The Subverted Flower (2) (The Dash Rambler Mysteries)

In the second installment of the Dash Ramblar mystery series, "The Subverted Flower", part-time PI Ramblar finds himself involved in solving the brutal murder of a local business man who became unwittingly entangled with the Mexican Cartel in an unsavory mix of human trafficking, cattle ranching and wine and weed that takes place in Dash's ordinarily quiet town. The wine industry and the burgeoning cannabis business have collided, setting the scene for murder and intrigue.
Dash Ramblar is brought into the investigation of Kent Kilgour's untimely murder. It is up to Dash to untangle the web of subterfuge caused by the partners and players
The story takes the reader to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico as Dash tries to unravel the involvement of the Cartel in the untimely death of Kent.
The well developed characters include; Rita Pescarelli, Kent's partner
In Coast Cannabis. She and her husband ,Dante, own Terra Bella Winery. Rita is an attractive and sympathetic protagonist whose double life leads her into murky waters. Other persons of interest include Dash's girlfriend, Ginger, who has an acerbic wit and charming presence. She reluctantly gets caught up in the investigation but in the end provides valuable insight into the murders.
The investigation follows the investors and others associated with Coast Cannabis―a mixed group of winery owners, an heiress operating a major Equestrian facility, the Mayor, a cartel honcho and Detective FJ Evans, an opera loving cohort and mentor.
The action culminates in Morro Bay. The plot keeps you riveted until the unexpected ending. This page turner is character and plot driven with vivid descriptions of the undulating landscape and the life style of the wine country.

Fiction writer, Randolph Rogers, grew up in Bad Axe, Michigan.Following college and a short stint in the Merchant Marines, Rogers moved to the West Coast. He obtained an M.A. 1n 1990 with the publication of his first mystery," The Blue Hour". Rogers was a food writer for ten years, while also being an executive in the television industry. Randolph has published two volumes of short stories, "Twisted Tales" and "The Dash Rambler Mystery Series" in 2018. "The Luminous Fish" , a novel, was published in 2019, to critical acclaim. " The Wine Menagerie" was the first in the latest of a Dash Ramblar Series, published in 2020. "The Subverted Flower" is the second in the series. The third will be coming out soon.