Bad Karma: A True Story of Calamity, Humiliation and Triumph

AMAZON TRAVEL BESTSELLER #1! An exciting memoir about a catastrophic trip to Mexico for surfing that accidentally led him into the lair of the famous drug lord El Chapo… Summer of 1978. Paul Wilson, a 21-year-old from California, desperately wants to be cool and fit into the world of beach surfers—earn respect from the guys and win success with the girls. To do that, he must pass an initiation ritual—a trip to the mainland of Mexico to go surfing. Ominous karmic signs follow him at every step: unable to pay for the trip, he robs a supermarket; soon he learns that one of his travel companions is a convicted killer on the run, and the other is a ruthless scoundrel. And what’s more, the guys don’t even realize that the final goal of their trip lies right at the heart of El Chapo’s famous drug cartel… Brilliantly funny and tightly plotted, Paul Wilson’s memoir is a hellish trip—the real “Fear and Loathing in Latin America” in the backdrop of Mexican jungles. Barely surviving again and again, suffering failure at every stage of his trip, Paul rethinks his life—and, years later, once the statute of limitations has passed, tells the story. “A vivid, enthusiastic narrative. This captivating book describes a bygone era.” — Kirkus Review

“Paul Wilson wrote engrossing memoirs. His difficult adventures, fellow travelers, and random people he meets along the way are incredibly well portrayed… including the guy named Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán.” — Discovery

“So true you wish it were fiction! This book is a loud laugh through tears about the hardships of growing up.” — The Prairies Book Review