The Spike by Matthew Iden

The Spike by Matthew Iden is his fourth in a series featuring Marty Singer, retired DC homicide detective and cancer survivor.  Ironically, while Marty is struggling with post-cancer depression caused by the partial removal of his colon, he is thrust into the bowels of corruption in Washington, DC’s urban renewal process.

Marty is waiting for a ride at an underground DC Metro station when a woman is pushed in front of the arriving train… killing her instantly.  Marty catches a glimpse of the perpetrator and pursues him on foot.  The suspect disappears into the crowd but Marty reports all he has witnessed to the MPDC.  The victim, Wendy Gerson is from a wealthy family and after the MPDC exhausts all leads, Wendy’s brother, Paul hires Singer to investigate.  Turns out Ms. Gerson was a lawyer with a high powered DC law firm specializing in DC real estate and urban renewal.  Singer starts by interviewing Wendy’s former boss, Alex Montero.  He appears nervous and is evasive and after Singer’s visit, warns all employees not to discuss Ms. Gerson with anyone.  Montero is found murdered the next morning.  Marty finds Ms. Gerson’s former assistant, the scared but outraged Caitlin, and coaxes her to reveal Gerson’s most recent appointments.  Singer is quickly submerged into DC urban renewal.  Developers, brokers, lawyers, city councilmen, residents, property owners and anti-urban renewal activists all have skin in this high stakes game… much of it quasi-legal and politically charged. (The Spike is that last property owner to sell in a development project- the holdout for the highest dollar.) Faced with too many suspects and too little information, Singer can only provoke each of the players until the thugs show up to make him stop… then figure out who sent the thugs… a dangerous game.

The Spike is an excellent installment to Matthew Iden’s repertoire.  I continue to be impressed with this author.  I love his descriptive but efficient writing style.  His plots are intriguing and the setting in the coarse underbelly of our nation’s capital is captivating.  He entertains and educates while keeping you riveted to the page.  His protagonist, Marty Singer has his unique code of honor that makes him courageous and vulnerable simultaneously.  You applaud the character’s tactics, become concerned for his welfare and anxiously await the outcome.  Iden has proven himself a gifted story teller with a winning formula.