Odd Man in - by James Stapleton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A disgraced criminologist must navigate a deadly truce between warring tech-crime dynasties to clear his name in this razor-sharp Silicon Valley noir where venture capital fuels a blood feud.

In Silicon Valley's shadows, where blood ties are liabilities and enemies come in billion-dollar packages, the only thing deadlier than a secret is the truth.

A sniper's bullets shatter the fragile peace of Portola Valley, turning a privileged playground into a deadly chessboard. Marty Chevalier walks out of federal prison straight into a storm of violence, vengeance, and family vendetta. He's no stranger to the razor wire that runs through Silicon Valley's criminal underbelly.

With Silicon Valley venture capitalists, ruthless tech moguls, and old-world mobsters circling, Marty finds himself caught in a high-stakes game where digital fortunes crash and family loyalty is the sharpest weapon. Every player has a motive, every mansion hides a liar, and if Marty can't sift the truth from the smoke, more children will wind up in the sniper's sights.

Fans of Nelson DeMille's twist-laden thrillers will tear through Odd Man In--a noir-tinged mystery tangled in Silicon Valley's dark roots, where betrayal is currency and justice means making it out alive.

About the Author

James Stapleton has spent the last thirty years working in the trenches of Silicon Valley marketing and public relations, witnessing firsthand the ambition that drives both startups and scandals. A graduate of Santa Clara University with honors, he combined his studies in fiction and screenwriting with a deep dive into Criminal Sociology--a fascination that now forms the backbone of the Odd Man In series.

Stapleton is no stranger to the publishing world. He founded Santa Clara Press in 1988 and is the author of two previous business books published by John Wiley & Sons: Practice Development (1999) and An Executive Guide to Knowledge Management (2003). As the publisher of The Professional Services Marketing Report, he spent years analyzing the structures of professional firms, insights he now applies to the complex criminal hierarchies in his fiction.

He lives in Northern California with his wife and two children.