Nominated for the Edgar Award

Artie Deemer lives off his dog Jellyroll, the most famous canine in the country, star of movies, TV, and dog-food advertising. Artie hangs around the apartment, smoking a little pot, listening to jazz, trying to keep the world away. But then his ex-lover, Billie Burke, is murdered and he receives a note from her: "I'm dead, darling. Get out of your chair and look in the ice tray." And so begins the wild, unpredictable ride. Artie becomes a reluctant sleuth, dodging hoods, blackmailers, killers, and crazy combat pilots as he struggles to uncover Billie's murderer—without joining her in the morgue.