J. D. Miller

The Valley of Dying Stars: a Mark Christian Detective Novel J. D. Miller

In The Valley of Dying Stars, we meet a new Private Investigator, Mark Christian. He is an ex-Marine, war hero, veteran of Desert Storm and Somalia, and self-confessed adrenaline junkie. A lover of jazz, antique motorcycles, and a gorgeous Irish girl named Aislinn, whose high level job with the government gives Mark entree into the world of the political and media elite. Lillian Jones' son has been murdered, and the local police can't solve the case. Desperate, she turns to Mark Christian for help. She's heard of his reputation. He's not like most Private Investigators, who spend their time slinking around outside motels taking pictures of people cheating. He gets hired for the rough stuff: executive protection and murder investigations. This case takes him from his home in the beautiful mountains of the Shenandoah to the underbelly of the vicious drug trade in inner city Washington D. C., the 'murder capitol of the world.' It is a nightmarish, surreal world of junkies, dealers, and hookers; a gritty, morally complex journey that pits this tough new P. I. against a drug kingpin and domestic terrorist. 'The hero in this story is finely drawn, a carefully crafted jewel of contradictions. He has the toughness, courage and principals of Robert B. Parker's Spenser, but is ultimately more complex and conflicted. The story is moving and unforgettable with something for everyone: romance, searing, heart-stopping action, and an engaging mystery that has a shocking, surprise ending. But, what is also fantastic, is its basis in reality. Anyone who has worked in the inner city knows that the horrible places he writes about actually exist.' Gregory Bearstop, MTS, LCADC, Author of Happiness That is Guaranteed.