Hard Latitudes

"[A] fast-paced mystery . . . Fans of the prolific Stuart Woods and Randy Wayne White will hope that Birtcher's engaging series has an equally long life." —Booklist   A Nero Award Finalist   After twenty years in the LAPD, Mike Travis should be enjoying his retirement in Hawaii. Instead, he's become a reluctant PI who can't manage to stay out of trouble—much to the chagrin of his long-suffering girlfriend.    This time, the problem is his brother, Valden, head of the family company of Van de Groot Capital. A mover and shaker, he's in Los Angeles for a political fundraiser at the home of a powerful pharmaceutical titan. But first, he's being blackmailed. Someone has a compromising video of him and a young woman who is definitely not his wife—and they want three million dollars for it. That's when he calls Travis.    With his longtime connections in Los Angeles—including his former partner on the force—Travis has everything under control, until he doesn't. Now entangled in a web of murder, finance, and politics, only Travis can unravel a conspiracy international in scope—and unparalleled in evil . . .       "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   "Well-executed . . . Readers will hope they don't have to wait another seven years for the world-weary Travis's next adventure." —Publishers Weekly   "A thrilling page turner with a very complicated plot that all comes together in the end . . . Highly recommended." —Detective Mystery Stories