A rich kid charged with his third cocaine offense skips bail, and his old man hires Oakland, Calif., PI Virgil Proctor to find him. The job pays well, real well. And the search turns into a job even more lucrative?and dangerous?when the death of a wealthy aunt turns it into a missing-heir case. Knight skillfully entangles his story with offbeat and entertaining twists and odd characters, including various skinheads, bikers and indoor marijuana farmers. Proctor's the kind of PI with connections all over town, a man who once seemed to have it all together but didn't quite fit into the life he once shared with his ex-wife (the one who named their kid before he could get to the hospital). No regrets. He likes where he is, although a little more economic independence would be just fine. He's a guy who appreciates the reality as well as the absurdity of his situation: "Only $110 a week for his studio apartment overlooking St. Mary's Cemetery. The best neighbors in the world next door, holding down the rent and the noise at the same time." He's nothing if not pragmatic, and when he finally gets to the bottom of the case, after some heavy beatings and a stint in prison, he makes sure the villain will get what's coming to him. This first novel, like its PI, manages to get the job Beautiful copy!

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