Kara Johnson always knew she’d die young and violently. It didn’t matter who delivered the final blow, she would deserve it—her years spent running drugs and spreading violence would guarantee it. But death doesn’t always go as planned. When her girlfriend sacrifices herself to save Kara’s life, Kara is left grieving and adrift. She doesn’t know why she’s alive until the DEA shows up and offers her a choice: go to prison or turn informant to lure out the last of the drug trafficking ring that murdered her girlfriend.

Max Summerlin is the kind of cop who needs answers—he’s been shot twice in the last year while looking for them. Despite his family’s objections and his struggle with chronic pain, he accepts an invitation from the DEA task force eagerly. That is, until he realizes he’ll be babysitting reformed drug trafficker Kara Johnson as she goes undercover.

Max knows Kara is keeping secrets. Kara doesn’t trust anyone, let alone Max. But the cop and the criminal will have to find a way to work together fast, because they aren’t the only ones hunting down the remains of a drug empire. And the kingpin who lurks in the shadows will stop at nothing to win.

Praise for A World of Hurt:

“An unlikely partnership, solid action and the effects of grief swirl in the gripping A World of Hurt, the second in Mindy Mejia’s new Iowa Mysteries series. A World of Hurt is a story about deep, unwavering friendship, even in the face of adversity, and about accepting someone who, at first, seems diametrically opposite to you . . . Mejia balances the explosive action in A World of Hurt with a look at how grief can consume a person. Mejia creates a workable, believable partnership between Max and Kara, two characters who initially dislike each other, without sacrificing either’s personality.”—​Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel

“Mejia sets this book during peak pandemic time, a reminder that it’s not just Kara and Max who are in pain, but the entire world . . . What makes Mejia so good is that besides being an ace writer of violent action sequences and original plotlines, she’s also a complex thinker. Her books are unusually well developed in terms of character—you know she’s created a whole backstory for even the minor ones—and her interest in science, whether it’s the physics in To Catch a Storm or the more medical and zoological kind in this book, is contagious and adds memorable breadth to her work.”—​Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail

“[M]uscular Midwest noir: cynical, violent, existential . . . [Kara]’s one of the most intriguing, broken, bad-ass characters I’ve read recently. She drives the novel’s crazy-intense plot with her questionable choices and queer-focused, feminist point of view.”—​Carole E. Barrowman, Star Tribune

“Filled with twists and turns, duplicity and miscalculations, A World of Hurt is a dark tale with emotional depth that will keep you guessing to the end. Heart-pumping, anxiety-inducing and thought-provoking stuff.”—​Steve Netter, Best Thriller Books

“[N]erve-shredding . . . Mejia maintains breathless suspense as she fleshes out the combative dynamic between her captivating leads. For crime fiction fans, it’s a must-read.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Readers who enjoy crime novels that are gritty and not one-sided will want to add this to their TBR piles.”—Library Journal

“Mindy Mejia is the dark voice of the Heartland. Her stories capture perfectly the beauty of the Midwest while conjuring all the unsettling possibilities that lurk beneath. There are few authors who can twist the ordinary into such frightening and compelling scenarios, and Mindy Mejia tops that list.“—William Kent Krueger