Bittersweet in the Bitterroot

Jake Orlo's latest novel is now available and wow, is it a page turner!

An intricate web of murder, corruption, and conspiracy has entangled the lives of everyone in Missoula, Montana, and fledgling FBI Agent Maria Hernandez is determined to catch the criminals who spun it, even if it means putting her own life in danger.

Bittersweet in the Bitterroot is a fast-paced detective murder mystery that carries readers deep into the Bitterroot Mountains, where Hernandez is sent on her first official investigation to look into the murder of a young girl whose body was discovered by a local camper.

When another girl goes missing, Hernandez finds herself on the hunt for a serial killer, but what she ultimately discovers is something far more sinister, and she must search for the thread that ties everything together. But finding that thread won't be easy, because there are powerful forces that don't want the town's dark secrets to unravel when and if it's pulled.

Marketing description

Bittersweet in the Bitterroot is a fast-paced murder mystery that follows a determined new FBI agent as she uncovers a criminal conspiracy related to a dead body discovered alongside a mountain trail.

Book Description

When local journalist and businessman Joe Deerling discovers a dead body while hiking in the Bitterroot Mountains, he does what any good citizen would and calls the sheriff's department. But that one phone call changes his life forever, setting in motion a series of deadly consequences that threaten not only his life, but also the lives of everyone around him.

The next thing he knows, Joe finds himself in police custody...as the number-one suspect in the murder of the girl whose body he found. A determined FBI agent fresh out of training is sent to investigate the case, and when Deerling is released from custody, he becomes her guide through the mountains to hunt down the real killer.

As Agent Maria Hernandez works her way through her first case, and reluctantly falls in love with its initial suspect, she learns that the town has other deep, dark secrets it's trying to hide. Now she's forced to navigate violence, deception, and a trail of dead bodies to uncover the truth.

A thrilling, fast-paced mystery with shocking twists at every turn of the page, Bittersweet in the Bitterroot will leave you guessing until the very bitter end.