Extreme Vetting

May 22, 2023
Arama’s debut, a heart-wrenching thriller, offers an urgent look at the legal processes, shady dealings, and dehumanizing bureaucracy of U.S. immigration law circa 2019, as Seattle immigration lawyer Laura Holban, who on page one is ready to “fight like hell” to stop the deportation of children. When undocumented father Emilio Ramirez is picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at his sons' school, young David reaches out to Laura for help. Laura's passion for her job, her clients, and their families stems from her own background as a legal immigrant from Romania. But what should be an easy case takes on a sinister turn when she uncovers a conspiracy that could cost Laura her career, her citizenship, and her life.
True to its title, Extreme Vetting is a dark, at times violent, legal thriller that lovers of humane suspense will enjoy for its fast pace, crusading hero, and character-driven storyline that doesn’t skimp on tension or seedy, duplicitous characters. Arama has crafted a plot that centers on a government conspiracy, with scenes of action and kidnapping, while still offering an illuminating look at immigration and deportation laws. The story of Emilio, his family, and his citizenship status (he came to the U.S. from Guatemala in 1998) grips as Arama invests her characters with depth, compassion, and vulnerability.
Arama writes fleet, crisp prose and a variety of characters and situations, as Laura faces ICE prosecutors, a predatory real estate agent, and worse, all with a welcome sense of realism, though the exciting climax feels less convincingly real than the buildup.Still, this is a harrowing but empathetic story that captures the struggles and horrors faced by the undocumented and their families as they strive for a better and safe life in America. Arama captures a complex real-life bind in the language of a commercial thriller: how shedding and fleeing a dangerous past can lead to fighting unbending and unfeeling laws.
Takeaway: A humane, suspenseful thriller about immigration law and its fallout.
Comparable Titles: Orlando Ortega-Medina’s The Fitful Sleep of Immigrants, Mark M. Bello’s Betrayal at the Border.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

May 1, 2023
An immigration lawyer and her latest client both face injustice and a host of menaces in Arama's debut thriller. Seattle-based attorney Laura Holban reluctantly takes on a new case despite her hefty workload. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have just arrested undocumented Guatemalan immigrant Emilio Ramirez, who has lived in Washington state with a happy family and a steady job for more than two decades. But he's now up against Seattle's chief ICE prosecutor, Mason Waltman, who seems determined to eject him from the country. Laura's burden is to prove that her client shouldn't be deported, a task that is complicated by a false assault claim leveled at Emilio. Someone appears to really want Emilio back in Guatemala; his family's home is broken into, and Laura is physically intimidated in an effort to get her to drop the case. Suddenly, questions arise about the validity of Laura's own green card, which she received when she immigrated to the United States from Romania 18 years earlier. Laura worries that Emilio will be killed if he returns to his native country, a sad fate that's befallen other clients of hers--but the greatest danger for her, Emilio, and his family may be much closer to home. Arama's taut narrative brims with tension and indelible characters. The author is sensitive to discrimination ("When a native speaker makes a mistake, it's because they're tired or distracted. When an immigrant makes the same mistake, it's because they're dumb") and microaggressions: Several people make note of Laura's accent, as if she's a tourist in the country she's made her home. The story derives suspense from unpredictable threats courtesy of ICE, crooked lawyers, and the mysterious figure targeting Emilio. Most of Laura's fight takes place outside the courtroom, where only a few scenes are set. Violence crops up in the final act, though it's nominal, and the ending packs a mean dramatic punch. A remarkable cast sparks this incisive, riveting tale of intolerance.

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Starred review from November 1, 2023
In this timely thriller, immigration attorney Laura Holban is herself an immigrant from Romania. A divorced mother to an American-born daughter, she knows firsthand the difficulties of re-establishing life in a new country. Overburdened with cases and the government's ever-changing immigration rules, her job has become increasingly difficult--and troubling--as gung ho anti-immigration lawyers and overtaxed judges send her clients back to dangerous situations in their home countries. But danger gains new meaning when Laura takes Emilio Ramirez's case. The government's haste to deport Emilio isn't what it seems, and as Laura, with Emilio's son, David, tries to untangle the web of lies and deceit, both families face life-threatening situations. The suspense is palpable here, and the characters layered. Laura is an intriguing heroine, humanized by her relationships with her Romanian mother and rebellious teenage daughter. Arama doesn't throw in frightening twists just for shock value. Instead, the shocking developments make an important point: painting all immigrants with a broad brush does a disservice to everyone. The novel will leave an indelible impression.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.