Quantum Deadline

When his newsroom intern jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge, 40-something reporter Daedalus Howell's reputation also takes a dive. Five years later, he's still trying to clear his conscience and his byline when Jude, a lost 11-year-old would-be thief, seeks his help to get home. Ever on the prowl for a career-redeeming story, Howell is game but there's a catch - the kid claims to be from a parallel universe.

The reporter soon learns that anything is possible on the strange streets of Lumaville, a sleepy Northern California college town in the grips of a startup boom. As hard-drinking Howell grumbles about the waning relevance of his profession and generation, he uncovers a maze of dark truths that connect the boy, his brilliant ex-flame and a ruthless tech mogul. When Jude disappears, Howell's assignment is clear - save the boy, write the story of a lifetime, and make his deadline without getting killed.

A rousing kickoff to the Lumaville Labyrinth series, Quantum Deadline is an entertaining, tell-your-friends tale of suspense and self-satire as the tantalizing prospect of redemption hangs in the balance.