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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Fistfights; a murder; crime confrontations
Language
Barely any
Mild period language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild romantic interest
Substance Use
Some
Shayne's characteristic heavy drinking; social bar scenes
Emotional Intensity
Barely any
Deception and small-town hypocrisy
What this book is about
Mike Shayne, the hard-drinking Miami private detective, heads to a quiet Florida town on what should be a simple matter—and finds himself in the middle of a web of jealousy, greed, and murder that the locals have been carefully papering over for years. With his characteristic mix of dogged persistence and physical nerve, Shayne cuts through the deceptions to get at the truth. A classic entry in Halliday's long-running series, capturing the spirit of mid-century American crime fiction.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Protagonist's heavy drinking
Crime and murder
Reader Verification
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