In this episode, Des tries to process the stunning revelations about his grandparents contained in his mother's secret letter. However, an unexpected call from his wayward cousin Luke invokes painful memories of a violent custody battle involving Luke and his mother, Des' Trinidadian aunt "Steely." Later, while on a stakeout with Billy Rose, Des is asked to perform the unsavory task of seducing and setting up a single mother for a rich client involved in a similar custody battle. However, memories of Luke and what his aunt went through prohibit Des from taking the job. Staking out his grandmother's apartment to see if she's telling the truth about her Danish ex-pat friends, Des makes an unexpected, stunning discovery that changes everything about his investigation...

"A Game of Solitaire" is a modern crime story. Similar in tone to a classic hard-boiled detective story, but layered with a modern sensibility, "A Game of Solitaire" is a riveting fictional drama that will keep you on the edge or your seat.

After the mysterious death of his mother, Des Marino is determined to find out what really happened to her. But his investigation takes him on a dark, circuitous journey that uncovers unsettling family secrets around racial conflict, betrayal and greed.

This audiobook is written by C Scott Marcano and narrated by Nick Ippolito.

Narrated by Nick Ippolito. In this third chapter, Des recounts his hot and cold relationship with his racist, enigmatic Danish Grandmother, Inga. At a visit to her apartment in San Diego to help her get medical insurance, Des meets an elderly Danish man Inga claims is her unlikely boyfriend. The visit, however, leads to a surprising gift and a mysterious note his mother left for him...

"A Game of Solitaire" is a powerful, thought-provoking novel about murder, family secrets and the power of redemption. After the mysterious death of his troubled mother, Des Marino, embarks on a daunting quest for answers. Using skills he picks up working part-time as an Investigator at a funky skid row detective agency, Des zeroes in on his prime suspect: his mother's last husband, a dangerous con-man, "Chip." However, when his estranged Danish grandmother - a shadowy woman who's taken up with a group of strange, but cunning Danish ex-pats - suddenly reaches out to him, Des makes the fateful decision to reconnect with her. Des gradually uncovers disturbing evidence that his grandmother may have had a hand in his mother's untimely death - and worse yet, she may be leading him into a deadly trap... "A Game of Solitaire" is a unique, unforgettable modern take on the noir detective genre that blends classic mystery tropes with a searingly powerful family drama.

#fictiondrama #detective stories #filmnoir

Narrated by Nick Ippolito. In this second chapter, Des teams up with a colorful inmate "Big D" who gives him valuable insight into his mother's mysterious death. "A Game of Solitaire" is a powerful, thought-provoking novel about murder, family secrets and the power of redemption. After the mysterious death of his troubled mother, Des Marino, embarks on a daunting quest for answers. Using skills he picks up working part-time as an Investigator at a funky skid row detective agency, Des zeroes in on his prime suspect: his mother's last husband, a dangerous con-man, "Chip." However, when his estranged Danish grandmother - a shadowy woman who's taken up with a group of strange, but cunning Danish ex-pats - suddenly reaches out to him, Des makes the fateful decision to reconnect with her. Des gradually uncovers disturbing evidence that his grandmother may have had a hand in his mother's untimely death - and worse yet, she may be leading him into a deadly trap... "A Game of Solitaire" is a unique, unforgettable modern take on the noir detective genre that blends classic mystery tropes with a searingly powerful family drama.

Narrated by Nick Ippolito. In this first mesmerizing chapter, Des Marino finds himself at a crossroads. Literally. Lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood, Des questions his own sanity as he follows a clue that's led him to a mysterious house he thinks his estranged Danish Grandmother Inga and his dangerous step-father Chip might have purchased with the money from his late mother's estate. During his late-night search, Des recounts his mother's mysterious death and how his shadowy grandmother rejected him when he asked too many questions about his mother's passing, but then, surprisingly, reached out to him recently wanting to reconnect. Des suspects that Inga is lying about being broke and there's more to his Grandmother's intentions than just merely wanting to bury the hatchet.