First published 2018
Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin works behind the bar at a rundown San Francisco gin joint in the summer of 1947. His routine changes when Stilton walks through the door. She's blonde, enigmatic, and named after cheese. Sammy falls hard and fast. An Air Force general called Remy shows up with urgent business, knowing Sammy has street connections that get things done. Strange reports filter in from beyond the city. Someone spotted an unidentified flying object near Mount Rainier. A plane crashed in the New Mexico desert near Roswell. But the real oddness unfolds right in San Francisco. Sammy and Stilton begin their romance, but when one of his schemes backfires, she disappears. Sammy must confront his own buried secrets as he searches desperately for her. His hunt takes him through Chinatown, up Telegraph Hill, and into a hidden forest sanctuary. The story mixes classic detective fiction with science fiction absurdity and cartoon logic.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, mystery, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Chinatown, Mount Rainier, New Mexico, Roswell, San Francisco, Telegraph Hill
Period: 1947, World War II
339 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow