First published 1983
Sergeant Mario Villalobos works the night shift in Hollywood Division, where the cases blur together like neon signs in the rain. When a young woman turns up dead in a seedy motel, Villalobos finds himself pulled into a web of corruption that reaches from the streets to the studios. The victim had connections to both the porn industry and legitimate Hollywood, making enemies in both worlds. As Villalobos digs deeper, he uncovers links between seemingly unrelated crimes spanning decades. The detective must navigate departmental politics while chasing leads through strip clubs, casting offices, and back-alley deals. Each revelation brings him closer to a truth that powerful people want buried. Villalobos discovers that in Hollywood, the line between performance and reality disappears, and everyone is playing a role that might get them killed.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: corruption, investigation, police-procedural
Setting: Hollywood
Period: 20th-century
499 pages · Paperback · J. Curley
Content warnings: violence