The Drowned Rat

Reunited childhood friends Barry and Val find their lives intertwined in the most unusual ways in Brian Gardner’s debut novel, The Drowned Rat. Val Scoffer, an FBI agent, is in the throws of trying to discover who is the “rat” within the department. Barry Thomas has recently started a new job in Cleveland, and while he has made some new friends, he has also managed to make an enemy–a stalker who just happens to be staking the wrong apartment. After Barry’s move, he has become increasingly sick and believes that he is being poisoned. He is suspicious of everyone around him, even those closest to him. Who killed Dale Richardson? Who is Jimmy and where is he? Who is Holly Bennett? Why is someone poisoning Barry? And what is Dr. Janet Hargrove hiding? Val is also becoming increasingly suspicious of his colleague and uses Barry as a tool to get to the bottom of the mystery within the FBI. This quick-paced thriller is intense and descriptive and keeps the reader entertained as each new supporting character is added into the story. The story gains momentum from the middle of the book as the mysterious events for both Barry and Val begin to unravel. Gardner writes with amazing action and detailed events as both mysteries are solved. If you enjoy police and FBI suspense, this book is definitely the perfect mystery.