Murder or Suicide? Matt Bishop and his high-tech team of investigators dig into an apparent crime leading them from the secrets of Seattle's wealthy citizens, through racists, torturers, bullies, diamond smugglers and video gamers, and into the darkest recesses of the underworld. The deeper they fall into this fetid and corrupt world, the more danger envelops them.Matt Bishop and Alex Candiotti, former Army Intelligence unit mates in Iraq and owners of a large multi-city detective agency headquartered in Seattle, agree to investigate the apparent suicide of their most important client's son, Darius Wells. Matt suspects that the teenager was murdered, and seeks confirmation of the fact at the scene of the crime. The sheriff's report of the death as suicide seemed inept or corrupt, compounded by the sheriff's office losing important evidence that Matt and Alex need to review.Matt, Alex and their administrative director and former police officer, April Chatham, stalk the remaining evidence, discovering that Darius led a life hidden from his parents. They uncover tales of blackmail, extortion, and theft of the Wells' neighbors and friends, all blamed in part on Darius, who had seemed an innocent, nerdy kid. They also investigate signs that the murder of Darius Wells was racially motivated, and evidence relating to a personal vendetta against Darius at school. Nothing seems to add up.With dark humor and the technological resources once only available to government spies, Matt, April and Alex lead the investigative team of hackers, drone operators, researchers and detectives into a puzzle that confounds them all. Surprise and death await around every turn, forcing Matt to confront the police and to call on his military training.Perfect for fans of Robert Parker, Walter Mosely, and West Coast Noir, with even a splash of Ian Fleming in the mix, this novel establishes strong characters you will want to return to, a fast and twisty plot, clever crime solving, with the multicultural urban cast and reliance on modern technology readers should expect from a novel set in a twenty-first century American city.
