A L Means: 3 books

Travel broadens the mind, the saying goes. But sometimes there’s a price to pay. In these three stories, set in Latin America, travelers discover that unfamiliar ways can lead to lethal consequences. Differences in language, custom and red tape can be intimidating. Fresh surroundings can be a mortal challenge. It’s enough to make a visitor weigh the cost against the benefits.

Home for Beaver is a wild river in Arizona, and like Ratty in Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows he can think of no better place to live than somewhere surrounded by water.The snag is that the river seems to be drying up and someone needs to do something about it. The Trouble Upstream chronicles...

As the new century dawns, Roy Huntley is in his early 50s and well past the usual shelf life for a rock and roll star. He has had his share of fame and fortune, and settled for a scenic Shangri-La in Arizona and a second wife young enough to be his daughter.Hanging out with fellow British bandmate...