The Glass Curtain: A Red Notebook Mystery - Suspense Novel for Adults | Perfect for Book Clubs & Mystery Lovers

MARQUESA JESUS PIAZZA, known as Mach, is a real estate reporter at New York City’s second largest daily newspaper. It is 2009, the wrong side of the real estate boom and bust of the early 21st century. Disgruntled over the decline of the newspaper business, her dead-end career, and a disappointing love affair with her boss, SCOTT SCREEN, Mach throws herself into a story that crosses her desk on July Fourth - the death of the young second wife of one of New York’s most prominent real estate developers, BARRY SLOANE. The death quickly disappears from view, until Mach brings it back a year after it happens.In a compelling, contemporary first-person voice, Mach relentlessly pursues the story of what happened to the victim, ANABEL SLOANE, as if solving the murder will justify the choices Mach has made and provide a key to how to move her life forward.A publicity hungry Chief Medical Examiner, DR. MATTHEW ROWAN, a former medic during Desert Storm, chooses Mach to be an embedded journalist in a special task force within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). Mach is paired with the sergeant in charge of the task force, EMILIO “MIL” URQUIA, who is reluctant to work with a civilian reporter. The police know the cause of death as drowning, the mechanism of death as poisoning, but the manner of death - the missing piece of the puzzle - eludes them.Mach and Mil learn to work together, with the aid of a dog walker, GLORIA YAP, and a luxury condominium concierge, RYAN ALEXANDRINE, to solve Anabel Sloane’s murder. In equal parts of authenticity and novelty, details of forensics and the underlying causes of the real estate industry crash bubble to the surface as Mach and Mil’s investigation gains momentum. The settings for Mach’s pursuits are Manhattan in all its ugly glory, Mach’s humble hometown of White Plains, Barry Sloane’s East Hampton Estate, and the environs. The contrasts provided by these settings underscore the contrasts between the social classes of New York. Mach’s ability to bond within these strata, as exemplified by her closeness with all three of the important male characters - blue collar Mil, educated professional Scott, and one-percenter Barry - demonstrate her dedication and depth.When Mach’s father dies, she begins to understand that not everything is black or white. Everything is more a foggy shade of gray, turning the determined heroine a bit more philosophical and tolerant. In the end, it is Mach’s intelligence, integrity, and intuition that help her solve the puzzles for which there are no keys - including her own life.