The Pellegrino Deception

Fledging wine critic Jason Roberts wakes with a horrendous hangover – and the mutilated body of an unknown young woman lying next to him. He panics and flees. Hours later after describing the bizarre incident to a police detective he is assaulted by a gunman and barely escapes with his life. Pursued by police federal agents and unknown assailants Jason must find the woman’s killer if he is to prevent his own murder. His only leads are the cryptic files on a computer flash drive mysteriously found in his pocket and Sarah Nichols the dead woman's best friend. The data files implicate Charles Pellegrino head of a liquor distribution family dating back to Prohibition in a tax fraud scheme and organized crime syndicate. The data is Jason’s wild card: the feds need it to indict Pellegrino and Pellegrino needs it to beat the feds. Pellegrino’s hole card is a corrupt federal agent that will do his bidding.. Sarah is swept up in the chase for Jason and the body count climbs as they race from the moneyed estates of Beverly Hills through the slums of south Los Angeles to the dazzling glitter of Las Vegas in their search to expose Pellegrino without being killed. Repeatedly tracked and discovered each conflict brings Sarah and Jason closer as they rely on their wits to survive. Together they battle the dark world of money and power behind liquor distribution while fighting the growing emotional bond between them.