Joey Costa’s New Game

After ten years defending mobsters, Costa leaves the shady clientele and stress of his Los Angeles law practice for a more sedate life selling real estate in upscale Montecito. He has mixed success at his new game, but his past reputation attracts clients who hire him to solve their thorny problems by means legal and otherwise. Among them are Ken Pell, an art professor who wants out of an illegal contract to forge fine art for a malevolent cocaine distributor. Costa must find a way to do the job without getting himself or his client killed or alerting law enforcement. A Costa associate is involved in a Las Vegas murder. Vegas police assign Detective Sgt. Sandra Lawler to solve the crime. She tracks the likely killer to Santa Barbara, identifies Costa as a person of interest, and must determine whether he colluded with the killer in murder.