&“[A] fast-paced mystery . . . Fans of the prolific Stuart Woods and Randy Wayne White will hope that Birtcher&’s engaging series has an equally long life.&” —Booklist A Nero Award Finalist After twenty years in the LAPD, Mike Travis should be enjoying his retirement in Hawaii. Instead, he&’s become a reluctant PI who can&’t manage to stay out of trouble—much to the chagrin of his long-suffering girlfriend. This time, the problem is his brother, Valden, head of the family company of Van de Groot Capital. A mover and shaker, he&’s in Los Angeles for a political fundraiser at the home of a powerful pharmaceutical titan. But first, he&’s being blackmailed. Someone has a compromising video of him and a young woman who is definitely not his wife—and they want three million dollars for it. That&’s when he calls Travis. With his longtime connections in Los Angeles—including his former partner on the force—Travis has everything under control, until he doesn&’t. Now entangled in a web of murder, finance, and politics, only Travis can unravel a conspiracy international in scope—and unparalleled in evil . . . &“Birtcher is a solid, fluent writer; the story unfolds with good-humored ease, and Travis is a personable narrator . . . All of the elements are in place for a tense thriller.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Well-executed . . . Readers will hope they don&’t have to wait another seven years for the world-weary Travis&’s next adventure.&” —Publishers Weekly &“A thrilling page turner with a very complicated plot that all comes together in the end . . . Highly recommended.&” —Detective Mystery Stories