The Sixth Son

The Sixth Son is the second novel of a trilogy on human trafficking involving US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and their relentless effort to curb Mexican cartel shipments of kidnapped women and children across the US border. Unlike the prequel, The Old Cop, which involved a retired US Agent, Agustín Camelia's intrepid efforts to battle this evil, The Sixth Son concerns the struggles of a highly regarded Maryland family, the Mancinis, who recently made a bizarre discovery about their late patriarch, Geovani Mancini, who migrated to the US from Sicily in 1939 with the assistance of Sicilian mafia members. Unknown dubious New York relations now threaten to tear the family apart. Geovani Mancini's sons and daughter, who now run the family business, agree to withhold these findings from the rest of the family until a private investigator thoroughly investigates.
Meanwhile, unrelated to the familial turmoil, a young grandson and college student, Alex Mancini, has accepted a job as an intern with HSI while finishing his master's degree. Among his duties is interviewing recent victims of human trafficking and preparing them for court testimony. The case involves twenty-seven women rescued by HSI in La Vergne, Tennessee, two months prior. While interacting with HSI Special Agents on this investigation, Alex learns about Camelia's contributions to the case and his mysterious disappearance in Mexico. Gripped with the story, he volunteers to determine his current whereabouts. Alex's probe places him in the crosshairs of the Mexican cartel members, who are poised to retaliate against US intruders.