Swan Dive focuses on "Blue" Heron, a down-and-out detective with a roaming eye who gets much too involved in a complex business deal, a deal which results in embezzlement, swindling, sexual misconduct, and murder. Along the way, Blue discovers a great deal about himself while trying to understand the subterfuge. One of his problems is that he often gets too entranced with whatever woman is nearest to be able to concentrate on the job he's being paid to do. That makes for trouble.