert. Andrew Eastman, a tech entrepreneur with a bank account running on fumes, rides into town to help an old friend. The ask: turn around a fledgling legal weed operation in the California High Desert, where a dead "desert walker" is just another day in Adelanto, according to the local sheriff. Where coyotes "help" migrants escape from the ICE detention center nearby as protests ignite around it. Where no one cares about illegal marijuana because the pie's big enough for everyone.
Andrew, the outsider, asks too many questions--the viability of the legal market, cannabis's social impact, inoperative surveillance cameras in the factory, and the dominance of the illegal trade. An illegal trade run by unscrupulous actors.
On a hunt for contraband that's based on a stolen formulation, Andrew journeys from Adelanto to West Hollywood to the underbelly of Los Angeles, until he lands at the intersection of cannabis and immigration. Bodies pile up around him. And when tragedy strikes, Andrew's left with one last decision, one that will forever change him.
Industry Reviews
“Paola takes us on a fast-paced romp through the smoky battlegrounds of California's busted green rush, where the cowboy hustlers of legal and illegal weed fight for market share. It's like a Western set in the New West instead of the Old, and the first novel that confronts the blunt realities of 21st-century cannabis economics.”—Dr. Robin Goldstein, PhD, author of Can Legal Weed Win?: The Blunt Realities of Cannabis Economics
“Murder and corruption plague California’s cannabis industry in Left on Rancho, a sharp, fast-paced thriller where loyalty is tested, and nothing is what it seems.”—Daniel Kalla, author of High Society
“With a gripping narrative, snappy dialogue, and obvious familiarity with the cannabis industry and immigration issues at the Southern border, Paola crafts a masterful tale. I couldn’t rest till I knew how all the pieces tied together. A blend of intrigue and relevance makes Left at Rancho a must-read.”—Jude Berman, author of The Die and The Vow
“Left on Rancho is 'art imitating life' at a time when illegal immigration and the drug culture underbelly of America is in the spotlight. The book couldn’t be timelier, and it’s also eye-opening for readers who have no exposure to the world of cannabis production and the illegal drug trade. Paola’s lead character is relatable, making his journey through challenging scenarios set in California both compelling and believable.”—Shelley Grandy, author of Devious Web
"Paola's all-too-realistic narrative dives headfirst into the dark underbelly of the cannabis industry. As we follow the protagonist deeper into the ethical quagmire, the bodies pile up in this page-turning debut."—Mike Trigg, author of Burner and Bit Flip
“As someone who has been on the ground floor of cannabis policy in California, Left on Rancho masterfully captures the good, the bad, the legal, and the not so legal perspectives of the California cannabis world and weaves them into an enthralling and satisfying thriller, with dead-on, well-developed characters that are only found in the Wild West of California cannabis.”—Niccoló De Luca, Vice President Townsend Public Affairs
“Left on Rancho is a mystery proximal to California’s legal recreational cannabis industry. Add immigration and the result is an intense, savvy, intelligent, and informative whodunnit. The reader is treated to vivid descriptions of southern California and the Mojave desert, with characters that are nuanced and realistic, enhancing the realism of the story.”—Elizabeth R. Aden, PhD, author of The Goldilocks Genome
