RetailREVIEWS AND DESCRIPTION A hit man with a conscience. A priest told a terrible secret. An investigator seeking personal redemption. All collide in MADMAN’S THIRST, the long-awaited sequel to SOUND OF BLOOD. With crucial scenes set in Paris, New York, Florida and the Bahamas, it is a Jake Scarne thrill ride at its best -- where billions are at stake and even powerful mob bosses are expendable pawns in a criminal mastermind's international conspiracy. “What is really almost beyond belief is how easily De Maria has transitioned from the dry world of financial reporting to the wild and lavish world of novel writing.” -- THE COLLIER CITIZEN “Good news for anyone who prefers the pages of a rapid-read thriller to the market reports of the newspaper's business section. While De Maria may have been an award-winning financial reporter, he's an awfully good fiction writer as well.” -- THE NAPLES DAILY NEWS "Suspense, gritty scenes, clever banter, the visceral rendering of Staten Island and a dogged private eye combine to make MADMAN'S THIRST and Jake Scarne a strong contribution to the tough guy tradition." -- FLORIDA WEEKLY Private investigator Jake Scarne is in a funk, still haunted by his last case. He’s been letting himself go, physically and mentally, content to chase errant husbands and cash easy paychecks. But then his best friend asks for a favor he can’t refuse. Seeking personal and professional atonement, Scarne sets out to find out who is behind the rape and murder of young school girl. The police are convinced the brutal crime was random. Right from the start Jake knows better. The only problem: He can never reveal the source of his information. The one man who can prove what really happened has disappeared, and may even be dead. But the tough ex-cop turned P.I. has no choice but to try to find him. Scarne's seemingly hopeless search puts him in the sights of an assassin for the ages whose shadowy employer cannot afford to have the crime solved.

RetailThe first two books in the Jake Scarne thriller series -- SOUND OF BLOOD and MADMAN'S THIRST -- have garnered terrific reviews from media critics and readers alike. Now they are available in one volume.“SOUND OF BLOOD is a rollicking good adventure mystery with all the essential ingredients: an intrepid private eye, bizarre murders, international intrigue, missing documents, gorgeous women and slippery financial dealings. For those who enjoy dialog of the jocular irony-exaggeration genre, De Maria is a master. We read books like this to have a fast ride in another world, where lots of bad things happen to new and believable characters, where the good guys, though badly flawed, win out, and the villains get what’s coming to them. SOUND OF BLOOD delivers.” -- THE WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF BOOKS"Suspense, gritty scenes, clever banter, the visceral rendering of Staten Island and a dogged private eye combine to make MADMAN'S THIRST and Jake Scarne a strong contribution to the tough guy tradition." -- FLORIDA WEEKLYSOUND OF BLOOD: In this, the first Jake Scarne thriller, the rogue New York City cop turned private eye is sent to Florida by a grieving father to uncover the truth about his son’s death -- only to be caught in a chain reaction of revenge involving a financial empire built on murder, sex and fraud. Bodies pile up as Scarne finds himself in the crosshairs of a powerful media baron, vicious mobsters, homicide cops, the F.B.I. – and a beautiful, amoral woman. This is the rare novel that has some critics praising it as a terrific financial thriller and others likening it to JAWS. But at the novel's heart is a tragic love story that tests the boundaries of loyalty and loss. With crucial and colorful scenes set in New York, Florida, Georgia, Seattle, Argentina and the Caribbean, SOUND OF BLOOD will hook you right up to its last, stunning twist.MADMAN’S THIRST: In his second outing, private eye Jake Scarne, haunted by his last case, has been letting himself go physically and mentally, content to cash easy paychecks. But then his best friend asks for a favor he can’t refuse. Seeking personal and professional redemption, Scarne sets out to find out who is behind the rape and murder of young girl. The police are convinced the brutal crime was random. But right from the start Jake knows better. The only problem: He can never reveal the source of his information. The one person, a stone killer, who can prove what really happened has disappeared, and may even be dead. The seemingly hopeless search for the man pits Scarne against an assassin for the ages whose shadowy employer cannot afford to have the crime solved.Jake Scarne is a hero in the tradition of Robert Parker's Spenser, tougher than nails and as quick with a quip as he is with a gun. With friends on both sides of the law, he'll cut any corner when seeking the truth. Betray Jake Scarne -- or his clients -- at your peril.“Real women, real villains and real heroes make Lawrence De Maria’s Sound of Blood a terrific read. As with Jaws, you won’t want to go near the ocean – but the land isn’t much safer.” -- JANET EVANOVICH (#1 New York Times Bestselling Novelist)“Good news for anyone who prefers the pages of a rapid-read thriller to the market reports of the newspaper's business section. While De Maria may have been an award-winning financial reporter, he's an awfully good fiction writer as well.” -- THE NAPLES DAILY NEWS