The Artimus Box

A skeletal arm protruding from the rubble of a seventy-year old building jump starts a case for LAPD detective Van Taylor. A bullet hole in the skull of the remains puts Van's retirement plans on hold. Under the skeleton is a weathered wooden box. A brass plaque on the box bears the name Artimus Design. Van and his wife, Kathy, both avid vintage auto-racing fans, recognize the Artimus name as a famous racecar manufacturer. Van eagerly delves into the investigation unaware of the dangerous path he and Kathy will face.As Van explores the fascinating world of early American racing he finds that Artimus, the genius behind the fastest racing cars of the 1920s and 30s, was duped into designing a radical racing car and creating a box with a secret that could help the German war effort. When he is brutally attacked by a drug-crazed gang, he realizes there is more to the mystery than he thought.The investigation leads Van to present day murder, greed, and betrayal. When his wife is kidnapped and held hostage in exchange for the box, Van is pushed to the limit.Buckle your seat belt as Van races to save his wife and solve the seventy-year old mystery.

Mike Downs has been actively involved with racing cars for most of his life. As a young man he joined Group 44, racing cars all over the nation and winning a National Championship. He has raced Datsun TransAm cars, Porsche’s in the American endurance events (Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen), winning his class in the Daytona 24-hour race. He has raced Formula Atlantic, TransAm, IMSA GTO, and won the Pacific Coast Road Racing Championship in a car he designed and built in his race shop. His love of racing, and the men who made it happen, shine throughout his novels.