Gumshoe by James Francis Gray

In this fast-paced drama, set in the classic styling of 1940s-era film noir, on-the-run Hollywood PI, John L. Peterman, Esq., and Beverly Hills socialite Abigail Wilson outwit both LA’s finest and the mob. They crisscross the Southland in the fall of 1948 on a nail-biting adventure. Gunshots, splintered hotel doors and a high-speed auto chase soon become the norm for the two as their heart-throbbing journey takes them from the streets of Hollywood to Venice, Anaheim, Colton, Cucamonga, Azusa and Pasadena—even the tunnels beneath Chinatown—as they out-maneuver their hostile prey with a deft combination of agility and dumb luck. Ladies’-man extraordinaire Peterman juggles an ex-wife and his new fiancée, not to mention several female clients and the alluring Abigail Wilson, in this romantic and mysterious jaunt spanning from the big city to the Pacific Islands. When it comes to chasing cheating husbands, Peterman’s fast on the draw with flash camera in hand, solving Abigail’s case in short order. But when he finds himself in over his head, will he stay at the top of his game as detective, or become Hollywood’s biggest patsy? Will an accurate shot from his .45 be enough to save him and Abigail? Conspiracy and embezzlement embroil them in their pursuit of justice, leaving a trail of sex, murder, and mayhem in its wake.