Following Pearl Harbor, Tom Hickey opens a supper club in downtown San Diego. The business thrives because of jazz singer Cynthia Moon who enraptures admirals, generals, and tycoons. When she disappears, it's not only concern for the girl that sends him searching. He also needs the money she brings in, since his wife has wearied of living in modest circumstances. The hunt for Cynthia takes him to the village of Mount Shasta and into the web of a Hindu-inspired occultist. Though he doesn't find Cynthia, he deduces her motive for disappearing. And he learns the first part of her desperate plan, which sends him to Denver in search of a former Capone hit man. "Mysticism, a journal full of poetic folklore, and the noir-like dialog push an especially complex plot from start to finish. Along with Gaylord Dold and Max Allan Collins, Kuhlken joins the ranks of P.I. authors presenting their character in a historical setting and pulling the deed off with skill and grace. Highly recommended." Publisher's Weekly