The fourth installment in Baron R. Birtcher's bestselling Mike Travis series begins when a botched blackmail scheme draws Mike, an ex-homicide cop, back from Hawaii to Los Angeles to the aid of his estranged brother, a man of privilege with the soul of a predator.

Two of these seniors, Cyril and Louise, have come to live there. Unlikely as it may seem, for they come from very diverse backgrounds, they form a close friendship, and their growing attachment sparks them to adventures and unlikely locations. Ultimately they face frightening circumstances which test them to their limits, while binding and nurturing their growing love for one another.

Instead of slipping gracefully away into old age, Cyril and Louise are compelled to protect themselves against a vicious threat when Balaclava, an out-of-town armed sociopath, relentlessly attempts to rob Cyril not only of his life savings but, if necessary, take his life as well. How they ultimately cope with this threat and resolve this crisis has the makings of a first class thriller.

As Irene gets to know Anne's family, their houseguests and neighbors, and Anne herself as the dead woman emerges in the accounts of the people who knew her, she comes to believe that it was not the boom of a sailboat that whacked Anne on the back of the head, but someone close to her.

Irene's own past loss and unrealized ambitions, along with her awareness of the distinctions of social strata, compromise her objectivity and professionalism as she attempts to maintain composure in the face of the opaque and entitled enclave of summer people. Working with unusual autonomy and urgency while her supervisor is on vacation, Irene resists the easy solution – and the family's wishes – to close the case as an accident, and persists in a homicide investigation.

Paralleling Irene's professional challenges, her fourteen-year-old son is arrested, bringing home to Irene the perils of growing up in a small town or anywhere, and the inevitable parenting limitations of a working single mother. It is in the context of her son's arrest that Irene first becomes acquainted with the new Mason County prosecuting attorney, a potential ally or adversary, she isn't sure which.

Angus Truax – Mr. Misery to his colleagues – profiles victims of misfortune. His articles touch hearts and inspire charity. Unfortunately for Angus, he loathes his job, his subjects and his life – so much that he decides to end it.

More fool than Hamlet, this unlikely hero jokes his way to the grave, soothing his own despair with rude, audacious honesty.

But even a suicidal hermit can't shut out life completely. Before he can make his exit, one last unlucky soul comes knocking at his door, pleading for help. Angus finds himself in what he calls the world's oldest trap.

To his astonishment, he discovers that his story isn't over yet.

Michael Laser

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