In a world where words are the ultimate currency, silence can be lethal.

In the not-too-distant future, humanity's ability to communicate has fractured, creating a labyrinth of professional jargons so dense that only specialists like William Kirst, Private Interpreter, can unravel them.

Kirst is a linchpin in a society where understanding is a luxury, and secrets are the norm. His routine existence is shattered when he becomes entangled in a murder investigation, a crime spoken in a language of bullets and blood.

As an interpreter sworn to confidentiality Kirst is bound by an oath that puts his life in jeopardy and his morals in shackles. The more he uncovers, the deeper he's edged into a conspiracy where language, as a weapon and a prison, pushes him closer to a dark truth.

The Tongue Trade is a riveting exploration of language, loyalty, and the lethal power of secrets. It questions the boundaries of ethical duty and the price of silence in a fragmented world.

Where words are the ultimate currency, silence can be lethal.

"It's witty, clever and fresh . . . In sum, a near-perfect package." Paul Di Filippo, Locus"

Martineck has crafted a sunny noir, a charming spin on a storied genre that makes for an ecstatic journey readers will struggle to put down." Publishers Weekly