Download or read book Beachboy Murder written by Sally J. Smith and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From USA Today bestselling authors Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens comes deadly trouble on white sandy beaches... Just as travel agent turned reluctant sleuth Gabby LeClair is starting to gain some of the Aloha spirit, a business consortium from Chicago breezes into the Aloha Lagoon resort and offers to buy her business. The offer is tempting...but so is hot helicopter pilot Rick Dawson, making it a difficult decision—one that becomes even more complicated when a dead body is discovered in Gabby's own backyard, and she's suddenly thrust in the middle of a murder investigation! The dead man is a former beachboy attendant from the island. But as Gabby and her friends quickly learn, his colorful past as a professional escort extends from Hawaii all the way to the women of Chicago—including those in the business consortium. With a trail of broken hearts—not to mention jealous rivals—leading up to the beachboy, Gabby tries to uncover just who had it in for the late lothario. Is the female of the species really more deadly than the male? Or has he scorned one too many women for some other man's liking? Gabby treads a fine line as she seeks the truth behind the beachboy's shady past to come face to face with a killer! The Aloha Lagoon Mysteries: Ukulele Murder (book #1) Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2) Deadly Wipeout (book #3) Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4) Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5) Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6) Ukulele Deadly (book #7) Bikinis & Bloodshed (book #8) Death of the Kona Man (book #9) Lethal Tide (book #10) Beachboy Murder (book #11) Handbags & Homicide (book #12) About Aloha Lagoon: There's trouble in paradise... Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget! visit us at alohalagoonmysteries.com

Download or read book Becoming the Beach Boys 1961 1963 written by James B. Murphy and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-06-08 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They were almost The Pendletones--after the Pendleton wool shirts favored on chilly nights at the beach--then The Surfers, before being named The Beach Boys. But what separated them from every other teenage garage band with no musical training? They had raw talent, persistence and a wellspring of creativity that launched them on a legendary career now in its sixth decade. Following the musical vision of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys blended ethereal vocal harmonies, searing electric guitars and lush arrangements into one of the most distinctive sounds in the history of popular music. Drawing on original interviews and newly uncovered documents, this book untangles the band's convoluted early history and tells the story of how five boys from California formed America's greatest rock 'n' roll band.

Download or read book Death at the Spring Fling written by Rosalie Spielman and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2024-04-16 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From author Rosalie Spielman comes a killer new beach read! It's springtime in Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii, and romance is in the air! Along with murderous intentions… The dive shop where Kiki Hepburn works is sponsoring the first annual Aloha Lagoon Resort Spring Fling Dance, and naturally is in charge of the "Under The Sea" themed décor. In between hanging crepe paper jellyfish tentacles and paper mâché honu, Kiki witnesses an argument between two men, and is unsurprised to see her old foe Ruby Nakasoma right in between them. But what does surprise her is when, during the dance, Kiki and her boyfriend Dex find one of the men dead, with Ruby leaning over him holding a vicious looking murder weapon! Kiki thinks Ruby's true nature has finally caught up to her, but when Ruby makes a heartfelt appeal for help, Kiki starts looking for a murderer who may or may not be finished… With Dex undercover and suspects as bountiful as springtime hormones, bike-riding delivery men, a tree-trimming cougar on the prowl, and a nose-booping jack-of-all-trades make their way under Kiki's magnifying glass. Will she find the murderer before they find another victim? What critics are saying: "Death on a Cliff Earns 5/5 Vacation Photos…Engaging Twist & Turns! Cozy Gem!" ~ Kings River Life Magazine "You are going to want to visit Aloha Lagoon Resort as much as possible, and you will not want to leave!" ~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews About Aloha Lagoon: There's trouble in paradise... Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget!

Download or read book Mele Kalikimaka Murder written by Aimee Gilchrist and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2017-02-24 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From bestselling cozy mystery author Aimee Gilchrist comes a holiday Aloha Lagoon Mystery of ho, ho, homicide! The only thing that Aloha Lagoon Resort manager Charlotte Conner hates more than her employees working on "island time" is Christmas. It isn't just the over commercialized tripe, but it's also the fact that once-upon-a-time her Christmas would-be wedding went up in spectacular flames. Now she has to share the hated Hawaiian holiday with her twin sister (the one responsible for Charlotte's ruined vows), Alexander Cho (the one currently responsible for destroying Charlotte's peace of mind and libido), and the body of one very dead assistant. Aloha Lagoon's police department can't find anyone else with a better motive for killing Charlotte's assistant than Charlotte herself, so now it's up to her, Alex, and her irritatingly ever-present twin to hunt down the real murderer before Charlotte spends her Christmas in a jail cell for a Mele Kalikimurder she didn't commit. This is one holly-jolly holiday that just might end up deadly! The Aloha Lagoon Mysteries: Ukulele Murder (book #1) Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2) Deadly Wipeout (book #3) Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4) Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5) Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6) About Aloha Lagoon: There's trouble in paradise... Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget! visit us at alohalagoonmysteries.com

Download or read book Handbags Homicide written by Anne Marie Stoddard and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2018-07-31 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From USA Today bestselling author Anne Marie Stoddard comes another fabulously fashionable mystery in paradise... Kaley Kalua is ecstatic when her best friend announces that she’s getting married and bringing the pre-wedding celebration to Aloha Lagoon! As the maid of honor, Kaley can't wait to see her bride-to-be bestie, Emma—that is, until Emma shows up on the island with a few unwelcome faces in her wedding party, including Kaley’s cheating ex-husband, Bryan, one of his former mistresses, and his new girlfriend! To make matters worse, Kaley’s current relationship with the resort's hot lifeguard is on the rocks, and her brand new handbag goes missing after a wild night celebrating Emma’s bachelorette party. But things go from bad to downright deadly when Bryan’s girlfriend is found the next day, dead and buried in a shallow grave on the resort beach—along with Kaley’s missing bag! The police seem convinced that Kaley is involved in the woman’s untimely death. In order to prove her innocence and save Emma’s wedding weekend, Kaley must do a little investigating of her own. Did her arrogant ex-husband kill his own girlfriend? Or did the jealous other woman commit the crime? The deeper Kaley digs in her pursuit of the truth, the more secrets and lies she uncovers. It soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want Kaley to air their dirty laundry. If she isn’t careful, she may not live to see her friend walk down the aisle. The Aloha Lagoon Mysteries: Ukulele Murder (book #1) Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2) Deadly Wipeout (book #3) Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4) Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5) Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6) Ukulele Deadly (book #7) Bikinis & Bloodshed (book #8) Death of the Kona Man (book #9) Lethal Tide (book #10) Beachboy Murder (book #11) Handbags & Homicide (book #12) Tiaras & Terror (book #13) About Aloha Lagoon: There's trouble in paradise... Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget!

Download or read book Boy s Life written by Robert McCammon and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2011-10-18 with total page 723 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson. He’s certain he’s sensed spirits whispering in the churchyard. He’s heard of the weird bootleggers who lurk in the dark outside of town. He’s seen a flood leave Main Street crawling with snakes. Cory thrills to all of it as only a young boy can. Then one morning, while accompanying his father on his milk route, he sees a car careen off the road and slowly sink into fathomless Saxon’s Lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a beaten corpse, naked and handcuffed to the steering wheel—a copper wire tightened around the stranger’s neck. In time, the townsfolk seem to forget all about the unsolved murder. But Cory and his father can’t. Their search for the truth is a journey into a world where innocence and evil collide. What lies before them is the stuff of fear and awe, magic and madness, fantasy and reality. As Cory wades into the deep end of Zephyr and all its mysteries, he’ll discover that while the pleasures of childish things fade away, growing up can be a strange and beautiful ride. “Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of King and Bradbury, and every bit their equal,” Boy’s Life, a winner of both the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Awards, represents a brilliant blend of mystery and rich atmosphere, the finest work of one of today’s most accomplished writers (Kirkus Reviews).

Download or read book Murder on the Aloha Express written by Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-04 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Death on a Cliff written by Rosalie Spielman and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2022-08-09 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From author Rosalie Spielman comes the perfect summer getaway... Former socialite Kiki Hepburn is happily settling into life with her new found-family in Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii—working at Aloha Lagoon Dive Shop, living in a cottage in Auntie Akamai’s back yard, and getting to know the hot dive guy Dex a whole lot better. But all that changes when Dex’s longtime friend and former football teammate, “Tiny” Anelo, comes home to Aloha Lagoon, celebrating being an NFL draft pick. Tiny is surrounded by an entourage, but not all of his hangers-on are admirers—most notably Tiny's ex-girlfriend, Delany. While no one seems happy to see her, Kiki is still shocked when Delany's body is found lifeless in the meadow at the top of a jagged cliff. It's clear someone has murdered the young woman. And when Kiki unwittingly provides the police with evidence that points to Tiny as the killer, Dex begs her to try to help his friend. It's a request she can't ignore, even if the list of people who wanted Delany dead is longer than a late night luau. Between a smarmy sports agent, an obsessed fan-slash-“best friend,” and a former college professor, Kiki finds no shortage of motives. And the plot only thickens when a second dead body shows up, along with a mysterious clue in the form of a Hermes handbag. With the clock ticking and the police closing in, Kiki finds herself in deep water... can she tread water long enough to catch the killer? The Aloha Lagoon Mysteries: Ukulele Murder (book #1) Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2) Deadly Wipeout (book #3) Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4) Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5) Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6) Ukulele Deadly (book #7) Bikinis & Bloodshed (book #8) Death of the Kona Man (book #9) Lethal Tide (book #10) Beachboy Murder (book #11) Handbags & Homicide (book #12) Tiaras & Terror (book #13) Photo Finished (book #14) Fatal Break (book #15) Death Under the Sea (book #16) Tidal Wave (book #17) Death on a Cliff (book #18) Hula Homicide (book #19) About Aloha Lagoon: There's trouble in paradise... Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget!

Download or read book American Murder written by Mike Mayo and published by Visible Ink Press. This book was released on 2008-02-01 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How would you treat a murderer? If you’re from Hollywood and he’s notorious, you might turn him into a folk hero. Separate the facts from the many legends and revisions that have blossomed around these killers in this frightening look at the bloody real lives of movie’s infamous antiheroes. You’ll find a blood-curdling assortment of the “criminal elite” in American Murder: Criminals, Crime and the Media, a rogue’s gallery of our most famous killings, killers and other scoundrels (and some that ought to be more famous than they are). A collection of high-profile murderers, gangsters, assassins, psychopaths, such as O.J., Amy Fisher, Robert Blake, Susan Smith, Claus Von Bulow, the Menendez brothers, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Speck, Al Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bugsy Siegel, Jesse James, John Dillinger, Charles Manson, Albert Fish, T. Cullen Davis, Ronald DeFeo, Jr., Edmund Kemper, Beulah Annan, Bonnie and Clyde, Billy the Kid, Charlie Starkweather, as well as an assortment of lesser known killers with some incredible tales! With numerous photos and illustrations, this tome is richly illustrated, and its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness. American Murderexplores the legends as depicted in movies, stories, and songs. You’d not want to meet any of them in person – either the real or Hollywood versions!

Download or read book Deadly Wipeout written by Beth Prentice and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-07 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From USA Today bestselling author Beth Prentice comes an Aloha Lagoon mystery that will leave you gasping for more... Samantha Reynolds had hoped that moving to the resort town of Aloha Lagoon would be the start of an exciting new life. Sure it may not be everything she had hoped for—she's living with her mom, has no job, no income, and absolutely no idea what to do next. But it's a start! Out of options, Samantha decides to take a job she's just a little under-qualified for—a children's surfing instructor at the Aloha Lagoon Resort. She can surf...she just doesn't know how to teach surfing. But that soon becomes the least of her worries. Throw in two dead bodies, two unexpected inheritances, and one hot bartender, and the heat in Aloha Lagoon has quickly turned up! Samantha just needs to figure out why her family is involved, control a group of preadolescent kids, keep her mom and brother out of jail, and get the hot bartender to notice her. It couldn't be that hard, could it? With the help of her new friend Alani and some of the quirky residents of Aloha Lagoon, she just may be able to pull it all off...and still keep everybody alive! The Aloha Lagoon Mysteries: Ukulele Murder (book #1) Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2) coming in Aug! Deadly Wipeout (book #3) coming in Sept! Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4) coming in Oct! Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5) coming in Nov! Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6) coming in Jan 2017! Photo Finished (book #7) coming soon! About Aloha Lagoon: There's trouble in paradise... Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget! visit us at alohalagoonmysteries.com

Download or read book Under Nelson Mandela Boulevard written by Sean Christie and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2016-09-01 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beneath the Nelson Mandela Boulevard flyover on Cape Town's foreshore live a community of stowaways, young Tanzanian men from the slums of Dar es Salaam. When journalist Sean Christie meets Adam Bashili, he comes to know the extraordinary world of the Beachboys, a multi-port, fourth-generation subculture that lives to stow away and stows away to survive. But as Sean starts to accompany the Beachboys on trips around their everyday Cape Town, he becomes more than a casual observer, serving as sometime moneylender, driver, confidant and scribe, and eventually joining Adam on an unprecedented tour of Dar es Salaam's underworld and a reckless run down Africa's east coast. Under Nelson Mandela Boulevard remaps both city and continent, introducing us to the places and people we so frequently overlook.

Download or read book A Royal Murder written by Lyn Stone and published by Silhouette. This book was released on 2011-01-17 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BY ROYAL COMMAND Investigator takes on lovely assistant Nina Caruso had come to the kingdom of Montebello to find her brother's killer. Steely investigator Ryan McDonough couldn't stop her. With royal permission to shadow Ryan's every move, Nina vowed to keep the brooding P.I. on his toes. But when the killer went after her, it was Ryan who swept Nina off her feet and into his protection. He'd been ordered to work with her—and to investigate her as a suspect. But when Nina became a target, Ryan took command. The crazy attraction between them was just one more reason for Ryan to solve the case fast—before passion betrayed them both…

Download or read book Murder Take Two written by Carol J. Perry and published by Kensington Cozies. This book was released on 2020-08-25 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fun cozy mystery of witches, magic, and the haunted history of Salem, Massachusetts! When a copycat killer has reporter Lee Barrett brushing up on ancient history, it’s a test where failure could be lethal . . . As a Salem, Massachusetts, native, WICH-TV field reporter and amateur sleuth Lee Barrett is well versed in the region’s lore. So when the murder of revered local professor Samuel Bond resembles a killing from almost two centuries ago, everyone is on edge. Especially assistant professor Cody McGinnis . . . Not only did Cody have differences with Bond, he even taught a course on the historic murder. And when his fingerprints and ladder are found at the crime scene, the police are certain of his guilt. Cody’s family, however, believes otherwise and asks Lee for assistance. Now, with the help of her clairvoyant cat, O’Ryan, her tech-savvy librarian aunt and housemate Ibby, and Pete Mondello, her handsome detective beau, Lee will delve deeper than ever into Salem’s past—and into her own psychic gifts—to find the real killer—before someone else is history . . . Praise for the Witch City Mysteries “Perfectly relaxing and readable.” —Kirkus Reviews “This rewarding paranormal cozy series debut will have Victoria Laurie fans lining up to follow.” —Library Journal “An entertaining story that keeps readers guessing until the very twisted and eerie end.” —RT Book Reviews

Download or read book Murder in Hollywood written by Charles Higham and published by Terrace Books. This book was released on 2004-11-15 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than eighty years, the famous unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor, the legendary bisexual film director, has generated debate and controversy. Now, best-selling author Charles Higham has solved the crime. Higham uncovers the corruption and intrigue of Los Angeles in the Roaring Twenties—and the film industry moguls’ complete domination of the city’s authorities. When it was discovered that a famous star of the day had probably killed Taylor, a massive cover-up began—from the removal of crucial evidence to the naming of innocent people as killers—which has continued until now to protect the truth. Murder in Hollywood goes beyond the killing to unearth unknown details about the life of Taylor before his arrival in Hollywood, as well as the stories and histories buried by the crooked authorities and criminals involved the case. The author’s exclusive interviews with the culpable star, his unique possession of long-vanished police records, and the support of the present-day Los Angeles county coroner—who examined the evidence as if the murder had taken place now—have ensured a hair-raising thriller. Charles Higham successfully presents the most plausible and convincing solution yet to the mystery. In the process he paints a vivid portrait of Hollywood in the 1920s—from its major stars to its bisexual subculture. The result is a compelling answer to a long-standing mystery and a fascinating study of a place, and an industry that, as today, let people reinvent themselves. Murder in Hollywood is more extraordinary than any crime of fiction and more exciting than any action adventure movie.

Download or read book Murder by the Book written by Frances Lockridge and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2016-03-29 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While vacationing in Florida, Mr. and Mrs. North investigate a doctor’s murder It’s morning in Key West, and Pamela North has gone fishing for pelicans. Her husband, Jerry, insists it’s impossible to go fishing for birds, but when he finds her later on, she’s surrounded by pelicans on all sides. He shouldn’t be surprised; Pamela has made a career out of doing the impossible—and she’s not finished yet. A blizzard is battering New York City, but the Norths have come south for sun and sand and a spot of tennis in old Key West. Murder wasn’t on their agenda, but Pamela has a way of finding it wherever she goes. She’s just gone out for another morning of luring pelicans when she finds a local physician at the end of the pier, a bullet in his chest and his blood all over the dock. The birds will have to wait; the Norths are about to go fishing for a killer. Murder by the Book is the 26th book in the Mr. and Mrs. North Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Download or read book Totally Terrifying True Crime Trivia written by Brian Boone and published by Castle Point Books. This book was released on 2023-07-04 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the true fans of true crime: If you think nothing can shock you, think again. With heart-pounding real-life stories of serial killers, sadistic torturers, flesh-eating cannibals, and creepy evil-doers of all kinds, Totally Terrifying True Crime Trivia gives you the gory details your curiosity craves. Meet the most demented figures of all time, like Richard Chase, the necrophile who delighted in drinking his victim’s blood; Gilles Garnier, the self-proclaimed werewolf who hunted children; and Ed Gein, who used his victims’ bodies like craft supplies. You’ll be double-checking your deadbolt every night after stepping into the twisted minds of killers like: - Pedro Rodrigues Filho, a.k.a. the Brazilian Dexter, who considered himself a vigilante for justice and took the lives of over 100 drug dealers, murderers, and rapists. - Mother-daughter cult leaders May Blackburn and Ruth Rizzio, who went from sacrificing animals to baking thirty-year-old Florence Turner to death in a sacrificial oven. - Professor Khaw Him Sun, who offed his wife and daughter in 2015 with the most unlikely of murder weapons: a poison yoga ball.

Download or read book The Screwball King Murder written by Kin Platt and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-02-15 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Big, brash, good-looking Hondo Kenyon is one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ best pitchers, a southpaw screwballer with the necessary skills and fastball to keep the opposition from tearing his head off, and the team is counting on the ex-small town Pennsylvania boy for help in their pennant run. On the other hand, Kenyon rates as a screwball in more ways than one. He has a long track record as a scoring jock with the ladies and his antics on or off the field are flamboyant and daffy, executed with lunatic fervor, sometimes funny of bordering on the ludicrous, always certain of coverage by the media. With a reputation like that, it’s no big surprise to a lot of people when Hondo turns up dead in the electrically charged water of a condominium swimming pool. Slip Masters, the team’s public relations man, calls on his private investigator friend Max Roper to look into the case and find out for sure whether it was a legit accident or perhaps a crafty and ingenious murder. The Los Angeles cops have crossed off Hondo’s death as a weird accident, but Slip isn’t so sure. Neither is Max Roper, especially when he gets in closer and starts kicking things around and his investigations turn up some odd circumstances and a string of other murders. As Detective Lieutenant Camino of Homicide says, “On a Roper case they die on the hour, like flies. Death follows Max like a plague.” Roper has plenty of leads to follow: disgruntled ballplayers, jealous boyfriends, discarded lovers, the dead man’s new-breed agent, a psychiatrist, a pool-maintenance person, a hippie plastic surgeon, condominium neighbors, some gangland types, a rock musician and a pineapple heiress ex-wife, among others. His travels take him from the baseball locker room to the seedy areas of Venice, a factory turned nightclub, exclusive watering holes, a chic tennis club, a new high-rise office complex—in short, a cross section of Los Angeles. Along the way to solving the case, Roper get shot at, arrested, beaten up, held at gunpoint and hit over the head, not necessarily in that order.