Dead Center — Bill Noel

Chris Landrum's world is turned upside down when he stumbles on a body of a killer for hire. Chris's friends on the laid-back, peaceful South Carolina island are convinced they know who the hit man was sent to kill, and ask the retired bureaucrat to stick his nose in business that should be left to the police. If that's not enough, Chris comes home to an intruder intent on taking his life; his best friend announces he's moving out of state; and, his long-term girlfriend may be leaving him. Add to the mix, a participant in the witness protection program and a bookstore owner with a mysterious past, and once again, Chris is in the crosshairs of a murderer.