"A knockout novel...." -Booklist starred review His life is so intertwined with his job that we know him only as "the columnist." He writes for a newspaper in Seattle and keeps his life-including his past-in safe compartments. Then one of his sources takes a dive off a downtown skyscraper, and he is plunged into a harrowing maze of murder, intrigue, and secrets that powerful forces intend to keep hidden at all costs. Meanwhile, the paper itself is dying. So the columnist joins with an aggressive young reporter to see if one explosive story can save a newspaper. Soon they"re running to make the deadline of their lives.... Jon Talton is the author of eight novels, including the David Mapstone mysteries as well as The Pain Nurse. He has been an editor and columnist for the Dayton Daily News, Cincinnati Enquirer, Rocky Mountain News, Charlotte Observer, and Arizona Republic. He lives in Seattle where he is economics columnist for The Seattle Times. www.jontalton.com