Gloria Mendez (36) and divorced from her policeman ex-husband is hopelessly in love with her boss Carl Perreira, who calls himself a Doctor of Goofology and sells toys and novelty items.
The story opens with a severe earthquake in Los Angeles. Gloria lives alone and is unharmed. However she receives a mysterious phone call from Carl who has gone to Mexico. It says: “Take care of things when I’m gone.”
The serious secretary leaps into action and traces Carl’s final phone call to a hellish ghost town called Aguas Vivas which is run by a sleazy cop, Farjardo.
He admits there was a car crash (a Honda) involving an American. The cop says his ID was destroyed, but the car had California plates.
Fajardo tells Gloria that Carl died in the hospital which is miles away from Aguas Vivas. Gloria returns to LA and seeks advice from her ex husband Reggie Salt.
He tells her in no uncertain terms that the Mexicans run the show down there and do it very badly.
Gloria knows Carl was an only child and has no relatives and never married. Some of this is not really true.
Then there is the question of millions of dollars—who does it belong to and why does Carl give money to a derelict who lies outside his office building?
Going back to Mexico Gloria returns home with an urn full of ‘ashes’ that turn out to be coffee grounds. She has many questions. How did Carl die? Was he murdered or did he commit suicide? If so, why? The man appeared to be harmless enough.
Gloria is nothing if not persistent and her search for the truth leads her into the wreckage of a hidden past and closely guarded secrets. Everything Gloria unearths reveals more about a man she thought she knew but never had any inkling of the real truth.
She comes closer and closer to the truth of Carl’s violent end and is left fighting for her own life.
Sunstroke is riddled with horrific revelations and gripping twists. Jesses Kellerman is a dazzling new voice and we will certainly hear moiré from this new talent.
