The Hidden Man Hardback - 2009

de Ellis, David

Another exhilarating thriller from Edgar Awardwinner David Ellis, introducing thenew series protagonist Jason Kolarich.

J ason Kolarich is a midwestern Everyman with a lineman'sbuild and an easy smart-ass remark. He's a young,intelligent maverick, but he's also struggling with anoverwhelming emotional burden-one that threatens to unravelhis own life, and possibly the lives of those around him.

Twenty-seven years ago, two-year-old Audrey Cutler disappearedfrom her home in the middle of the night. She was neverfound. All the detectives had to go on were vague eyewitnessaccounts of a man running down the Cutlers' street, apparentlycarrying someone. Without enough evidence to suggestotherwise, Griffin Perlini-a neighbor with prior offenses againstminors-was arrested, but never convicted.

The case is long closed when Perlini is murdered nearly thirtyyears later. Now a man named Mr. Smith appears in JasonKolarich's office, saying only that he represents a third partywho wants the man charged with murder off the hook and thatKolarich is perfect for the job. The new client: Audrey Cutler'solder brother, Sammy-Kolarich's estranged childhood bestfriend-a man he hasn't seen in nearly twenty years.

But when Kolarich starts receiving violent threats from Mr.Smith's enigmatic employer, he figures out that the secrecybehind this nameless third party-and the key to winningSammy's case-is entangled with the mystery of Audrey'sdisappearance. With his own life and Sammy's in the balance,Kolarich has to put aside not only the mounting anxiety of thejob but also a heart-wrenching personal tragedy in order to findout what really happened to Audrey all those years ago.