The Influencer

A Reed and Billie Novel

By: Dustin Stevens

Narrated by: Scott R Smith

“Any kid with a social media account can call themselves an influencer.”

Seventeen shots fired. Four victims.

One K-9 detective team.

Barely a year before, Le Fontainebleau opened to little fanfare in downtown Columbus. A lifetime passion project of an immigrant from the French countryside, it was meant to fill a glaring hole in the local dining scene. Simple peasant dishes offered in a modest setting.

Clean cooking that soon developed an avid following, helping to elevate it to one of the must-eat locations in the city.

And the site where, at just after noon on a dreary spring Wednesday, a hooded gunman entered, raised the automatic weapon hidden under his jacket, and opened fire.

Only hours removed from their graveyard shift, Columbus Police and state Bureau of Criminal Investigation Detective Reed Mattox and his K-9 partner Billie are both home in bed when the news first hits the airwaves.

A single phone call forces the pair to unravel the largest public shooting in central Ohio history. A violent and heinous act, taking the lives of four seemingly unrelated victims, occurring barely more than a mile from the offices of the two highest elected officials in the state.

All the ingredients for a public spectacle, imposing a ticking clock over their heads as they fight to unravel the series of competing interests at play. Everything from social unrest to political posturing to, ultimately, who might commit such an act.

And what they were trying to accomplish by doing so...

©2025 Dustin Stevens (P)2025 Dustin Stevens

Great story and narration

A great story- keeps you guessing. The narration is also one of the best that I have heard.