Max Austin, former FBI agent, has brought all his experience and expertise to work in his capacity as a PI. A friend's son is accused of the murder of one of his partners in Securegard, a company selling security to commercial and government groups. Max is called in to solve the murder or, at the very least, gain his friend's son's release.

The coroner determines the cause of death to be curare, but there was no one close enough to deliver the deadly poison in the form required. Max begins a race to get to the remaining partners before the murderer does.

Max travels from one section of the country to the other trailing the murderer and trying to fit all the bits and pieces together. Is he being followed, or is he being observed by some higher power? Max questions just who or what that someone is who stays one step ahead of him. And how far will that someone go to prevent him from putting those bits and pieces together?

Bouton brings back memories of the Mickey Spillane mysteries with MAX UNLOCKS THE UNIVERSE. He's a guest in your head telling a story. It's very fast, sometimes complicated and not a simple read because it asks something of the reader. The author has an amazing skill with description and can put you anywhere he wants you. I like this one even better than the first book in this series, MAX CONQUERS THE COSMOS.