Former Marine Matt Cole comes home from World War Two a shattered man.

Not only afflicted with a crippled leg and a fractured skull, he also is a borderline alcoholic, experiences terrible nightmares and hears voices in his head. Unable to return to his pre-war job as a police detective, he becomes a struggling private detective. His tenuous existence is further threatened when he is framed for a murder he didn't commit.

Finding himself in serious trouble with the West Coast Mob, as well as the police, he blunders his way through wartime Los Angeles. He's not only trying to clear his name but to also solve four murders.

Humor, intrigue, and scenes from L.A. of the forties abound. The beginning volume of the MATT COLE MYSTERY SERIES, written by D. W. Drake, the author of the 5-star rated book "Lennie, Guido and Me".