Come to Dust — Greg Matthews

Keith Moody's life is coming together nicely: happily married to Myra, his first novel published (to good reviews, though the sales left something to be desired), his second in the hands of his agent, and now, here on the beach, someone is reading his book. When he goes over to the young man to find out if he likes it, to offer to autograph it for him, Moody finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun and into the eyes of a madman.... Getting away is relatively easy, a matter of some fast talk and promises. But nothing seems to help when Moody discovers that someone has made him a target. He has nothing of value, though he does have his old job as a screenwriter for Empire Productions back - and under conditions he finds more than acceptable after the horrible events that led to his being fired. But then the man living in his old apartment is murdered and while the cops drag Moody to the scene, someone breaks into his new home, ransacking it. Fortunately, Myra wasn't there at the time; unfortunately, she's about to be kidnapped....