Works Seeking Agent: Here are titles completed or in development by John Cordon looking for representation.
A Case Of Stolen Wine
A Noah Lake Crime Thriller
Noah Lake made a fortune growing technology start-ups, then left Silicon Valley to follow his passion and launch Lake & Company, a luxury wine brokerage and vineyard investment firm headquartered on a rustic hillside overlooking the lush green vineyards of central Napa Valley. When burglars make off with three cases of rare wine from the home of a Silicon Valley executive working for Noah’s old friend and mentor Paul Rosolini, Paul asks for help in a unique area of Lake & Company expertise – stolen wine recovery.
Noah’s team uncovers evidence that the burglary involved more than expensive wine and if they aren’t successful in recovering the stolen cases, classified defense secrets could fall into unfriendly hands.
Status: Complete in second draft, approx. 90,000 words. First in anticipated five book series.
Email for full synopsis: john@johncordonbooks.com
A Case Of Shared Wine
A Noah Lake Crime Thriller (2nd in series)
French thief Rémy Moreau is moments away from breaking into the cellar of a chateau outside Paris that holds a wine collection valued at over five million dollars. As he prepares to cross the final open space between him and a side entrance, he spots Gendarme’s hiding in the shadows waiting to apprehend him. He retreats before the police can spring their trap and leaves the country that night, landing in San Francisco with a plan to relax for a year while his trail cools back home.
After reading about dozens of fine wine collections in the Bay Area, Rémy decides to hit several of the most valuable cellars before returning to France. Police are baffled when the series of wine thefts begin and no clues are found, so they call on Lake & Company to assist with the investigation. Rémy stays one step ahead of Noah and his team using a clever alias and ingenious alibi – he becomes a ride-share driver and, with the assistance of an out-of-work engineer, hacks the ride-share system to make it appear he is across town when his thefts take place.
While ride-share driving one evening simply to solidify his alibi, he is confronted by another mission, one that is of no benefit to him, that his conscience compels him to complete before leaving San Francisco. Accomplishing that mission could also be the only way he evades capture and returns safely home.
Note: I drove over 1,000 rides with a well-known ride-share company to research Rémy. Several rides used to develop his character are based on actual experiences encountered driving in San Francisco and the Bay Area, sometimes becoming Rémy as I drove.
Status: First draft 10% complete, target length approx. 90,000 words.
Email for full synopsis: john@johncordonbooks.com
A Case Of Tuscan Wine
A Noah Lake Crime Thriller (3rd in series)
Noah Lake and Samantha Powers travel to Tuscany, where they sample local wines and take in the Italian countryside. When cases of wine they intend to ship back to Napa Valley for their clients disappears without a trace of evidence, Noah leads the effort to recover the wine and identify the culprits who took it. The reasons for the theft are not as simple as greed.
STATUS: Outline 50% complete, target length approx. 90,000 words.
