{"product_id":"murder-in-rat-alley-9781492699392","title":"Murder in Rat Alley","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn this unusual spin on the classic spy novel, murder strikes from our wartime pasts...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIraq War veteran Sam Blackman with his prosthetic leg and his no-nonsense private eye partner Nakayla Robertson love their investigations which always carry a thread from the past--and they love each other. An interracial couple in the new South, the Asheville, NC, pair has surrounded themselves with a terrific support team including an unorthodox lawyer and a veteran cop. They deploy humor both to bind them together and to deflect insults. Plus, it helps deal with the tragedies their work uncovers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuch a tragedy interrupts a meeting between the PIs and the neighboring law office when a body is unearthed from the grounds of the nearby Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. During the Cold War it monitored developing space programs. Today it plays a vital role gathering weather and climate data. The body has been in the ground a long time. Why would its discovery spark off a new murder in Asheville's mountain music scene, the victim found amid the garbage of dark, dank Rat Alley?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe was the fianc e of the man murdered long ago. But surely this case is more than a domestic drama playing out over time....\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Blackman Agency Investigations excel at merging past and present, bringing little-known history to light, and are perfect for fans of James Lee Burke, Stephen Mack Jones, Margaret Maron, and Robert B. Parker.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ede Castrique, Mark:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Mark de Castrique grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina where many of his novels are set. He's a veteran of the television and film production industry, has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte teaching The American Mystery, and he's a frequent speaker and workshop leader. He and his wife, Linda, live in Charlotte, North Carolina. www.markdecastrique.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Poisoned Pen Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50338690564370,"sku":"9781492699392","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a05c1335-8592-4d84-860e-594e24cabed3.jpg?v=1727990808","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/murder-in-rat-alley-9781492699392","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}