Black Rose — L.T. Ryan

In the heart of San Francisco, a city known for its striking contrasts of beauty and danger, Stella LaRosa plunges into an investigation that will challenge every skill she's honed as a seasoned journalist.When a gruesome murder disrupts the deceptive calm of the city, Stella finds herself entangled in a web of secrets that spans the globe, reaching into the dark recesses of power, betrayal, and revenge.Mark Bellamy's life ends in a fog-shrouded alley, his existence erased by a shadowy figure skilled enough to move undetected through the night. His last thoughts, a blend of fear and determination, set the stage for a story that pulls Stella into the murky depths of clandestine operations, where the Headway program-a government initiative shrouded in secrecy-threatens to unravel, exposing a conspiracy that could shake the nation to its core.As Stella delves deeper, she's forced to confront her own past, a mosaic of assignments in war-torn corners of the world, where the line between right and wrong blurred long ago. With the help of Detective Rob Griffin, a figure from her past with secrets of his own, Stella races against time to peel back layers of deceit, unaware that the truth might demand the ultimate sacrifice.Black Rose is a thrilling ride through the shadowy streets of San Francisco, down the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., and into the heart of darkness itself. L.T. Ryan and Kristi Belcamino weave a tale of suspense, betrayal, and unexpected alliances, where the search for justice could cost Stella everything she holds dear. In a world where trust is a commodity more valuable than gold, Stella must decide how far she's willing to go to expose the truth-and whether she can survive the consequences.