Caliphornia

About the Book

Mid-21st Century Los Angeles: after a succession of natural disasters, in a landscape wracked by global warming, the city is now the western-most outpost of an Arab empire. Ali is a Los Angeles-born police officer. His local birth leaves him under suspicion when he discovers the body of the daughter of one of the Caliph's ruling elite. Arab-born fellow officer Shah seeks to link Ali and this murder to American insurgents. To save himself and his family, Ali must discover whether this girl was a victim of an honor killing by her family, a political murder by a rival faction, or a sex crime. To solve the murder, he must enlist the help of the victim's sister. Caliphornia is a fast-paced novel of suspense that should appeal to mystery and suspense fans, as well as readers of literary fiction.

About the Author

Jack Mearns is author of Deadline News (iUniverse, 2006), a novel of suspense, and a book of literary criticism: John Sanford: An Annotated Bibliography (Oak Knoll Press, 2008). He was educated at Pomona College and the University of Connecticut. He is married and lives in Los Angeles.