The absurdly outrageous, sarcastically satiric, and always entertaining New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore returns in finest madcap form with this zany noir set on the mean streets of post-World War II San Francisco, and featuring a diverse cast of characters, including a hapless bartender; his Chinese sidekick; a doll with sharp angles and dangerous curves; a tight-lipped Air Force general; a wisecracking waif; Petey, a black mamba; and many more. San Francisco. Summer, 1947. A dame walks into a saloon . . . It's not every afternoon that an enigmatic, comely blonde named Stilton (like the cheese) walks into the scruffy gin joint where Sammy ""Two Toes"" Tiffin tends bar. It's love at first sight, but before Sammy can make his move, an Air Force general named Remy arrives with some urgent business. 'Cause when you need something done, Sammy is the guy to go to; he's got the connections on the street. Meanwhile, a suspicious flying object has been spotted up the Pacific coast in Washington State near Mount Rainer, followed by a mysterious plane crash in a distant patch of desert in New Mexico that goes by the name Roswell. But the real weirdness is happening on the streets of the City by the Bay. When one of Sammy's schemes goes south and the Cheese mysteriously vanishes, Sammy is forced to contend with his own dark secrets--and more than a few strange goings on--if he wants to find his girl. Think Raymond Chandler meets Damon Runyon with more than a dash of Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes All Stars. It's all very, very Noir. It's all very, very Christopher Moore. " Noir turns a legendary genre on its side and offers grand entertainment at every level." -- "Los Angeles Review of Books" "A fun parody of detective fiction that has everything...humor, fantasy, absurdity, and a cast of outrageous characters you won't soon forget." -- "Bustle" "A pedal-to-the-metal, exquisitely written comic romp through a neon-lit San Francisco that may never have actually existed, but that, in Moore's supremely talented hands, sure feels like it could have." -- "Booklist (starred review)" "Bestseller Moore spoofs hard-boiled detective fiction in this irreverent send-up...An amusing spin on the noir subgenre." -- "Publishers Weekly" "Fans of noir film and fiction will find a lot to enjoy in this loving genre tribute, and those already familiar with Moore's books will simply be in love." -- "Library Journal (starred review)" "Funny, intriguing, and full of wacky characters...Post-WWII San Francisco is the perfect backdrop to the novel--just as interesting as the characters themselves." -- "RT Book Reviews (4 stars)" "Heller clearly relishes his role as narrator in Moore's comic noir set in 1947 San Francisco, never passing up a chance for an impression, be it James Cagney, Marlon Brando's Godfather, or a madam who could pass for Mae West...Moore is in fine form here, and Heller's enthusiastic and playful reading intensifies listeners' pleasure." -- "Booklist (starred audio review)" "Moore is a master of metaphor and a sultan of simile...It takes an author of remarkable talents to keep a profitably urinating snake, a dame named for a dairy product, and a slimy extraterrestrial all running through a narrative." -- "Washington Independent Review of Books" "Moore's comic revision of Sam Spade, will take you on a silly-thrilly ride through late-1940s San Francisco, and you'll be laughing all the way." -- "Washington Post" "Narrator Johnny Heller nails the wry tones and rhythmic pacing of the working mugs, corrupt cops, streetwise urchins, and tough dames who people Christopher Moore's novel...[A] funny, thoroughly enjoyable tale of danger and farce in 1947 San Francisco." -- "AudioFile" "Witty, satirical, and hilarious with a delicious quiver of crime noir hovering over all." -- "New York Journal of Books" Christopher Moore is the author of seventeen previous novels, including Shakespeare for Squirrels , Noir , Secondhand Souls, Sacré Bleu, Fool, and Lamb . He lives in San Francisco, California. Johnny Heller , winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a "Golden Voice" by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.