Death Fish

Dan Jamieson and Rachel Maguire are taking their first steps into retirement, baby steps that will also test their still budding relationship, which seems to be going swimmingly. Dan has planned a vacation traveling to his favorite fishing holes and testing the 400-year-old piscatorial theories of Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler, and Rachel has gamely joined him. While she's not that fond of fishing, she is very fond of Dan. The fish are biting and everything is perfect if a bit dull for Rachel when Harry Bartlett suddenly interrupts them on the banks of a quiet stream with news of the death of Dan's old friend. Although reluctant to put aside his fishing, Dan agrees to take on a new investigation.

A few days earlier, Henry Caldwell had been playing his best ever round of tournament golf and was about to claim the coveted Winner’s Cup when he suddenly collapsed and was soon pronounced dead in front of a large crowd of onlookers and fellow golfers. An autopsy later reveals that the cause of death is poison and apparent suicide is the conclusion of the medical examiners.

Caldwell’s daughter, Viviane, cannot believe her father would commit suicide and implores Dan Jamieson to investigate and find the real cause of Henry Caldwell’s death. Did Caldwell accidentally take poison or did someone accidentally give him poison? Or, did someone who would benefit from his death give poison to him on purpose? Who would benefit, and why? Only one thing is obvious - if Caldwell's death was not a suicide, then either Caldwell himself or someone else accidentally fed him a deadly poison, or someone purposefully murdered him by poison. Which is it?

Quietly, and with his fishing pole always nearby, Dan and Rachel begin digging into Henry Caldwell’s extravagant lifestyle and questionable business habits and the many angles and twists uncovered reveal several persons who are not entirely what they seem to be and may have had very good reasons to wish Caldwell dead. Complicating matters is Caldwell’s business manager, the man he had once offered a partnership in his business. Now, with the business in shambles and his wealth gone at the time of his death, this could be a reason for him to commit suicide, or for someone to murder him to cover up financial mistakes or embezzlement.