First published 2022
Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin tends bar and chases trouble across 1947 San Francisco. The bartender and his crew from Cookie's Coffee are juggling schemes that range from launching a driving school to smuggling the local madam and her working girls to a Christmas party at the State Hospital. They need to dodge the vice squad chief who watches their every move. Meanwhile, Sammy's girlfriend Stilton and her welder friends work on a mysterious project that draws attention from government agents. Then club owner Jimmy Vasco arrives with urgent news. Someone is killing the city's drag kings, and Jimmy believes she's the next target. She wants Sammy to find the murderer before it's too late. Across town, Eddie "Moo Shoes" Shu faces his own crisis when Uncle Ho calls for help. A ruthless gangster named Squid Kid Tang threatens Ho's opium den while hunting an ancient Rain Dragon statue that Ho stole decades ago. If Eddie fails, the magical creature's fury could destroy the entire city. Sammy must navigate murder, mayhem, and supernatural forces to protect the people he loves.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, crime, supernatural, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, whimsical
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, supernatural-elements
Setting: San Francisco
Period: 1947
390 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence