Played to Death: a Scott Drayco Mystery

A Shamus Award Finalist and Named Best Mystery in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Former piano prodigy-turned FBI agent Scott Drayco is tormented by nightmares from his last case as a private consultant. Adding insult to injury, he’s saddled with an unwanted, dilapidated Opera House in Cape Unity, a once-glamorous seaside village now in decline. Hoping for a quick sale, Drayco’s plans are shattered when a potential new client is found murdered on the Opera House stage, a taunting “G” carved into his chest.. Teaming up with a wary Sheriff, Drayco navigates a treacherous maze of illicit affairs, immigration tensions, and coastal development disputes to clear his name and solve the murder. But his resolve is tested by the flirtatious wife of a Town Councilman, who had an affair with the victim and tries to seduce Drayco, further complicating the investigation.. As one mystery unfolds into another, Drayco discovers a link to a famous Polish pianist who was murdered after performing at the Opera House fifty years ago. Drawn into a web of jealousy and betrayal spanning across the Atlantic, Drayco must untangle dark secrets from deep in history’s shadows.. But when tensions in Cape Unity mount and violence looms, he has to act fast or risk becoming the next victim.