Former F.B.I. agent Mark Bouton has used his years of experience chasing real-life criminals in writing Max Conquers the Cosmos. Max Austin, an ex-F.B.I. agent-turned-private investigator, is hired by an attorney whose client is accused of killing her rich husband. Vickie Jacobsen says a prowler shot her husband, Morrie, beside their pool with Morrie's own gun, but Max discovers enough clues to be suspicious. So he delves into business records, associates, and the autopsy report to determine the true story. The further Max goes, the more he finds out . . . and the more people start dying. Between crooked cops, gunplay, and stabbings, Max must move fast to prevent more sudden deaths . . . including his own.Mark Bouton lives in Carbondale, Kansas.