Overview

Ex-detective Marti Starova is a walking contradiction - a brilliant investigator whose career imploded after a notorious criminal escaped on her watch. Now she's a private investigator with a Shadow addiction, a gun in her drawer, lust in her heart and a reputation for getting results when the system fails. When wealthy socialite Francesca Stanfield hires Marti to find her missing teenage daughter Serra, Marti takes the case despite her skepticism. Working alongside her loyal secretary Lori Harring - who's clearly carrying a torch for her damaged boss - Marti begins piecing together Serra's final movements. What starts as a routine missing person case soon reveals disturbing connections to an insurance fraud scheme Marti has been investigating for another client. As Marti digs deeper, she discovers Serra was last seen at an ATM before disappearing. Security footage shows a shadowy figure attacking the girl, but something about the video doesn't add up. The more Marti investigates, the more she uncovers a web of corruption involving insurance claims, doctored surveillance footage, and a growing body count. The case becomes personal when Marti realizes the fraud connects to Damian Kane, her former police partner who betrayed her years ago. Kane appears to be working with Rufus Montgomery, an IT specialist with a grudge against Marti, manipulating digital evidence to cover up crimes while pocketing insurance payouts. But as Marti and Lori follow the evidence, they find themselves targeted by unknown assailants determined to stop their investigation.. The novel explores how trauma reshapes identity, as Marti's self-destructive behavior stems from the career-ending case that still haunts her. She's convinced she's broken beyond repair, a failure who deserves her addiction and isolation. But the Serra Stanfield case forces her to confront not just external enemies but her own demons. When Marti discovers dangerous family connections that put Serra's disappearance in an entirely new light, the stakes escalate dramatically. Suddenly facing deadly pressure and impossible deadlines, Marti must navigate a labyrinth of lies where everyone has something to hide, and time is running out. The investigation leads Marti and Lori to The Crimson Crown, a seedy bar frequented by Rufus Montgomery. There, they make a breakthrough that puts them directly in the crosshairs of dangerous men willing to kill to protect their secrets. When an attempt on their lives narrowly fails, Marti realizes someone powerful is orchestrating events from the shadows. As evidence mounts that Serra's disappearance connects to a series of suspicious deaths, Marti begins to question whether she's been manipulated from the start. Has she been chasing shadows while the real predator watches from nearby? And is the truth about Serra's fate something even Marti's hardened heart can bear to uncover? With time running out and deadly threats closing in, Marti and Lori follow a trail of digital breadcrumbs and bloody footprints toward a confrontation that will force Marti to question everything she believes about herself, justice, and redemption. In a city where truth is as fluid as the constant rain, Marti must decide how far she's willing to go to uncover what happened to Serra Stanfield - and whether the price of that knowledge is worth paying.

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9781998648238

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Montana Carr writes gritty noir thrillers set in the shadow-soaked streets of Falls City. A Brooklyn native, she draws inspiration from the city's dark corners and vibrant coffee shop culture to craft stories that blend toughness with vulnerability.Her works include the memoir Beyond the Scent of Sugar: A Billie Rivers Memoir and the Marti Starova noir crime thriller series. Montana's characters navigate complex emotional landscapes with unflinching honesty, bringing depth and humanity to the noir genre.

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