This book can be read as a standalone!

Devastated after he discovers the woman he loved and his partner in the role-playing game, Magic

Battledome, was a psychotic killer, Maltese Security’s resident computer genius, SciFi fan and geek-

about-town Carlos Castillo retreats into his work. Tossing aside all ties to the Magic Battledome

community, he eats, sleeps and breaths investigations. He’s determined to prove to the rest of the

team—and himself—that he’s not all book smart and street stupid. He pleads for a case and finally gets

one the boss thinks is right up his alley. Someone is targeting a Live Action Role Playing (LARP) Magic

Battledome team, delivering vicious beatings before robbing them of their costumes. To solve the case,

Carlos has to dive back into the world he’d abandoned.

Mika Ito loves creativity in all its forms. As a textile designer and a LARPer, she combines her two

favorite things by creating costumes for her fellow Magic Battledome elves. But when someone starts

targeting her fellow LARPers and the police don’t seem to be much help, she hires Maltese Security to

solve the case. If a reformed sinner is the most devoted, then a former LARPer is the most rudely

dismissive and Carlos Castillo fits the bill. But when they discover that the material she’s been using for

the costumes has been soaked in liquid cocaine by someone in her supply chain, they must work

together to solve the case. Especially now that the bad guy is doing whatever it takes to retrieve the

tainted material—including having lethal designs on Mika’s life.