Part of Harry Stoner Mystery, book 8
First published 2013
Ira Lessing seems to have it all. Money fills his accounts, a gorgeous wife shares his bed, loyal friends surround him, and his reputation shines spotless. Then he vanishes on a sweltering July evening. Private investigator Harry Stoner takes the case, but his street-hardened instincts tell him Lessing is already dead. Stoner begins stripping away the careful facade of Lessing's life, layer by deceptive layer. The investigation drags him through Cincinnati's grimy underworld, where lust collides with brutality in back alleys and forgotten corners. As Stoner digs deeper into the mystery, he discovers that respectability often masks the ugliest truths. The search for Lessing becomes a journey into humanity's capacity for both passionate love and cold murder, forcing Stoner to confront his own moral boundaries when the violence turns personal.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Cincinnati
Audio CD · Blackstone Publishing
Content warnings: violence