The Ballad of The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz

I published my first novel in July,1993. That's right, thirty years ago.  The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz appeared thanks to a few people at St. Martin's Press who saw something in my tale of a Chicano attorney with "hangdog charisma" (Publishers Weekly) who can't seem to stay out of the way of corrupt cops, racist judges, and killer adversaries. 

A lot has changed in thirty years, but I think the reading public still has a desire for a unique, unlikely protagonist who comes from a culture and heritage not often found in crime fiction.  I also think those same readers will appreciate a "thickly atmospheric [story] with just enough mystery to hold together a powerfully elegiac memoir of the heady early days of Chicano activism" (Kirkus Reviews.) 

I have the opportunity to find out if my understanding of the reading public is based on more than wishful thinking, and to see firsthand what thirty years in the life of my novel really means, in terms of finding an audience.   Arte Público Press has announced the reissuance of The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz in a new edition, scheduled for a September 30 publication date.  I'm grateful and excited that my first book will be honored by Arte Público Press with a new edition.  

Some of you have been with me every step of the way on the writer's trip I've been on for the past thirty years.  You were at every book launch, bought each book, and celebrated with my family and me. I can't express how much your support has meant, other than to say, with affection and sincerity, thank you.  Some of you haven't read my books.  I hope you pick up the new edition and give Luis Montez a chance to win you over.

Above is the cover, front and back, of the new issue.  Below is the story of the origin of The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz, written by a dedicated reader.  Following that is the catalog summary of the book from the back cover.

The Ballad of The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz

Luis Montez was born in 1986 when Manuel Ramos – a burned-out Chicano attorney working at Legal Aid – entered a writing contest sponsored by Westword, Denver’s alternative newspaper. His story White Devils and Cockroaches won second place and featured Luis Montez – a burned-out Chicano lawyer – as the protagonist.

In 1993, Manuel created a larger platform for Luis Montez. Montez roamed Denver’s Northside as the protagonist in Manuel’s first novel The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz. The novel won the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize from the University of California and a Colorado Book Award. The book also was a finalist for a national Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

This debut novel in the acclaimed five-novel Luis Montez series introduced a hero unique in detective fiction: Luis Montez, a world-weary middle-aged Latino lawyer steeped in the politics, history, and culture of the golden age of Chicano activism.

First published by St. Martin’s Press as both a hardback and paperback book, The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz was reissued by Northwestern University Press in 2004. Now in 2023, 30 years after it was first released, The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz is in its fourth edition, published by Arte Público Press, a division of the University of Houston.

Catalog Summary from Back Cover

Luis Montez is nursing a drink and licking his wounds after a bruising case. The jury took less than an hour to decide against his defense of a client. He’s on the verge of a mid-life crisis and ready to give up his law practice. But the night brightens when an old friend from the Chicano student civil rights movement turns up with a beautiful woman on his arm. Teresa Fuentes, a new attorney about to start at a prestigious Denver firm, is much younger, but that doesn’t keep Luis’ imagination from running wild. As the weary attorney dreams about the mysterious woman and deals with his faltering law firm and an impending ethics investigation, he’s shocked to learn another friend from his activist days is getting threats about “the old business,” the murder of their friend Rocky Ruiz twenty years ago by men in white robes. And when compadres get beaten up, murdered or go into hiding, Luis can’t ignore that history may be repeating itself. Are the crazy racists back to finish what they started so long ago? Is it just bad luck that Teresa’s arrival in town coincides with the violence? Or is there a deeper connection? A finalist for the Edgar Award, this gripping first installment in the Luis Montez Mystery series introduces readers to the Chicano attorney and activist who appears in four subsequent novels.


Later.


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Manuel Ramos writes crime fiction. Read his latest story, Northside Nocturne, in the award-winning anthology Denver Noir, edited by Cynthia Swanson, published by Akashic Books.