The Ghost Passenger

A passenger vanishes from a crowded Chicago River architecture tour. Fifty witnesses saw him board. Security cameras captured him taking his seat. But when the boat returns, Marcus Webb is gone—and there's no way he could have left.

Private investigator Maya Chen is called in by the Chicago Police Department to solve what seems to be an impossible crime. Fresh off her triumph in the Blackwood Island case, Maya's reputation for unraveling complex mysteries makes her the perfect consultant for this baffling disappearance.

But as Maya interviews witnesses and reviews evidence, disturbing inconsistencies emerge. Every trace of Marcus Webb's existence seems manufactured, every witness memory subtly wrong. The more Maya investigates, the more she realizes she's not hunting a missing person—she's being hunted herself.

Someone has orchestrated an elaborate deception, using cutting-edge psychological manipulation and false identity creation to challenge Maya's investigative methods. As the investigation becomes personal, Maya discovers her adversary knows her techniques, her history, and her weaknesses. To catch a criminal who's always one step ahead, Maya must abandon her usual playbook and adapt her approach.

With the help of her unconventional team—a cybersecurity expert, a private investigator, and a forensic psychologist—Maya races to uncover the truth behind the ghost passenger. But in a world where identities can be fabricated and memories manipulated, how can she trust anything she discovers?

From the bustling streets of Chicago to the dark corners of psychological manipulation, "The Ghost Passenger" is a gripping thriller that questions the nature of identity, memory, and truth itself. Maya Chen must use every ounce of her investigative brilliance to outwit an adversary who has turned her greatest strengths against her.

The second installment in the Maya Chen mystery series delivers a fast-paced, intellectually challenging puzzle that will keep readers guessing until the final revelation.