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Jake Brand is a man at his breaking point, transitioning from a covert operator to a Portland private investigator drowning in scotch and the wreckage of a failed marriage. When his childhood friend Tony is murdered in a suspicious hit-and-run, Jake is pulled back into the orbit of his first love, Heather. What begins as a search for answers quickly spirals into a high-stakes conspiracy involving corporate bribery, digital espionage, and the dangerous machinations of mobster Sammy ‘Knuckles’ Bahn. As the bodies pile up and the police close in, Jake must navigate a labyrinth of betrayal and hidden agendas while battling his own self-destructive impulses. Forced to confront the truth about those he trusts most, Jake’s journey is a gritty exploration of whether a man can truly outrun his past or if some secrets are destined to bury him. It is a noir-infused tale of redemption, professional duty, and the agonizing weight of long-buried feelings. Comparable works include The Long Goodbye