Bill Horner considers his life mundane: he hangs out with his geek buddies on Friday nights, doesn’t have a girlfriend, and makes a meager living with his data recovery business in Los Angeles. Bill realizes something major is missing in his life: excitement! That changes when the 33-year-old discovers an unexpected message written in Chinese and Arabic on his client, Dr. Shapiro’s, burned-up hard drive.

Bill enlists the help of his friends to decode the fragmented message. The uncovered clues create more questions than answers: Who is Islamic Jihad 2.0? Are they a Middle Eastern terrorist organization? A front for the Chinese Communist party?

Getting the answers is important, but a data recovery entrepreneur can’t survive on an empty stomach. Bill loves food--sushi, chocolate, and of course, organic tofu--and wants to meet someone who shares his culinary passion. Enter Eileen Duggan, a 27-year-old clerk working for Whole Foods. Bill finally gets the courage to ask her out. After a good start, things go south. Eileen isn’t too keen on Bill’s cell phone addiction. In fact, she’s ready to call it quits. Doesn’t she know Bill is trying to solve a mystery? (At least that’s Bill’s take.)

With his relationship in purgatory, Bill and his friends stumble upon the jackpot of their quest: Islamic Jihad 2.0 is really a group of Chinese extremists bent on taking down America and her allies. Using the Internet, they will attack key infrastructure targets over the course of the 3-day Muslim holiday of Eid ul-Adha following Thanksgiving.

With the clock ticking, Bill seeks the help of his cousin-in-law, Daniel Middlebrook, an agent with the FBI. Dan has never liked Bill. When Bill tries to convince Dan the threat is real, Dan ignores him--that is, until Bill becomes the sole witness to Dr. Shapiro’s murder. Bill’s at the wrong place at the wrong time, and with no alibi, the spotlight points at him.

Bill ends up on the run. The Feds want him; his relationship is on the edge; and the terrorists are coming after his friends. It’s not looking too good for Bill. If the bad guys don't do him in, his girlfriend might.

I think I hit my stride with this story. It has broad appeal, crosses genres and puts the underdog--Bill--front and center. I wanted a hero who was a mix of confidence and diffidence, but someone with a positive outlook and quirky sense of humor--basically, a likeable guy with the strengths and foibles of a normal person you'd root for in a messy situation. I consider Pardon the Mess comfort food for the literary soul. Hopefully you will too.