Clearing Customs

by Martha J. Egan

Albuquerque importer Beverly Parmentier finds herself under surveillance. She isn't paranoid; she is being watched. She has no criminal ties, no arrest record. Is her Latin American folk art import... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0975588109
• ISBN13: 9780975588109
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Papalote Press
• Length: 394 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.7" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Curse you, Martha Egan--

because I didn't get very much accomplished after I picked up your book. You made me laugh, infuriated me, and once or twice, I confess, made me want to throw the d***ed book across the room. Why? Because you made me care about your characters, even some of the Bad Guys, by giving them a realistic roundness (literally, in Beverly's case) and detailing their plights and reactions to them without insulting my intelligence with cheap sentimentality. The injustice Egan writes about is chillingly possible--for all I know, this might well have happened to her, given her line of business. It's also even more relevant now than in the late 80s, when the book was set, given the quirks of our country's so-called War on Terror and the Patriot Act. But rather than merely wallow in the outrageousness of Customs' harrassment of importer Beverly Parmentier, Egan laces her story with a clever comic subtext worthy of her resourceful middle-aged protagonist (a joy in herself for those of us long-toothed readers who are getting bored with sweet young things and their Coming of Age tales). I've often argued with my literary-snob sons that one of the primary reasons I read is for entertainment. With its quick pacing and its quirky plausibility, I found Clearing Customs every bit as entertaining as those Paretsky and Hillerman books that Beverly devours. It ain't Shakespeare, but it's a smart novel that bristles with righteous indignation and culminates in a realistic, satisfying, you-GO-girl ending. Well done, Ms. Egan--thanks for the read. Susan O'Neill Author, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

The Beverly War

Just what is this book? If it's fiction, it's fast paced and entertaining. If it's a true story of what the author has experienced, it's scarey, the story of an ordinary, honest person who's subjected to outrageous violations of her privacy by a vicious Albuquerque Customs Service. Let's hope it's the former case and not the latter. As an expatriate American university professor in Mexico, it's upsetting to believe that this kind of thing is possible in the United States.

Clearing Customs

This book is a jewel!!! Clearing Customs is the fast-paced, hilarious saga of an honest small businesswoman who finds herself crosswise with bad cops from US Customs. It's about time a writer offered real characters, a believable, outside-the-box plot, excitement, AND food for thought to readers in these perilous times for people who still believe in an honest citizen's right to privacy. I laughed and I cried along with Beverly, her handicapped pal, Ricky, and the River Rats as they made delicious fun of bad federal cops. When's Beverly's next river trip? I want to go--minus the creeps from the Longmont Post Office, of course. Stephie Hansen

Clearing Customs

From the mango sunsets of Puerto Escondido, Mexico,to the sex-soaked sands of Colorado's Yampa River, folk art purveyor Beverly Parmentier is pursued by shady cops from US Customs intent on framing her as a smuggler. Beverly is innocent of any wrong-doing but is nonetheless ruthlessly hounded, her phone tapped, her home ransacked, every corner of her life invaded. This is the tale of what can happen to any citizen caught up in the machinations of an overfunded and overzealous federal agency gone haywire. In the end, Beverly and her river rat posse enjoy a splendid revenge. Is this story based on actual events? Beverly admits to her pals as they soak in a steaming hot springs that sometimes "the easiest way to tell a difficult true story is through fiction." This book will resonate with anyone who's had the end of an idyllic vacation soured by an encounter with a surly and hostile customs agent. Imagine they followed you home....