A Scent of Ruin

In 1950s Seattle, the rain washes away everything but the sins. Private Investigator Jack Rourke is a disgraced ex-cop drowning his grief in cheap bourbon and dead-end cases. But his downward spiral halts when a terrified jazz singer named Lily Hutton walks into his office, pleading for protection from a vicious stalker. What begins as a routine bodyguard gig quickly plunges Jack into the darkest depths of the city's underworld. His investigation at The Dry Rain nightclub puts him in the crosshairs of the ruthless Mancini crime family, untouchable real estate moguls, and a military-grade narcotics ring. When a mutilated body turns up and the police circle Jack as their prime suspect, the case completely shatters. He discovers the men hunting him are protecting a conspiracy that could drown the city-and the frightened woman who hired him, leaving behind only a lingering scent of vanilla and almonds, is hiding a deadly, vengeful secret of her own. To clear his name, Jack must confront his past before he becomes another ghost in the rain. A Scent of Ruin is a gripping, hardboiled noir mystery packed with atmospheric tension, brutal betrayals, and a breathless twist.