LAHAINA, Hawaii, Feb. 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Homeland Security has heightened the average citizen's awareness of suspected terrorist activities in airports, post offices and city streets, but few have considered the havoc that could be caused by a plot in the pharmaceuticals industry. William Robusto's new novel, The Candy Store Conspiracy (now available through 1stBooks), is a thriller set in a small town drugstore.
Robusto's new novel has a prescription for excitement and suspense in a story revolving around Phil Royster, a pharmacist for Fillmore Drugs in Southern California. Phil feels like most men: underappreciated and overworked with more knowledge about his area than his boss -- or in his case, the doctors. However, today, Phil is about to walk through the same drugstore doors he always has and straight into a terrorist plot. After fighting with his boss, Dom Biestar, he soon learns that the store owner and his friend, Nathan Fillmore, is selling his store to chain giant EZ Drug. If this is not bad enough, his new EZ Drug boss, Rashid al-Janah, has decided to cut back all of the things Phil has worked on for so long. Al-Janah, however, could care less about his new job -- he is really a terrorist in disguise waiting to unleash his plan.
Meanwhile, someone starts a fire that is quickly spread throughout the hillside by the Santa Ana winds. Based on a lighter found at the scene of the crime, county fire inspector Tony Rocco believes Phil is the arsonist. Phil is innocent and denies the accusations, but the suspicion is enough for al-Janah to fire him. Phil is positive there is something amiss about al-Janah, but Phil's wife, who is setting up all the new networking for the company, doesn't believe him. When terrorists try to kill Phil and successfully kidnap his wife, the race is on to stop lethally mislabeled prescription drugs from being distributed throughout the state.
The Candy Store Conspiracy is a suspenseful thriller grounded in modern issues and concerns.
Born and raised in Southern California, Robusto is a surfer and a pharmacist. He spent 25 years divided between working in a hospital pharmacy, operating his own store, serving as regional director for a national drug chain and working in pharmaceutical sales. He now lives in Maui, Hawaii with his wife and two golden retrievers. The Candy Store Conspiracy is his first novel.
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