Several years ago, I started reading a book but was never able to finish it. Here is what I remember: I believe the main character in the book was a disgruntled tabloid reporter, I believe he had been demoted and there was a lot of friction between him and his boss. As I remember, he was assigned to interview the resident(s) of a remote house. The residents at the home were sort of backward and lived among a junkyard full of old appliances. After leaving just after dark, he discovers a half-dead person strapped to a chair in the middle of the road. At some point after checking the area for clues, he returns to find the victim, chair and all, missing. The story also takes you to Central America where a baseball scout is looking for talent in the local scene. Sound familiar?