New York editor Hilary Pearson has vanished while vacationing at a high-class resort in Bolivia. The repercussions of her disappearance could cause problems for the hotel on a worldwide scale, so the resort's PR agent Pilar Rojas contacts ex-lover and travel writer Jacob Smalls for help. As a travel writer, Jacob would sell his journalist principles for free airline tickets, rooms, meals and extras, so he easily succumbs to the temptation of writing a positive review of Pilar's vacation hotel.

After doing some research concerning Hilary's life and the circumstances of her trip to Bolivia, Jacob is sure he has a real story to investigate and a crime to uncover. Reuniting with Pilar will be an added bonus, but getting caught up in the local political situation becomes more dangerous with each person he encounters. What is everyone trying to hide? Is there a connection between the hotel and the left-wing group Condepa? Is Hilary alive and how does she figure into what else is going on at the resort?

With a writer's vivid imagination, protagonist Jacob Small is always thinking up hypothetical scenarios in his mind, speculating about different outcomes to his exploits. Jeff Soloway provides an abundance of commentary about the history of Bolivia, as well as the country's jungle scenery, the opulent hotel layout and the citizenry of the area. THE TRAVEL WRITER starts with a promising premise, but soon evolves into a rather weak story.