This first private investigator novel by the well known Hugo and Nebula award-winning science fiction author is "the best PI novel ever set in the city of Cincinnati" (Barry N. Malzberg). It embodies the tradition of the hardboiled private eye story while retaining the colorful characterizations and atmospheres inherent to the traditional science fiction novel.Ex-Chicago police officer Eli Paxton has been kicked off the force for exposing the illicit substance habits of several ranking members of Congress. He has landed as a private investigator in Cincinnati, a "pleasant, peaceful, civilized little city where nothing nasty ever seems to happen." Flat broke, Paxton accepts a job to find Baroness von Tannelwald, a prize-winning Weimaraner, misplaced by her professional handler. As he delves into the unique world of big-money dog shows, his investigation takes him to Casa Grande, Arizona, where he discovers that the mystery surrounding Baroness' disappearance has led to the suspicious deaths of at least two peripheral characters -- and put his own life in danger.
