
Graded
A Novel of Financial Crime and Cartel Power
by Shay Sabbah
political thriller
A cartel launders billions through sports cards. Two women must stop them before the system collapses.
About this book
When the U.S. DOJ indicts the Sinaloa Governor, DEA Deputy Director Elena Ramirez-Hale sees a crack in the cartel's armor. But the real threat is hidden in plain sight: a multi-billion dollar money laundering scheme run through the sports card grading industry, masterminded by the cartel's new CFO, Javier 'El Contador' Mendoza. As Ramirez-Hale partners with Mexican FGR Commander Valeria Santos, they uncover a web of corruption that reaches from the boardrooms of Collectors Holdings to the highest levels of Mexican politics. But their investigation is compromised from within, and the cartel is fracturing—old-school enforcers versus corporate financiers—threatening to spill blood on both sides of the border. With billions at stake and time running out, Ramirez-Hale and Santos must risk everything to expose the scheme before the cartel legitimizes its wealth and becomes untouchable. But their own secrets could destroy them first. A gripping thriller that exposes the dark underbelly of a beloved American pastime, GRADED is a race against time to save not just an industry, but the integrity of the global financial system.
Reader Reviews
Thomas Mitchell
★★★★★I picked this up expecting a typical cartel thriller, but Graded blew me away. The opening scene with Ramirez-Hale staring at the rain-soaked D.C. while the indictment lands—and then that cryptic message about 'the cards'—had me hooked. The way the author weaves the sports card grading industry into a money laundering scheme is genius, and the partnership with Commander Santos feels real and tense. The pacing is relentless, and the twist about internal compromise had me gasping. This is a must-read for anyone who loves smart, high-stakes crime fiction.