Murder • Conspiracy • Redemption A stunning young exchange student working nights as a prostitute dies mysteriously in a shabby western Massachusetts hotel. Four powerful men go to great lengths to protect their identities, distance themselves from her death, and preserve their power in Rilertown, a gritty city that is exploding with racial tension. Young, inexperienced reporter Jake Ketcher stumbles upon one major story and then another, connecting events to a ruthless group of powerbrokers as his career develops. Jake challenges Rilertown's powerful elite while defending the honor of a young woman he never met. Encouraged by his family, friends and colleagues, he balances the demands of daily newspaper work with the needs of his irascible girlfriend, an epileptic salsa instructor. The first in the Jake Ketcher series, Rilertown captures a bygone era of the newspaper industry in a story of intrigue, drama and tension.