Modern, original fiction for learners of English. It's Christmas in New York and private investigator Nathan Marley is hired by a mysterious rich woman to run an errand. Is he right not to trust her?

Modern, original fiction for learners of English.

Violent crime suddenly becomes personal for New York private investigator, Nathan Marley. A relative of Stella Delgado, Marley's assistant, is arrested for a brutal murder, and unidentified bodies are washed up on a beach. Marley's search for the truth takes him to the Russian American community where he finds a wall of silence. Behind the wall, there is trade in illegal immigration and a lot of dirty money.

Grand Central Station, New York in mid-July. It's early morning, but everyone is suffering in the heat. Private investigator Nathan Marley is on his way to another wasted day at the office. But a chance meeting with a homeless woman at the station and a surprise letter changes all of that. Marley starts a journey through parts of the burning summer city he has never visited.

New York magazine was born in 1968 after a run as an insert of the New York Herald Tribune and quickly made a place for itself as the trusted resource for readers across the country. With award-winning writing and photography covering everything from politics and food to theater and fashion, the magazine's consistent mission has been to reflect back to its audience the energy and excitement of the city itself, while celebrating New York as both a place and an idea.

New York magazine was born in 1968 after a run as an insert of the New York Herald Tribune and quickly made a place for itself as the trusted resource for readers across the country. With award-winning writing and photography covering everything from politics and food to theater and fashion, the magazine's consistent mission has been to reflect back to its audience the energy and excitement of the city itself, while celebrating New York as both a place and an idea.