The search for truth is no match for the power of temptation.

They call him the Answer Man. As a lie detector operator, he's an expert in the science of truth and the art of lies -- and both are coming in handy.

Because Ken Parker is in a bad way. His business isn't making enough to support him and his sick brother. The repo men are after his MG, and an eviction notice has been nailed to his door.

Then Myth Daniels, a slick and beautiful lawyer, offers him a deal: Teach her client how to beat the polygraph machine and he'll get $50,000 in cash. But Ken -- more than anyone -- should know the price of dishonesty. As he's drawn deeper into an explosive game of greed and violence, the question will be how to stay alive.

And this time, not even the Answer Man knows.

"Johansen ... keeps the pages turning."
-- Los Angeles Times

"Johansen ... comes up with aces. He plots like a string of firecrackers ... not a moment's rest."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"Races cleanly through a maze of techno clues and multiple suspects, pulling readers along for a quirky ride with likable companions."
-- Publishers Weekly

"[Ken Parker is an] offbeat and immensely likable hero. Fascinating ... The characters ... are too well drawn to behave predictably."
-- The New York Times Book Review

"A tale of power and manipulation, of avarice and violence, with an array of interesting characters trying to stay alive. A thriller all lovers of the genre can sink their teeth into."
-- Booklist

"This is a gripping debut thriller, brimming with dangerous seduction and unrelenting suspense."
-- Buffalo News

"Johansen's portrait of a man facing temptation and his darker side rings true."
-- Tulsa World


Look for Roy Johansen's next novel of suspense:

Beyond Belief

Available in hardcover Spring 2001 from Bantam Books