Immortal in Splashed Ink: A Thriller of International Intrigue

by Lonnie M. Garber

A baffling divorce on Long Island, a mysterious disease in Malaysia and a preeminent Chinese scientist with ties to Taiwan and a story to tell, collide in an explosive and timely tale of scientific and political espionage. Moving between New York, China and Taiwan, Immortal in Splashed Ink is an international thriller about ordinary people drawn into a global plot involving powerful players and worldwide repercussions. NYU science professor Jack Cedar is stunned to be accused of planning to kidnap his own children and served with a restraining order that bars him from leaving the country to deliver an important lecture to a prestigious international science federation. He furiously confronts Aruba Jones, the experienced and savvy divorce lawyer who prepared the legal papers, claiming that he has never been married, has no children and has never even heard of Aimee Cedar, the enigmatic woman claiming to be his wife. When Aimee vanishes, and Jack and Aruba become suspects in a deadly terrorist incident, the unlikely pair are thrown together in a desperate effort to unravel the bizarre chain of events that has ensnared them. Across the world, renowned Chinese scientist and high-ranking Communist Party member, Dr. Pao Den Chin, identifies scientific evidence of immense global importance. When the Communist Party prohibits investigation of his groundbreaking discovery and uses brutal methods to eradicate all evidence of it, the melancholy and introspective Den Chin conceives a plan to ensure that his research will continue.

324 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2021

Reviews

[Alix Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading Immortal in Splashed Ink, a compelling, layered, meaningful thriller perfect in today’s world of technology and Covid. Starting with a deadly disease and a puzzling divorce, the book spans two weeks, three continents and diverse governments/world organizations. Aruba Jones, New York divorce lawyer, and Jack Cedar, Midwestern College Professor: two ordinary people who are thrown into a complicated multinational scientific intrigue involving the FBI, US, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, World Health Organization (WHO) and others. Jones and Cedar, a modern Nora and Nick Charles, invite you to support them in untangling themselves, worrying that: “Even the best plan will fail if luck is deficient.” You will like them and root for their success. I won’t spoil the plot....

The title Immortal in Splashed Ink is a thirteenth century Chinese painting done in abbreviated brush style. The court painter, Liang Kai, crafted a shadowy figure with defined upper body and abstract lower torso. Similarly, the author produces a diverse cast of characters lightly described but driven by strong abstract personal values; the right formula to combat the story’s evil players.

Once the mystery is solved – Immortal in Splashed Ink leaves you thinking about the complexity and machinations of politics, technology dependence, Covid spread and other serious threats to our existence.