Derived from factual evidence, Prez-Reverte brings us a surprising novel with an interesting twist. This time, the hero is a woman named Teresa Mendoza who is nicknamed by journalists as The Queen of the South and The Mexican by the authorities of three continents. Teresa narrates her story as it unfolds in Mexico over twelve years ago when she was the girlfriend of a pilot employed by drug lords. She did not know how to read nor write, however, after her boyfriend is murdered, she began creating an empire from nothing in the male-dominated world of drug trafficking. Henceforth, the journey begins as she grows her business by conducting deals with the mafias from Spain, France, Italy and Russia.