Part of Harry Stoner Mystery, book 3
First published 1986
Private investigator Harry Stoner takes what seems like a simple job. Professor Daryl Lovingwell wants him to locate a missing document. The professor appears harmless, an odd academic type, and his daughter Sarah strikes Stoner as fragile and innocent. Stoner follows Sarah to a radical political group, where he encounters a former marine who has turned to killing for profit. The case spirals beyond a simple document search. One of the Lovingwells ends up murdered. Cincinnati becomes a battleground of violence and bloodshed. Stoner finds himself trapped between warring factions, trying to assemble the fragments of a conspiracy built on deception. The investigation reveals blackmail schemes and sexual betrayals. The mild-mannered professor in his academic tweeds harbors secrets that cost innocent people their lives. Stoner must navigate the corruption before more bodies pile up in the winter streets.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation
Setting: Cincinnati
Period: 20th-century
224 pages · Paperback · Avon Books
Content warnings: violence