Try the Morgue: A Novel - Tapa dura

"A stunning debut. Try the Morgue is not only a fascinating glimpse into the world of international arms dealing, but a terrific read as well. Staal clearly knows her stuff, both on and off the page. Her settings are perfectly drawn, her characters tough yet vulnerable-and always infinitely believable." -- Jenny Siler, author of Easy Money "Try the Morgue is a thrilling rocket ride through the world of international arms deals, but its real ruthlessness lies in Staal's honesty about the human spirit and her unforgiving look at what it means to have a conscience. I was blown away by this remarkable book." -- Zoe Ferraris, author of City of Veils "A wry, clever, suspenseful tale told with style and panache that had me turning pages as quickly as my fingers permitted. An exceptional work and a guaranteed good read." -- Christopher Reich, New York Times best-selling author of Rules of Betrayal "Staal, a former arms dealer, fictionalizes the dilemma of a young woman caught between the thrill of international gunrunning and the security of family and home... Try the Morgue deftly marries an edgy thriller to a sensitive literary story." -- Bruce Jacobs - Shelf Awareness "Fascinating... the rare thriller with complex emotions." -- Susannah Meadows - New York Times "Fast-paced and emotionally perceptive, Try the Morgue takes an unforgettable, unflinching look at the brutal business of brokering freedom." -- Mythili Rao - Daily Beast "In secretive (and pseudonymous) Dutch weapons dealer Eva Maria Staal's riveting, hair-trigger roman a clef, Try the Morgue, far-flung and dangerous locales-Chechnya, Karachi, Islamabad, Hong Kong, Beijing, Mozambique-pile up as fast as the body count...[A] cleverly constructed literary thriller." -- Lisa Shea - Elle Magazine "A morality tale of the first order: lean and intense; dead honest and unforgiving." -- Kirkus Reviews

Ten years ago, "Eva Maria Staal" kept a gun in her purse. It was a present from her boss, Jimmy Liu, the international arms dealer extraordinaire with a taste for high-class male escorts. Together, Jimmy and his devoted assistant traveled the world's most dangerous hotspots, closing deals with ruthless warlords and corrupt generals, and trading Stinger missiles in Karachi, AK-47s in Chechnya, and hollow-point bullets in Islamabad. But burdened by her conscience, Eva Maria finally got out, married an optometrist, and had a baby. Now, assailed with memories of her secret life, she must reconcile her suburban present with a repressed but ineradicable past, one that blasts a hole so deep she doesn't know how to love her own daughter. Writing with a knowing intelligence only an insider could provide, this pseudonymous author has created a debut with remarkable intensity that examines the razor-thin line separating those who are drowned from those who are saved.