A Father Revealed. Avant-Garde Jazz. And Nanobot Murder Suspects.

Private investigator Neil Ames returns to the smoke-infused Pacific Northwest from a hazardous investigation in Kazakhstan only to find his trusted confidante, Octavia Clarke, shattered. Her mother has died. But just as she braces herself for the funeral in New Orleans, a shocking email drops a bombshell—Octavia's biological father is none other than Bastien Beaulieu, a legendary jazz composer and nanotech genius. But more disturbing—Bastien has been brutally murdered.

Determined to uncover the truth about her hidden legacy, Octavia and Neil head first to New Orleans, then to Montreal, for the reading of Bastien's will. In a chilling turn, Octavia inherits more than she bargained for: Bastien's house, his prized trombone, and groundbreaking research that plunges her into a lethal conspiracy.

As Neil unravels Bastien's secret work in DNA origami and nanotechnology, he realizes they're up against forces far darker than they imagined. Bastien's daughter, Cadenza, is entangled with a shadowy organization, and a ruthless assassin is hunting Octavia, determined to seize Bastien's discoveries—no matter the cost.

Racing against time, Neil must outmaneuver a deadly foe—before Octavia becomes the next casualty and Bastien's legacy falls into the wrong hands, triggering an unstoppable chain of chaos.

The Four-Bar Progression is Book 2 of the Neil Ames, PI Mystery Series