The authenticator

the long version

Meet Theo Nikonos, private investigator of near-death experiences. When it comes to weirdness, Theo's seen it all, but he meets his match when he falls in love with a beautiful young woman who just happens to be dead--almost. For reasons unknown, near-death experience superstar Laura (who knows how many times she's died?) is kept in a drug-induced stupor and strapped to a table, hidden away. Theo discovers that her unseen captors not only believe her near-death experiences are real, but seek to use them for their own insidious purposes. Theo knows something's up but has to jump through flaming hoops--boulders, bullets, and other nastiness--to get at the truth. As Theo races to liberate Laura from her mysterious captors, he realizes that the forbidden knowledge she holds may result in "the big sleep" for them both. Psychic meets psycho in this fast-paced novel that explores life, death, and the darkness in between.