Death on the Hill

Starting with murder in a posh seaside Los Angeles suburb, James Snedden weaves an intriguing mystery as he takes you into a Southern California Asian subculture uncovering activities of the dreaded Triads, the Chinese equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia. From campaign contributions to a lucrative traffic in illegal immigration, the tentacles of the Triad are exposed in this unusual thriller. As a favor to an old friend, a vacationing Chicago investigative reporter is pressed into action to cover the story. Due to the nature of the killing, it soon becomes obvious that standard police investigative procedures won't be enough to solve the crime. After the murdered woman's identity is established, it becomes apparent that things aren't what they appear to be. During a visit to the dead woman's office the reporter notices a picture of the woman and two Chinese men. He recognizes one as the key figure in the Democratic National Committee fundraising scandal, and the other turns out to be a Triad leader wanted in Hong Kong. Calling on his contacts in Washington, he is put in touch with three local Asian sources in the Los Angeles area to help him dig out information. Enlisting the help of influential members of the local Chinese community and two tenacious detectives from Hong Kong, the mystery is solved...but in the most bizarre way imaginable!Snedden, James R. is the author of 'Death on the Hill' with ISBN 9781931402057 and ISBN 1931402051.