The Burden of Secrecy (Paperback or Softback)

The Burden of Secrecy is a contemporary international mystery that moves from the streets of Manhattan to the geopolitical crossroads of Tel Aviv and the historic city of Kaifeng, China.

When Jin Ming Myers and her husband, Louis Myers, are abducted in broad daylight from separate locations in Manhattan, the case immediately draws the attention of the NYPD. Detectives Olivia Pappas and Sean Murphy are assigned to lead the investigation, but what initially appears to be a shocking kidnapping soon reveals connections far beyond the city.

Jin Ming Myers is a respected researcher for a prominent global think tank with offices in Manhattan and Washington, DC. Her work focuses on international policy, economics, and emerging issues involving cryptocurrency and global political stability. Born in Kaifeng, China, and educated in both Europe and the United States, Jin brings unique insight to sensitive geopolitical topics involving the relationship between China and Taiwan. Her husband, Louis Myers, works as an accountant for a small boutique firm and at first appears to be an unintended victim caught in a dangerous situation.

As the investigation unfolds, the detectives uncover a stunning truth. The person responsible for the abduction is Aviv Shi, a professional money launderer working for Israeli and Russian drug traffickers. Aviv is also Jin's biological mother, who gave her up for adoption when Jin was only five years old.

Now living under the constant threat of assassination, Aviv has been forced into the kidnapping in order to obtain sensitive information connected to Jin's research. Powerful criminal organizations believe Jin's knowledge of international policy and cryptocurrency could give them strategic leverage in global financial networks.

With assistance from the FBI, Detectives Pappas and Murphy find themselves navigating a web of organized crime, international politics, and buried family secrets. As the search expands beyond New York and into the global arena, every discovery raises new questions about loyalty, identity, and the price of survival.

In a world where secrets cross borders and the past refuses to stay hidden, uncovering the truth may be the most dangerous step of all.

Joel Feiss is a practicing gastroenterologist and internist in Plantation, Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. and received his M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine. He currently lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his wife, Pearl.The Burden of Secrecy is a contemporary murder mystery that explores the world of money laundering, betrayal, and deep secrets from the past.