Novelist Dave Brady (George Brent) makes a living out of crime stories, and now he's wrapped up in the real enchilada. Drawn to Mexico by a letter from fugitive ex-reporter Tip Carter (Morris Ankrum), he learns that the alcoholic expatriate fled the country because the real culprits in a murder case he covered threatened his life. Diagnosed with a heart condition, Carter enlists Brady to help him make amends before it's too late -- by spiriting him and his daughter (Karen Sharpe) back to Los Angeles to tell what he knows to the authorities. They drive off on a winding trip north to the border over dilapidated back roads, followed by a crew of killers in deadly pursuit -- and a shady lady turista (Hillary Brooke) who means business. At the end of the road back in L.A., there's a twist that only an ace scribe like Brady can navigate. In his last big-screen lead, perennial screen charmer Brent makes a dapper and crafty foil for the baddies, just as the twists and turns of Mexican Manhunt put you in the driver's seat for exciting entertainment.