CAUSE OF DEATH : GREED

by DAN MICHAEL

Bart Dobbins is a fiercely independent investigative reporter who is committed to finding truth, exposing corruption, and protecting the innocent. He is investigating the abduction and disappearance of a young Washington D.C. attorney who was having an affair with a rich Cabinet Secretary. Dobbins collaborates with Lt. Trent, a D.C. Homicide Detective in an effort to find Sherrie Payne before it is too late. The pair have worked together on prior cases to solve murders and clear innocent suspects. The current case is complicated in that there is no demand for ransom, but there are calls to the newspaper and police tip lines regarding Miss Payne’s disappearance. Even salacious photos are mysteriously supplied to the D.C. Police Department and The Capitol Chronicle, the leading D.C. newspaper. As events unfold, Dobbins becomes one of four suspects in a related homicide, two of whom are arrested in connection with the death of the Cabinet Secretary’s wife. While searching for Sherrie Payne, Bart Dobbins becomes involved with a young, financially independent, and beautiful attorney who is a close friend of the missing woman. Bart and Sally become intimate in the matters of friendship, love, and the law. Along the way, Bart is blindsided and drafted to become a neutral messenger between a high ranking Department of Justice official and a powerful cartel kingpin who manufactures and smuggles heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States. A grand scheme of mutual cooperation is entertained to greatly reduce the amount of illegal narcotics trafficking and related deaths within the U.S., in exchange for non-interference with the cartel’s U.S. marijuana operations. The potential for a great humanitarian benefit must overcome the zealous appetites of all involved. Grave consequences and nationwide fear result when the agreement is jeopardized. A resolution of the missing Sherrie Payne case will allow Bart Dobbins more time to devote to achieving success for the grand cartel scheme. He must pursue success for both the US Government and the Saints Drug Cartel as if his life depended on it. And not only his… This fictional work is set in the near future, when marijuana products are actually legal in all 50 states, including under U.S. Federal laws. It is the third novel featuring Bart Dobbins, an investigative reporter, as the lead character. The prior novel in the series is titled “Dying to be President”, and is available from Amazon in paperback and eBook formats.