If Two Are Dead

A partner of the shipping firm that employs young Thomas Dordrecht was known to be in good health and traveling from Pennsylvania to New York City. Yet his corpse is discovered at dawn in a Manhattan alleyway—and the coroner unable to specify a cause of death pronounces it due to misadventure. As the staff grieves Dordrecht takes it upon himself to parse clues to the man’s inexplicable demise but he is soon interrupted by a long-planned business venture to the Caribbean. Months later back at home still dogged by unsatisfied curiosity Dordrecht latches onto one fortuitous clue—unusual playing cards found on the victim’s person—and tenaciously pursues the mystery from Long Island across New Jersey to Philadelphia. And once he realizes the victim was murdered in cold blood he will not rest until he uncovers how by whom and why.