Bob Loniski, location manager for a Hollywood studio, comes to Ray looking for a bodyguard. It seems like Loniski stumbled into some dealings of the Chicago mob, AKA the "Outfit," and now fears for his safety. Before taking on the job, Dudgeon sets up an appointment with Outfit boss Johnny Greico to see if there is a contract out for the hapless movie staff member. Johnny says that he has no beef with the man and so Ray Dudgeon takes on the client.

The mid-level mobster who wants Loniski out of the way is emboldened by an internal power struggle in the Outfit and presses his quarrel with the movie man. As Dudgeon digs into the situation, he uncovers a major blackmail scheme that includes public figures, politicians, and even other mobsters. The stakes go up and the road becomes more dangerous.

The private investigator’s assignment takes him wherever the location manager goes, including back to Hollywood, where he finds himself to be a bit of a celebrity. In a plastic society, Ray’s status as a "genuine" private detective makes him unique, and even leads to a tryst with a fading movie queen. But Hollywood is not Dudgeon’s style and he feels uncomfortable and vulnerable. Back in Chicago, things get more complicated and people are dying all over town as the internal problems in the Outfit erupt into a full scale mutiny. When things finally stabilize, Dudgeon polishes off his unfinished business.

This is Sean Chercover’s debut novel, but he sure writes like a seasoned veteran. This novel held my interest from the first to the last word and everything in between. The story moves at a rapid but easy-to-follow pace, with just the right mix of action, sex, and surprise. I especially like the way that his protagonist came to own his classic 1968 Shelby GT350; it’s every bit as cool as the way Travis McGee wound up with his houseboat, The Busted Flush.

I’ll be a fan of Ray Dudgeon’s for a long time. After all, we even drink the same brand of rum.