Riordan's Desk

The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 23 - Cow Palace Meat-Up

Sat, 04 May 2024 16:00:00 -0400

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Riordan and Duckworth go to the rendezvous at the Cow Palace.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 22 - Dealing and Wheeling

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan negotiates for Melina's return.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 21 - The Big Wake-Up

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0400

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Duckworth and Riordan make a discovery.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 20 - Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0400

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Duckworth and Riordan visit Mountain View Cemetery.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 19 - Windbreaker's

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 15:00:00 -0500

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Riordan picks up his father's pistols at WJ Firearms.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 18 - Nappy Boy

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 16:00:00 -0500

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Stockwell and Dysart make another visit to Riordan's apartment.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 17 - Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan returns to the office of Vital Statistics in San Mateo.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 16 - Where in the World Is Evita Peron?

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0500

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Melina and Riordan have another sit down with Rivero and Orlando.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 15 - I in the Air

Sat, 27 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0500

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Duckworth and Riordan inspect the coffin.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 14 - Go Ahead and Cry

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 19:00:00 -0500

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Chris and Riordan stake out Maximo's house.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 13 - Madison, and I'm Not Talking Dolly

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 15:00:00 -0500

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Riordan receives a belated inheritance from his father.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 12 - Handcuff Ballet

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 18:00:00 -0500

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Riordan and Lieutenant Kittredge meet again.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 11 - Walk Like an Egyptian

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 17:00:00 -0400

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Riordan meets Isis.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 10 - Love Poems of Maximo

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:00:00 -0400

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Riordan reports on his progress to Rivero.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 9 - Toss Job

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 13:00:00 -0400

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 8 - Mr. Boss Man

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 15:00:00 -0400

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Riordan looks for Maria's burial/transit permit.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 7 - Hunter's Way

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 19:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits Cypress Lawn in Colma, CA.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 6 - True Confessions

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 18:00:00 -0400

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Riordan shares some family history.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 5 - Stay for the Worms

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 4 - Cementerio de la Recoleta

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan meets the rest of Araceli’s family.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 3 - Necrophobia

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan attends the vigil for Araceli Rivero.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 2 - A Universe of Stars, a Galaxie of Dents

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Chris Duckworth visits Riordan at his Post Street apartment.

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The Big Wake-Up, Chapter 1 - Cable Car Crunch

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0400

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The odyssey of María Eva Duarte de Perón—the Argentine first lady made famous in the play and the movie Evita—was as remarkable in death as it was in life. A few years after she succumbed to cervical cancer, her specially preserved body was taken by the military dictatorship that succeeded her deposed husband Juan. Hidden for sixteen years in Italy in a crypt under a false name, she was eventually exhumed and returned to Buenos Aires to be buried in an underground tomb said to be secure enough to withstand a nuclear attack.

Or was she?

When San Francisco private eye August Riordan engages in a flirtation with a beautiful university student from Buenos Aires, he witnesses her death in a tragic shooting and is drawn into mad hunt for Evita’s remains. He needs all of his wits, his network of friends and associates, and an unexpected legacy from the dead father he has never known to help him survive the deadly intrigue between powerful Argentine movers and shakers, ex-military men, and a mysterious woman named Isis who is expert in ancient techniques of mummification.

The fifth novel in the August Riordan series, The Big Wake-Up plunges everyman PI Riordan and his sidekick Chris Duckworth into their most terrifying and anguishing case ever.

In Chapter 1, Riordan's visit to the Missing Sock Laundromat takes a tragic turn.

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The Immortal Game - Wrap-up

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Wrap-up for The Immortal Game, featuring a short interview with fellow crime writer and podcaster Seth Harwood.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 30 - Lonely Knight

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan calls Margaret Teller.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 29 - End Game

Sat, 27 May 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Stockwell, Duckworth and Riordan meet to discuss the case.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 28 - Bishop's Gambit

Sat, 20 May 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes back to see Bishop at his Woodside mansion.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 27 - Queen to Queen's Knight One

Sat, 13 May 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan consults with Duckworth.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 26 - Guinness, O'Grady & Me

Sat, 06 May 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan talks to Ronan O'Grady.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 25 - Home Movies

Sat, 29 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan fires up his VCR.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 24 - Checked

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 17:00:00 -0400

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Riordan pays a late night visit to a Tenderloin hotel.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 23 - Honest Dale's Used Cars

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes used car shopping.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 22 - Home on the Range

Sat, 08 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Stockwell and Riordan go to a shooting range in South San Francisco.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 21 - Party Time in Pac Heights

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to a cocktail party in San Francisco's swanky Pacific Heights neighborhood.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 20 - Station Break

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits Stockwell at East Palo Alto Police Headquarters.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 19 - Daly City Bondage

Sat, 18 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan takes a trip down to Daly City.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 18 - Dead Man's Mail

Sat, 11 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan and Chris Duckworth look at Roland Teller's computer.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 17 - I'd Rather be a Hammer

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0500

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Riordan tries his hand with some construction tools.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 16 - Completely, Irrevocably and without Remorse

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan gets fired.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 15 - Terri Comes Calling

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Terri McCulloch visits Riordan.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 14 - Teller Leaves the Board

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan meets an East Palo Alto Police Lieutenant named Stockwell.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 13 - Blocked Pawn

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan stakes out Terri McCulloch's apartment in East Palo Alto.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 12 - A Detective or a Punching Bag?

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan talks to Bishop to review the progress (or lack thereof) on the case so far.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 11 - Exit Wifey and Hello My Fair Lady

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:00:00 -0500

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Riordan has another encounter with Hastrup, the bouncer from the Power Station.

Like the quote about carbon atoms in the chapter? It's available as a limited edition broadsheet here.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 10 - In the Key of G

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan plays a gig at a south of Market jazz club.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 9 - Wharf Tour

Sat, 07 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan chases a mystery man around San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 8 - The Power Station

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan visits The Power Station, an S&M club in North Beach.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 7 - Jodie's Tip

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:00:00 -0500

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Jodie stops by Riordan's office.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 6 - Threats of a Feather

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:00:00 -0500

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Riordan goes to his office in the Flood Building, where he has a phone conversation with Bishop.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 5 - Threateners Anonymous

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 13:00:00 -0500

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Riordan gets a phone call at home.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 4 - The Stigmata

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 14:00:00 -0500

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Riordan meets Chris Duckworth in a San Francisco bar to learn more about the stolen chess software.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 3 - Down EPA Way

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan visits the East Palo Alto apartment of Terri McCulloch.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 2 - Teller Talks Tough

Sat, 19 Nov 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan visits the headquarters of Mephisto Software.

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The Immortal Game, Chapter 1 - Opening Moves

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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When the world’s most innovative computer chess software is stolen, wisecracking, jazz bass-playing PI August Riordan is hired to find it.

Sifting through a San Francisco peopled with bruising, ex-NFL henchmen, transvestite techno geeks, and alluring, drug-addicted dominatrices, Riordan has got his work cut out for him.

But with a smart-ass attitude like Riordan’s, nothing is easy …

A darkly comic sojourn through a town unrecognizable from the Tony Bennett song and the Rice-a-Roni ads, The Immortal Game is a Shamus, Barry, and Independent Publisher (IPPY) award nominee.

In Chapter 1, Riordan goes to the Woodside, CA mansion of Edwin Bishop.

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Runoff - Wrap-Up

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 15:00:00 -0400

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Wrap-up for Runoff, featuring a short interview from the "In a Word" TV program.

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Runoff, Chapter 33 - Return of the Dragon

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has a final meeting with his client.

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Runoff, Chapter 32 - Better Red than Dead

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan and Wu face-off.

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Runoff, Chapter 31 - Bye-Bye Wi-Fi

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Duckworth and Riordan try to hack City Hall.

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Runoff, Chapter 30 - Lady Psychiatrist's Booth

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan stops by a bar in North Beach.

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Runoff, Chapter 29 - Pizza Party

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan compares notes with Duckworth.

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Runoff, Chapter 28 - August Alley

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits a house on August Alley.

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Runoff, Chapter 27 - A Mythic Tale

Sat, 10 Sep 2022 15:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has another seafaring adventure.

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Runoff, Chapter 26 - Cabin Bruiser

Sat, 27 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to sea.

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Runoff, Chapter 25 - The Crab Lady

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan makes a visit to Oyster Point Marina.

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Runoff, Chapter 24 - Strange Bedfellows

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to the hospital where Gretchen is being treated.

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Runoff, Chapter 23 - All the Grass by Its Roots

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 19:00:00 -0400

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Riordan tries to locate the Dragon Lady in order to give her an update.

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Runoff, Chapter 22 - It Isn't Easy Being Green

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits Green Party Election Headquarters.

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Runoff, Chapter 21 - Dial D for Duckworth

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan talks to Chris about voting machine audit trails.

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Runoff, Chapter 20 - Mr. Sloppy's

Sat, 16 Jul 2022 22:00:00 -0400

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Riordan stakes out the headquarters of Feral Collective.

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Runoff, Chapter 19 - Only a Damn Caterpiller

Sat, 09 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has another late night encounter with Red.

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Runoff, Chapter 18 - Logic Bomb

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Duckworth updates Riordan on what he discovered while working at Columbia Voting Technologies.

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Runoff, Chapter 17 - Doctor's Orders

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes back to his office to meet Lisa Lee.

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Runoff, Chapter 16 - A Burrito for Your Thoughts

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan talks to the man in the cowboy boots.

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Runoff, Chapter 15 - Protesting Too Much

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan attends a protest in San Francisco's Mission District.

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Runoff, Chapter 14 - Playing Footsie

Sat, 28 May 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has a talk with Tony "Squid Boy" Wu.

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Runoff, Chapter 13 - Sure Fire Seller

Sat, 21 May 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan talks to mayoral candidate Alan Chow.

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Runoff, Chapter 12 - A Mismatched Pair

Sat, 14 May 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan brings a knife to a g̶u̶n̶ knife fight.

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Runoff, Chapter 11 - Cinderella's Slipper

Sat, 07 May 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Lisa and Riordan get to know each other between sets at Shanghai 1930.

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Runoff, Chapter 10 - Shanghaied

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 17:00:00 -0400

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Duckworth and Riordan play a set at San Francisco supper club, Shanghai 1930.

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Runoff, Chapter 9 - The Green Berets

Sat, 23 Apr 2022 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan attends a campaign event for Mike Padilla.

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Runoff, Chapter 8 - How Now

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan de-stresses in a dive bar in South San Francisco.

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Runoff, Chapter 7 - Hail Columbia

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 11:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits Columbia Voting Technologies, makers of the touchscreen voting machines used in the mayoral election.

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Runoff, Chapter 6 - Election Fraud for Dummies

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 15:00:00 -0400

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Riordan and Duckworth talk to a computer science professor at Stanford about touch screen voting machines.

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Runoff, Chapter 5 - Pajama Chat

Sun, 27 Mar 2022 18:00:00 -0400

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Riordan and Lenora Lee have a chat.

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Runoff, Chapter 4 - Black Penny

Sat, 19 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan gets hauled down to the police station to talk to his old pal Lieutenant Kittredge.

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Runoff, Chapter 3 - You Can Fight City Hall

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan visits the Director of Elections in his office in City Hall.

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Runoff, Chapter 2 - Enter the Dragon

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan meets businesswoman Lenora Lee and is hired to investigate irregularities in San Francisco’s mayoral election.

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Runoff, Chapter 1 - The Midnight Ride of John Deere

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Runoff

How much does it cost to fix an election? August Riordan—private investigator, jazz bass player, smart ass with a foolish heart—is going to find out. He’s been hired by Leonora Lee, the all-powerful “Dragon Lady” of San Francisco’s Chinatown, to investigate the results of the city’s recent mayoral election. It seems the Dragon Lady’s candidate failed to even carry the Chinese precincts, and she’s convinced that someone must have rigged the outcome by hacking the city’s newly installed touch-screen voting machines.

A runoff between the two remaining candidates is days away, but it takes Riordan mere hours to find the Director of Elections dead in his office. A visit to the offices of Columbia Voting Systems—the suppliers of the city’s touch-screen machines—results in another corpse. A wide range of political interests share a stake in the election, so Riordan’s got plenty of suspects.

But when the Dragon Lady’s beautiful daughter is attacked after giving Riordan a goodnight kiss, it starts to get personal. Soon, Riordan is in a race not only against the runoff deadline, but against powerful political movers and shakers, Chinatown gang members, and crazed anarchists, with only his techno-savvy, cross-dressing friend Chris to help.

The cost of fixing an election runs to as many lives as it does dollars, and if Riordan isn’t careful, the price for un-fixing it may be more than he can afford…

"1930s Seedy Street Music" by AstroFreq.

In Chapter 1, Riordan stakes out the Bank of Canton in San Francisco’s Chinatown in hopes of catching a thief using heavy equipment to steal bank ATMs.

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Candy from Strangers - Wrap-up

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:00:00 -0500

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Wrap-up for Candy from Strangers, featuring a short interview excerpt from the "Beyond Words" radio program.

As mentioned in the episode, to subscribe to Mark's newsletter, go here:

https://www.markcoggins.com/newsletter/

To follow him on Twitter:

@mark_coggins

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 31 - Blue Note

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 13:00:00 -0500

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Stockwell, Duckworth and Riordan meet back at the House of Shields to discuss the case.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 30 - All I Want for Christmas

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 13:00:00 -0500

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Riordan confronts Cricket.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 29 - Commencement

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 15:00:00 -0500

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Riordan and Stockwell go back to the art college to make a shocking discovery.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 28 - Jiminy Cricket

Sat, 29 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan and Stockwell question the owner of a tattoo parlor about Cricket.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 27 - Flash Point

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan and Stockwell make a tour of San Francisco tattoo shops, looking for Cricket.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 26 - A Scandal in Scandinavia

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0500

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Duckworth surprises Riordan with some uninvited assistance in the investigation.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 25 - A Walk on the Wild Side

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0500

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Riordan meets Odile at the Wild Side West bar to get insights she gained from reviewing Wesson's files on Caroline.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 24 - Tantric Twister

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0500

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Riordan barges in on Caroline's guru in the middle of a Tantric encounter.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 23 - Darkroom Developments

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0500

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Riordan goes to his office, where George Wesson is waiting for him.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 22 - Tangled Web

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 13:00:00 -0500

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Riordan talks to Stockwell and learns more bad news about Caroline.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 21 - Throne Down

Sat, 11 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan goes to Monica Mapa's apartment after his gig at Bruno's supper club.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 20 - Butterflies Aren't Free

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 17:00:00 -0500

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Riordan finds out the reason Caroline Stockwell tried to commit suicide when he visits her in the hospital.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 19 - Pigeonholing the Pigeon

Sat, 27 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan confronts Dr. Levin at his Pacific Heights home.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 18 - Gay Fuel

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan visits the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to see George Wesson's exhibit.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 17 - A Prize in Every Box

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0500

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Riordan checks out the art college Caroline was attending.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 16 - One Hour Martinizing

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 18:00:00 -0400

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Riordan gets a visit from Ellen Stockwell, who explains that the situation with her daughter is not as good as she hoped.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 15 - Claim Jumping at the Golden State

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan works to recover the items stolen from Victor Lane's house.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 14 - Professor Hubba and the Potato Pie

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan talks to Victor and Helma Lane about a break-in and burglary at their house.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 13 - No Defense against a Crow Bar

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Ellen Stockwell tells Riordan of a surprising development in the case.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 12 - You Only Hurt the Ones You Hug

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0400

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Riordan tells Ellen Stockwell of Caroline's website.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 11 - Man from International Male

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan enlists Duckworth's help to look at Caroline and Monica's website.

(Check out an "inspirational" quote taken from the episode here.)

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 10 - Hell's Web Studio

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan finally interviews Caroline's friend Monica.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 9 - Putting the Goo Back in Guru

Sat, 18 Sep 2021 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits an ashram in Berkeley.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 8 - Shrink Rap

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan talks with Caroline Stockwell's shrink, looking for clues to her disappearance.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 7 - They Eat Horses, Don't They?

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to the Starbucks where Caroline worked in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 6 - Cuervo Spit Bath

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits the Stockwells at their home.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 5 - Gum for the Gumshoe

Sat, 21 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits Union City Police HQ.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 4 - Caesar's Wife

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan is hired by Ellen Stockwell to find her missing daughter Caroline.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 3 - It Takes One to Know One

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 12:00:00 -0400

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Chris updates August on his adventures from the night before.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 2 - Madame Butterfly

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 22:00:00 -0400

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Riordan discovers a body in the alley where he parked his car for his gig at the House of Shields.

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Candy from Strangers, Chapter 1 - It Was the Meat

Sat, 24 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0400

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Candy from Strangers

Caroline Stockwell has a secret: she and her best friend Monica are “cam girls." Soliciting cash donations and gifts via Amazon.com wish lists from anonymous admirers, the young women have put up a web site featuring still photographs, video and a blog to help pay their way through art college. But when Caroline goes missing and her mother Ellen engages jazz bass-playing PI August Riordan to find her, Riordan discovers her secret and it appears to everyone that someone she met through the web site is responsible for her disappearance.

Set against the real-world backdrop of Internet predators using social networking sites to find and ensnare their victims, Candy from Strangers is the first novel to explore the phenomenon of teenagers and young adults displaying themselves online in exchange for material favors—often without their parents’ knowledge—which some are calling the newest form of prostitution.

In Chapter 1, Riordan and Duckworth's gig at the venerable House of Shields bar in San Francisco doesn't go exactly as planned.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 35 - Winnie

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:00:00 -0400

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Winnie has a final showdown with the Winemaker.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 34 - Ray

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:00:00 -0400

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Ray and the motorcyclist face off.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 33 - Riordan

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan finds Winnie's pack and repurposes the contents.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 32 - Winnie

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0400

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Winnie knocks on the Winemaker's backdoor.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 31 - Ray

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 19:00:00 -0400

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Ray does his bit for the assault from the top of Mount Saint Helena.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 30 - Riordan

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan continues his assault by blasting open the doors to the wine caves of Marionette Vineyards.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 29 - Riordan

Mon, 24 May 2021 21:00:00 -0400

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Riordan begins the assault on Marionette Vineyards.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 28 - The Winemaker

Mon, 24 May 2021 21:00:00 -0400

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The Winemaker muses on further plans for the simulator technology.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 27 - Winnie

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0400

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Winnie visits a gym in Healdsburg and gets a workout she didn't expect.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 26 - Riordan

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0400

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Ray does a fly-over of The Winemaker's property.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 25 - Riordan

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0400

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Ray, Winnie and Riordan attempt to recover some of The Winemaker's equipment.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 24 - Riordan

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 20:00:00 -0500

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Winnie and Riordan reunite with Ray.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 23 - Winnie

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 18:00:00 -0500

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Winnie and Riordan go on a reconnaissance mission.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 22 - Winnie

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:00:00 -0500

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Winne and Riordan go wine tasting.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 21 - The Winemaker

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:00:00 -0500

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The Winemaker reacts to receipt of a package from Winnie.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 20 - Riordan

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 19:00:00 -0500

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Riordan and Winnie make a getaway in a new vehicle.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 19 - Riordan

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 20:00:00 -0500

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Winnie and Riordan face off with the men who set Destiny and Jasmine in motion.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 18 - Winnie

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0500

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Winnie and Riordan share a moment.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 17 - Winnie

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0500

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Riordan does a little doctoring on Winnie.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 16 - Riordan

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 19:00:00 -0500

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Winnie and Riordan question Starlet.

And, by the way, Riordan's Desk was selected for the list of Top 30 Thriller Book Podcasts by Feedspot. See the full list here:

https://blog.feedspot.com/thriller_book_podcasts/.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 15 - Riordan

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 18:00:00 -0500

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Winnie makes a Skype call.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 14 - Winnie

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 20:00:00 -0500

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Winnie has a chat with a techie named Oz.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 13 - Riordan

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 19:00:00 -0400

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Winnie and Riordan visit the Bridle Bit Ranch.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 12 - The Winemaker

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:00:00 -0400

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The Winemaker muses on the history of his involvement with NeuroStimix.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 11 - Winnie

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 20:00:00 -0400

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Winnie and Riordan search the motel rooms of The Winemaker's men.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 10 - Riordan

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 18:00:00 -0400

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Winnie and Riordan attempt to ensnare The Winemaker's men.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 9 - The Winemaker

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:00:00 -0400

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The Winemaker reflects on his stay in prison.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 8 - Riordan

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0400

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Ray has a brainwave.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 7 - Riordan

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Winnie, Ray and Riordan share a pancake breakfast.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 6 - Riordan

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Ray thinks fast to deal with a threat from an unexpected source.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 5 - Winnie

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 18:00:00 -0400

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Winnie meets Ray, who lends her a hand.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 4 - Winnie

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 15:00:00 -0400

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Winnie and Riordan get a windfall.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 3 - Riordan

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 20:00:00 -0400

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Riordan and Winnie get reacquainted.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 2 - Winnie

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 18:00:00 -0400

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Winnie finds Riordan in Palm Springs.

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No Hard Feelings, Chapter 1 - Winnie

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 17:00:00 -0400

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Meet Winnie, the female protagonist of No Hard Feelings.

Winnie doesn’t remember the last time she felt anything below her neck. Her spine is severed at the seventh vertebrae, but thanks to implants from a sabotaged biomedical start-up, she has regained mobility. She is a prototype: a living, breathing—walking—demonstration of revolutionary technology that never made it to market.

Her disability has become her armor. Because she doesn’t register fatigue, she has trained relentlessly. Her hand, arm, and leg strength are off the scales for a woman, and she has honed self-defense techniques to channel that strength. She’s a modern-day Amazon who feels no pain.

When the sociopath who torpedoed the start-up sends killers to harvest the implants from her body, Winnie must team up with broken-down private investigator August Riordan to save both their lives—and derail sinister plans for perverse military applications of the technology.

In Chapter 1, Winnie makes an important decision while standing on the walkway of the Golden Gate Bridge.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Wrap-Up - Interview by Randal Brandt

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 15:00:00 -0400

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Randal Brandt, Curator of the California Detective Fiction Collection at the Bancroft Library, interviews Mark about THE DEAD BEAT SCROLL.

Links mentioned in the episode:

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 30 - Once in a While Forever

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan, Gretchen, Ray and Kim attend Chris's wake.

Links mentioned in the episode:

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 29 - Swedish All Along

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan reaches out to Wong.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 28 - Gather Round the Campfire

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan and Ray spring their trap.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 27 - Tag, You're It

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan, Gretchen and Ray meet to strategize.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 26 - Big Daddy

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has a sit down with big daddy.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 25 - Text and Subtext

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has a confrontation with number one son.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 24 - Film at Eleven

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan and Kittredge watch a video.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 23 - Family Ties

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has a conversation with Jeff.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 22 - Hive Times

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to a special sort of party.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 21 - Son of a Mama-san

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 16:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to see the son of Mrs. Kongsangchai.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 20 - Chris's Play

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 16:00:00 -0400

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Riordan gets an important message from an old friend.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 19 - The Grey Earl

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan receives an unexpected visitor from Palm Springs.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 18 - Sing a Tong of Six Gents

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan meets the leader of Wo Hop To.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 17 - Check Out Time

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0400

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Riordan learns more about what happened to Tuyen and goes to see Angelina.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 16 - El Sobrarbe Surprise

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to see Kim's friend Tuyen.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 15 - Hand Finish

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0400

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Riordan meets Kim and learns a thing or two more about the birds and the bees.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 14 - Number One with a Bullet

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0400

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Riordan meets with Kittredge to compare notes.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 13 - Arnie Jewel

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:00:00 -0400

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Riordan gets schooled on Beat Generation writers.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 12 - Beat Epiphany

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan gains important insight into the origin of the mysterious scroll thanks to research by Gretchen

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 11 - Smashed Finger

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits a rare book dealer.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 10 - The Beat Hive

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan has a literary experience.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 9 - Carlos G's

Thu, 28 May 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan gets his hair cut--and makes an important discovery as a result.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 8 - Prison Couture

Mon, 25 May 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan updates Angelina on developments in the case.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 7 - Historic Preservation

Fri, 22 May 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan makes an unsettling discovery.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 6 - The Late Shift

Tue, 19 May 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan makes another late night visit to Golden Fingers.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 5 - Angelina

Sat, 16 May 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan meets Angelina, Duckworth's actual last client.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 4 - Sugar Daddy

Wed, 13 May 2020 13:00:00 -0400

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Riordan visits Ivy's sugar daddy.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 3 - Sugar Baby

Fri, 08 May 2020 18:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes to Berkeley to talk to Ivy, the sugar baby who hired Duckworth.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 2 - Old Home Week

Fri, 08 May 2020 12:00:00 -0400

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Riordan goes back to his old San Francisco office to compare notes with his ex, Gretchen Sabatini.

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The Dead Beat Scroll, Chapter 1 - Golden Fingers

Thu, 07 May 2020 18:00:00 -0400

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In this audio fiction presentation of the novel The Dead Beat Scroll, private investigator August Riordan returns to San Francisco to avenge the death of his friend and one-time partner, Chris Duckworth. Duckworth has taken over Riordan’s old business, his old office, and even his old apartment, and Riordan suspects Duckworth’s death is linked to the missing-person case he was working when he died.

An alluring young woman named Angelina hired Duckworth to look for her half-sister, but what Riordan finds instead is a murderous polyamorous family intent on claiming a previously unknown manuscript from Beat writer Jack Kerouac.

Following clues from Duckworth and a trail of mutilated bodies left by the family, Riordan soon realizes that avenging his partner will first involve recovering the manuscript—then saving Angelina and himself from kidnap, torture, and death. As the bodies pile up, Riordan must work with old allies and enemies to untangle Duckworth’s last case before time runs out.

In Chapter 1, Riordan makes a late-night visit to a massage parlor.

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