The Envelope
"Breathtaking suspense and international intrigue describe the Ron McManus fictional work, The Envelope." —Deborah Lloyd for Readers' Favorite
"The Envelope is a gripping detective story that blends medical science and criminal fiction with captivating depth, without letting the details take over the thrill of the story. Once you pick it up, you will not put it down." —Faridah Nassozi
Jake Palmer is attending a wedding in New York, and Fiona Collins has flown in from London to accompany him to the event. The night before the wedding a U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent meets Palmer in the hotel bar and requests his help. He leaves Palmer a sealed envelope and tells him to review the contents, saying he will be in touch in a few days.
Moments later, the agent is gunned down. Palmer decides to return the envelope to HSI but not until after he and Collins open it. Inside they find a cryptic note from the agent and information related to a counterfeit medicine case involving a drug manufactured by the company where Collins works. The next morning, they take the envelope to HSI’s New York office, ending Palmer’s involvement in the investigation, or so he thinks. Collins returns to London intent on finding more about the counterfeiting of one of their newest medicines.
After an unexpected event changes Palmer’s perspective, he teams with the HSI special agent now in charge of the case. Together they pursue those behind a global counterfeit medicine and money-laundering operation. As the investigation unfolds, Palmer makes a startling discovery that raises his personal stake in the outcome and reveals the real reason the murdered HSI agent wanted him involved.
With those closest to him now in danger and more patients dying from taking a medication that contains almost none of the life-saving ingredient, time is running out. The search for answers takes Palmer to London, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast, each step moving him closer to a confrontation with one of the world's most dangerous assassins, former Russian Spetsnaz operator Viktor Utkin. The Envelope will keep you up at night and make you question those medicines that seem to change shape and color each time you refill them.
Author Bio:
Ron McManus is the award-winning author of Libido’s Twist, The Drone Enigma, The Envelope, and The Chameleon.
The Chameleon won the 2021 Best Indie Book Award—Suspense/Thriller/Espionage, the National Indie Excellence Award—Action/Adventure, and the Chanticleer International Book Awards's Global Thriller Grand Prize. The former naval officer, combat veteran, and corporate executive is currently working on his next Jake Palmer novel. Ron and his wife, Mildred, reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay.