Dark Drama

In Dark Drama, the 12th novel in the series set in Portland in 1971, Mike Angel stumbles into his office during a power outage to discover a stunning look-alike for Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr posed in his loveseat. At first he talks to the woman, then discovers to his horror she’s been murdered with a bullet in her brain. His partner discovers Mike’s business card in the dead woman’s panties. The murder leads Mike to the girl’s family, then into a thicket of smut film productions made to order with Hollywood diva look-alikes for rich Arab shieks. Chasing leads takes Mike to Boise, Idaho City, and Tijuana, as he identifies all the actors and crew who filmed a death scene where blanks were switched with live ammunition. Seemingly everyone he talks to had motive and opportunity. Break-ins, and a stand-in for porno screen tests yields valuable clues. Mike takes direct action in a convoluted mess of a case he grows to hate.