Said in Secret

By Jerry W Martin

Book Overview

Fort Worth burns under neon and headlines when private investigator Josh Sterling-a former CIA field operative with a past he can't outrun-is pulled into a murder that refuses to stay buried. The victim: Sharon Chambers, a high-end escort with powerful connections. The assignment comes through Detective William Stewart. The pressure? Immediate.

It doesn't take long for Josh to uncover the fuse at the center of the explosion-Sharon was the secret mistress of U.S. Senator Michael Westin, now fighting for reelection as scandal tightens around his campaign. With the media circling and political enemies closing in, Sharon's death becomes more than a crime-it becomes leverage.

Josh follows the trail backward, into Sharon's past, where old classmates and buried histories begin to surface. Everyone knew her. No one really did. As he peels back the layers, the case collides with something far more dangerous.

A brutal ambush by the Tormenta Cartel turns the investigation into a war zone. Josh saves two officers in a hail of gunfire, but the damage is done. Cartel boss Dario Perez wants blood. He unleashes his most feared enforcer, Julio Rojas-a ghost with a gun and a mission to make things right in the most violent way possible.

Outgunned and outnumbered, Josh expands his team, bringing in Calvin Summers, a recommendation from his former CIA handler. Calm, precise, and untested in this world, Cal becomes Josh's right hand as the case spirals.

But the real danger isn't just on the streets-it's personal. Ashley Westin, the senator's wife and an internationally renowned model, steps into the frame with poise and secrets of her own. What begins as suspicion turns into something neither she nor Josh expected: attraction. It's a line he won't cross-but one that grows harder to ignore. Meanwhile, Sarah Morris-Josh's fiercely intelligent office manager and future lawyer-proves she's more than support. She's essential.

Across the border of law and loyalty, Dario's empire begins to fracture from within. His wife, Alma, sees a future beyond violence and makes a choice that could cost her everything-betray him or be consumed by his world. When her plan fails, Dario disappears into the shadows, hunting the one person who dared to turn against him.

Then the war comes home. A bomb tears through Josh's house, igniting a close-quarters firefight that leaves bodies on the ground and his life in ruins. With nowhere safe left to stand, Josh is forced to keep moving-faster, sharper, more dangerous than ever.

The investigation narrows. A biker. A roommate. A story that doesn't add up. As the pieces shift, Detective Stewart steps closer, no longer just an ally-but something harder to read.
Josh finally uncovers the truth behind Sharon Chambers' murder.

But not the reason. And that changes everything. Pulled off the case just as the answers come into view, Josh is left with a puzzle that refuses to resolve-until a ghost from his past steps forward with a revelation that hits harder than any bullet.

In a world of secrets, nothing stays buried. And some truths are worth killing for.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0C9S7NZTN
• ISBN13: 9798399967370
• Release Date: June 2023
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"