Moments before he is executed, the killer of the daughter of Hub Walker, a famous Vietnam War pilot and hero, makes a startling allegation, claiming that the real murderer is a close friend of Walker's, a prominent US defense contractor. Walker wants to hire somebody willing to spend a few days digging up information that will refute the convicted killer's groundless but widely reported claims and will help restore his friend's good name. That somebody, as fate would have it, is Cordell Logan, sardonic civilian flight instructor, would-be Buddhist, and retired military assassin.

A Medal of Honor recipient married to a former Playboy Playmate of the Year, Hub Walker resides in the swanky San Diego enclave of La Jolla overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Logan is convinced that working for Walker will be little more than a paid vacation—a chance not only to rub shoulders with a living legend but also to rekindle his own relationship with his enticing ex-wife, Savannah. But after flying to San Diego in his beloved aging Cessna, the Ruptured Duck, Logan is quickly drawn into a vexing and deadly jigsaw puzzle. The deeper he digs, the murkier the truth appears and the more danger he encounters. Who really killed the war hero's daughter, and why? Somebody in "America's Finest City" wants to keep Logan from asking questions and will stop at nothing to silence him.