High Stakes Fantasy An Alternative Reality Sports Thriller

Blacklisted newsman Matt Riser is recruited for seven figures to draft a fantasy baseball team. Hard to believe, right? Matt doubts the offer's legitimacy but a hefty cash advance and season tickets behind home plate convinces him to travel to Las Vegas to at least meet the man seeking his fantasy expertise. Big mistake.Mystery man turns out to be pharmaceuticals tycoon Kyle Stark who also co-owns a real Major League Baseball franchise. He and fellow owners of real MLB teams compete for a $2 billion pot in an illegal, underground fantasy league. Matt takes the assignment, figuring he has nothing to lose. After all, he had already lost his career-track news job and Veronica, the love of his life. To cope, Matt obsesses over fantasy baseball and online dating. Taking part in the illicit fantasy draft leads to a chance to not only win Veronica back but also resuscitate his journalism career. What Matt doesn’t realize: the assignment reveals a dark past that triggers a murder-for-hire plot. Matt could very well be the target. Worse yet, Veronica and her teenage son could also be marked for murder.Written by former journalist John Nunes, this thriller toys with three trends: (1) The rapid rise of high stakes fantasy sports. (2) The increasingly incestuous relationship between fantasy sports and gambling. (3) The continued use of steroids and other PEDs by pro and amateur athletes of all ages.