{"product_id":"operation-masquerade-larry-edwards-9798991369411","title":"Operation Masquerade: A Rent Beacham Mystery","description":"Construction workers in the San Juan Islands of Washington State discover the body of a man who had disappeared three decades earlier. Threats again haunt investigative journalist \u003cb\u003eRent Beacham\u003c\/b\u003e as he turns to the \u003ci\u003eSan Diego Herald\u003c\/i\u003e newspaper archives to dig into the man's disappearance following a toxic-waste scandal in the wake of the America's Cup sailing regatta in \u003cb\u003eSan Diego, California\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRent confronts prominent property developer \u003cb\u003eJames Michael \"Mike\" Johnson\u003c\/b\u003e, the former owner of the San Diego boatyard and whose son-in-law has thrown his hat in the ring to become the next congressman to represent California's 25th Congressional District, which encompasses California's Imperial Valley. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRent exposes the Johnson family's web of financial ties to ADU construction, hazardous waste disposal, lithium mining, and entities redeveloping a geothermal plant and solar arrays to power an \u003cb\u003eartificial intelligence\u003c\/b\u003e data center in what the local boosters have dubbed as \"\u003cb\u003eLithium Valley\u003c\/b\u003e.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe threats escalate to include the lives of Rent's loved ones as he connects the dots between the cold case, mysterious hazmat disposal activity, a clownish Congressional campaign, and the murky depths of \u003cb\u003eAI avatars and deepfakes\u003c\/b\u003e as election day looms. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFurther threats and abductions portend a dramatic showdown with ruthless rogues cloaked in a veil of propriety as he closes in on those behind the three-decades-old murder. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAlthough this is a work of fiction, its inspiration emerged from current events, including the indisputable pitfalls posed by artificial intelligence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBooklife Review: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eMeticulous portrayal of investigative journalism's dogged pursuit of truth.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eRent's unwavering determination to expose greed and corruption before it's too late draws readers in-and leaves them primed for the next installment. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRent's girlfriend, PI Alicia Velasquez, adds a sharp, unfaltering perspective, as she helps nail down evidence and pull off risky stakeouts at the Mexican border. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eComparable Title: Michael Connelly's The Proving Ground.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Larry Edwards\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798991369411\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Wigeon Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/15\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.04lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.73d","brand":"Larry Edwards","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49083930247423,"sku":"9798991369411","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/operation-masquerade-larry-edwards-9798991369411","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}