"Lieutenant Abe Glitsky becomes involved in the investigation of a murdered family friend when the prime suspect's lawyer turns to him for help, a request that places both of their careers in jeopardy." - worldcat.org
Great Police Fiction set in San Fancisco California.
After recovering from a near-fatal gunshot wound, Lieutenant Abe Glitsky is back at work with the San Francisco Police Department. But instead of returning to his old job as chief of the homicide detail, he's assigned a desk job in payroll. Glitsky has no business investigating murders until his father's closest friend is shot dead in a downtown pawnshop.
Proded by his father, Glitsky asks the new homicide lieutenant about the case, but the brass tells him in no uncertain terms to stay out of it. Guyided by the Patrol Special - a private police force supervised by the SFPD that is a holdover from San Francisco's vigilante past, the police have already targeted their prime suspect: John Holiday, proprietor of a run-down locla bar and a friend and client of Dismas Hardy.
A lot of action -- fast moving.