Hard Latitudes (Mike Tavis)

ISBN: 1579623905

Author: Birtcher, Baron R.

Condition: Used

Product DescriptionSilver Falchion Award WinnerNero Award FinalistThe latest novel from Baron R. Birtcher 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.A seemingly arbitrary act of violence in Macau has initiated a chain of events that ripples across the Pacific, developing into a thunderstorm of murder, extortion, and betrayal half a world away. Together with Travis' friend, Snyder - a man with a checkered past of his own - Travis uncovers vile truths involving sexual slavery and insatiable personal greed that have already cut a path of vicious cruelty from the shipyards of Hong Kong to the shores of the Hawaiian islands.As Travis unravels the disparate thread of duplicity and moral compromise, it threatens to devastate the lives of one powerful family, while Travis himself becomes a suspect in a murder that threatens to destroy his life as well.This stylish thriller, epic in scope and atmosphere, driven by compelling characters, will rise to a climactic confrontation on the shores of a place that some call paradise.ReviewBirtcher returns to his Mike Travis series (Angels Fall, 2008) in this fast-paced mystery. It s 2004, and Travis is enjoying his retirement from the LAPD by taking tourists around the Hawaiian Islands on his 72-foot sailing yacht. A panicked call from his brother, Valdent, reunites him with the families of fortune he turned his back on when he became a cop. Meanwhile, a parallel story starts in 1994 Macau but resurfaces with a bang at the end of this satisfying thriller. Fans of the prolific Stuart Woods and Randy Wayne White will hope that Birtcher's engaging series has an equally long life." --Booklist"This well-executed fourth Mike Travis crime thriller takes the former LAPD homicide cop from his home in Hawaii back to Los Angeles. Travis's tale eventually merges with the tragic story of a young Chinese woman, May Ling, who was forced into sexual slavery in Macao in 1994. Readers will hope they don't have to wait another seven years for the world-weary Travis's next adventure."--Publishers Weekly"Birtcher is a solid, fluent writer; the story unfolds with good-humored ease, and Travis is a personable narrator. All of the elements are in place for a tense thriller." --Kirkus Reviews"A thrilling page turner with a very complicated plot that all comes together in the end. This story is well written, and keeps our interest with believable action, and memorable characters. Highly recommended." --Detective Mystery StoriesAbout the AuthorBARON R. BIRTCHER spent a number of years as a professional musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter, and founded an independent record label and entertainment management company. Critics have hailed Baron's writing as "The real deal" (Publishers Weekly) and his plots as "Taut, gritty and powerfully controlled" (Kirkus Reviews). His first two Mike Travis novels,Roadhouse Blues andRuby Tuesday wereLos Angeles Times and the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association best sellers.Angels Fall, the third installment in the critically-acclaimed series, was nominated for the Left Coast Crime Award (the "Lefty"). His stand-alone,Rain Dogs (2013) was a finalist for both the Claymore and Silver Falchion Awards, andHard Latitudes won the Silver Falchion Award in 2016. Baron has also had the honor of serving as a judge for both the Edgar and Shamus Awards. He and his wife, Christina, divide their time between Kona, Hawaii and Portland, Oregon.