Drugs and doubts in South Florida thriller

Life in Miami is quiet and simple for her until federal agents storm Guevara’s home and arrest her on drug charges.

They believe she is another Maria, known as “La Reina,’’ a Colombian drug dealer.

And what begins as a case of mistaken identity unfolds into a South Florida literary thrill ride, with Guevara leading the charge to restore her name and family.

Guevara is the likable heroine in “Sweet Mary,’’ the debut novel from Liz Balmaseda, a Palm Beach Post features writer.

With Guevara, Balmaseda introduces us to the Latina everywoman, who works hard to financially stay afloat to care for her son Max. She’s also the on-call good Cuban daughter to her dysfunctional family that guilt-trips her over being single and looks to her for money.

With Guevara, Balmaseda also gives us a character determined to do anything to clear her name. That includes strapping on a Glock 9mm handgun, reconnecting with an ex-boyfriend with questionable ties, and bantering with drug lords in Key West. Most of all, Guevara embarks on tracking down the “bad Mary’’ who’s living the good life in a wealthy Central Florida suburb and unaware of the damage her actions have caused to Guevara’s life.

The book opens with Balmaseda quickly introducing Guevara and her supporting cast. There’s the Guevara family: the telenovela-addicted matriarch, the retired factory worker father, and the wanna-be rapper brother. Guevara’s co-worker and best friend Gina, a tell-it-like-it-is girlfriend, serves as her humorous sidekick.

After Guevara’s drug-related arrest, Balmaseda kicks the plot into fifth gear. As Guevara’s lawyer fights her case, the reader witnesses how easily an innocent person can get lost in the system. The reader can also feel Guevara’s frustrations rise from the pages as she struggles being separated from her son.

Despite the gloomy jail and courtroom settings, these scenes resonate the most when Guevara mentally writes letters to her son.

“I came to believe that if I thought about him hard enough, he would not only know it - he would be able to hear it.’’ Balmaseda writes. “I would drift into a meditative state and try to send him messages in sharp telepathic bursts.’’

The charges are eventually dropped and Guevara’s name is cleared but stained. Her boss suggests she take a leave of absence. Neighbors doubt her innocence. Is she really “Bad Mary’’ after all?

The only way Guevara can extinguish those doubts and regain custody of her son is to do what the federal agents couldn’t do: Find the real drug dealer. The reader hops on a ride with Guevara to Key West and then to central Florida as she probes for leads to her whereabouts.

The book crackles with suspense as Balmaseda shows us how Guevara uses public records to track the woman. Once in a central Florida suburb, the plot twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing.

Lacking throughout the book, however, is the use of Guevara’s family. The plot’s action leaves most of these colorful characters behind.

What Balmaseda does well is capture the pulse of everyday Miami. When Guevara visits her family’s home in Hialeah, a working-class city populated with generations of Cubans, Balmaseda treats these scenes poetically and authentically.

With “Sweet Mary’’ Balmaseda joins the ranks of suspense writers such as Janet Evanovich and Dean Koontz and brings her own sweet South Florida and Cuban flavor to the story.

Johnny Diaz can be reached at jodiaz@globe.com.