Cold Snap

In his third outing, Ari Ciminon (The 56th Man) is enlisted by one of his neighbors to search for her missing husband. Feeling out of place in his new home, he thinks this is the perfect way to establish his 'tribal' credentials. But what begins as a hunt for a runaway spouse quickly spirals out of control. The missing husband is not only a crook, but he becomes a target for the Chaldean Mafia when he unintentionally steals a list of illegal Iraqi immigrants. This leads Ari to a Korean 'crash-for-cash' operation, a maimed ex-Marine and a group of college students terrorized into committing atrocities on American soil. Enlisting the aid of Abu Jasim (his ever-greedy Saddam Hussein-lookalike companion), Abu Jasim's nephew, Ahmad, and an ex-serviceman, Ari sets out to retrieve the immigrant database-only to come upon a mysterious DVD that presents him with evidence that Saddam Hussein's legacy not only lives…but threatens the world. J. Clayton Rogers is the author of more than ten novels. He was born and raised in Virginia, where he currently resides. He was First-Place Winner of the Hollins Literary Festival a number of years ago. Among the judges were Thomas (Little Big Man) Berger and R.M.W. Dillard, poet and husband of the writer Annie Dillard. A former member of Saddam Hussein's Special Security Force arrives in Richmond, Virginia. Under the name of Ari Ciminon, he sets up house on the James River. The house was purchased for him by the U.S. Marshals Service, which is responsible for watching over him while he supplies intelligence to CENTCOM. Because he is fluent in Italian (as well as a host of other languages) he is presented to his neighbors as an Italian of Arab descent. Through chance, mishap and design, he becomes involved in a series of adventures that leave him with very mixed feelings for his new home.