The Guardian of Detritus is about a failed rock musician and disgraced reporter working in pubic relations in Detroit. On the far side of middle age and the brink of divorce, Will Harkanen sees an obituary for an old friend and decides to quit his job and pursue the dreams of his youth. Hustling between the icons of Detroit's glorious past and the wreckage of its gritty present, Will begins unraveling a mess of blackmail and corruption that may have led to his friend's death. As he chases his dreams, he realizes too late that his dreams are chasing him.