Publisher's Synopsis
"A Truth Stranger Than Fiction is a clean, fast-paced mystery thriller, packed with unexpected shifts.... Our hero and narrator, Dakota Stevens, is a witty and charming PI detective.... This story is highly entertaining and fun in its action and humor, but beholden to a deeper focus."*
In an adrenaline-fueled case that races to the woods of Upstate New York, to Boston and the shores of Maine, to the Badlands--by foot, train, truck, boat and private jet--a seemingly simple missing persons investigation quickly becomes the most difficult and personal case of Dakota's career.
A Missing Author, G-Men, Mobsters and More...
Manhattan PI Dakota Stevens and his associate Svetlana Krüsh have just moved into new offices on Fifth Avenue. A pink-and-blue-haired teenage girl walks in with a problem: her older brother and guardian, a famous science fiction author, has been missing for a week. Before Dakota even has a chance to take the case, he and the girl are accosted by a horde of people all searching for the brother: government agents, thugs, mobsters, and two mysterious Chinese men. What could her brother possibly be into?
A Secret that Could Change the World...
In their search for the missing author, Dakota, Svetlana, and the girl must navigate a bizarre, interconnected world of foreign spies and fangirls, mobsters and murderers, government bureaucrats and corporate profiteers. In the end, Dakota exposes a secret that literally has the power to change the world. And the truth is a truth stranger than fiction.
"A Truth Stranger Than Fiction is a clean, fast-paced mystery thriller, packed with unexpected shifts.... Our hero and narrator, Dakota Stevens, is a witty and charming PI detective hailing from Manhattan.... A Truth Stranger Than Fiction is definitely worth the read. Between the fast pace and the clean, fluid language this story is hard to pause, and it's thought-provoking in its real-world relevance. This story is highly entertaining and fun in its action and humor, but beholden to a deeper focus." - *The Portsmouth Review
Readers Say:
"Orcutt has combined a classic hard-boiled with the page-turning frenzy of a Dan Brown novel."
"PI Dakota Stevens is a cross between Philip Marlowe and Jason Bourne and his partner Svetlana Krush is a chess Grandmaster with the body of a Victoria's Secret model."
"Just when you think you've solved the mystery, Orcutt surprises you with another unexpected twist."
"As for the characters--perfection. Flawed, funny, heroic and developed fully from the first page until the final page."
"I read A Real Piece of Work in three days. Didn't get much sleep...but it was well worth it."
"Dakota Stevens and his indispensable sidekick/chess champion Svetlana Krush are a delightful modern take on the noir detective style."
"The author's ability to paint a picture or scene with words is astounding. This book is ripe for adaptation to film."
"Orcutt weaves a story that keeps you hanging on until the very end."
"People in the reviews keep mentioning Spenser/Robert B. Parker, and they're right; but add a good streak of John Le Carré, turn the roaster up a notch, and maybe you're getting in the ballpark."
"Reading Orcutt is like chasing a lit fuse into a dark tunnel."
"I am now stalking this author on Amazon, anxiously awaiting the release of his next book in the series."
