The Block

In the year 2050, the world has experienced a near total economic collapse, destroying  the global monetary system. After years of struggle, a new form of exchange arose: cryptocurrencies called scripts, digital IOUs centrally managed through programs called blockchains. And the ambitious Proctors, who control the blocks, restlessly seek to expand their power.

Milt Bruckner investigates blocks to counter fraud and is struggling to keep his script-chasing business afloat when a mysterious woman enters his establishment in need of his help. Joy Hanford's script has not only been stolen but wiped from the blockchain database. This problem is unheard of and can only be resolved by Milt, or so he hopes. He needs the large commission to keep his business afloat and afford to pay his tech whiz researcher, Judith.

From New Chicago to Mexico City, Milt is thrust into intrigue from all angles. He must evade government agents who think he's a suspect, is forced to work with Python, a secretive anarchist group that claims to want free enterprise blockchain, and all the while still trying to undercover what really happened to Joy's script.      

For fans of speculative fiction and good old-fashioned detective stories, The Block is a modern take on noir with a Crypto twist.