It's 1989 - Kassie Stewart is young, beautiful, and wealthy - living the easy life in the tropics. While fishing alone at the end of her favorite pier, Kassie's cherished penknife slips from her hand into deep water. Diving in to retrieve it, she suddenly finds herself in a struggle for her life. Unbeknownst to Kassie the jade and gold penknife contains within it an encrypted code that the killer is after - a code that threatens the very existence of the world as we know it. ...So begins a riveting tale of greed, lust, and murder with a spell-binding plot that rips forward at lightning speed. Stunning imagery vividly depicts both the beauty and the innocence of the tropics with writing as soothing as the trade wind breezes. Talented new author, Jon David Hawke, brings us Jaded Palms - an exciting adventure novel that runs as deep and swift as the Gulf Stream waters. - A story that is at once terrifying and unexpectedly heart-warming - An exploration of human frailties that challenges our moral compass - You will laugh, cry, and shudder as you are transported by these pages - Introducing two of the strongest and most captivating female characters in modern fiction - A fragile planet teeters on a nuclear precipice - Adventure surges from the depths of the Caribbean seas to the peaks of the Bavarian Alps - Revengeful protagonists threaten the free world - A diabolical quest beyond all human imaginings - Rich textures of island life infused with tropical atmosphere