WHEN HOMICIDE DETECTIVE JOHN KEEGAN SOLVED THE MURDER OF HOLLYWOOD A-LISTER PATRICK DILLONS, HE KNEW HE LEFT STONES UNTURNED. HE KNEW THE CASE WOULD LAST. HE DID NOT EXPECT IT TO HAUNT HIS DREAMS, OR, WORSE, THAT IT WOULD TAKE OVER HIS LIFE AGAIN.
SIX MONTHS LATER, THE ANONYMOUS TIPPER WHO GUIDED AND PROVOKED HIM DURING THE DILLONS CASE RETURNS WITH AN OMINOUS QUESTION:
"WOULD THE HERO LIKE TO FINISH THE GAME?"
IN EXCHANGE FOR AGREEING TO CONTINUE, THE TIPPER PROMISES TO FEED KEEGAN EVIDENCE AND
CLUES ABOUT A NEW MURDER, AND TO GIVE CLOSURE ON THE DILLONS CASE. KEEGAN BALKS, BUT WHEN THE TIPPER'S INFO PROVES HELPFUL, HE KNOWS HE MUST STRADDLE THE LINE BETWEEN SAVING LIVES AND BREAKING LAWS. THE GAME RESTARTS AND KEEGAN MUST PLAY IT ALONE, HIDING THE TIPPER FROM EVERYONE, INCLUDING HIS WIFE AND PARTNER.
WITH HIS RELATIONSHIPS STRAINED UNDER THE PRESSURE OF DECEIT, KEEGAN ATTEMPTS TO STAY AHEAD OF THE TIPPER. THE FIRST BODY HAS A NOTE INDICATING IT IS THE FIRST OF EIGHT. A PLOT IS UNDERWAY AND KEEGAN MUST CALCULATE HIS EVERY MOVE. THE TIPPER USES TECHNOLOGY BOTH TO TRACK AND ELUDE KEEGAN. KEEGAN KNOWS THE TIPPER HAD DIRECT INFLUENCE IN THE DILLONS MURDER AND THESE NEW DEATHS. HIS SINGULAR FOCUS OF STOPPING THIS MENACE AMPLIFIES WITH A SIMPLE TEXT MESSAGE:
"MEET NUMBER FOUR. YOU WILL KILL HIM."
KEEGAN MUST DO EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING TO AVOID THIS OUTCOME. THIS PLAN FAILS WHEN HE DISCOVERS THE PLAN TO MAKE HIM NUMBER EIGHT. HE WANTS TO STOP THE GAME BUT KNOWS HIS FAMILY'S FUTURE DEPENDS ON HIM OUTSMARTING THE TIPPER AND STOPPING THE DEATHS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN. THE HERO MUST SUFFER THE TRIALS, OUTWIT THE VILLAIN, AND EMERGE VICTORIOUS.
THE FALLEN DELVES DEEP INTO THE INTRICAICES OF A MURDER INVESTIGATION AND TECHNOLOGY'S EFFECT ON DETECTIVE WORK. IT PLACES KEEGAN IN A NO WIN SITUATION HE MUST SEE TO COMPLETION. HOW FAR IS TOO FAR WHEN TRYING TO SOLVE A CASE? WHERE IS THE LINE BETWEEN FAMILY AND DUTY? KEEGAN DOESN'T HAVE THE ANSWERS BUT KNOWS THEY ALL LIE AT THE END OF THE TIPPER'S EPIC TALE.
"THE GAME WILL END, HERO. YOU GET TO DECIDE HOW."
