From Google Books: a"The first in an intriguing new series of vintage mysteries, this gritty detective tale, originally published in 1951, centers on hard-drinking, hard-working private sleuth Russell Teed. When the biggest bootlegger the city has ever known, John Sark, is murdered, Detective Sergeant Framboise is convinced Sark's widow is the killer. Knowing there was another former Mrs. Sark with an even better motive, Teed sets out to keep the gorgeous Inez Sark out of jail and find the real culprit. Chasing clues from east to west, Russell does whatever he can to find justice, including shooting up a couple of characters and busting up a drug ring in order to expose the victim's private life."