When a young, rather feckless heiress hires Milan Jacovich to find her middle-aged lover--not because she wants him back but because he owes her $18,000--he's thrust among artists and would-be artists who frequent the Coventry section of Cleveland heights. than man Milan is searching for is a potter, and when Milan talks to those who know him, it becomes very clear that his young girlfriend is not alone in caring whether she ever sees him again. Millan also learns that the guy is a con man, a dreamer of big dreams and a maker of deals, and one who has surprising contacts among collectors--one of them being Milan's nemesis, the suave Victor Gaimari. Gaimari is one of the new breed of mobsters who has put aside Borsalino hats and shiny silks suits for a college education and a milion-dollar vocabulary. With such a mixed crew of players, danger isn't far behind. Milan soon discovers another ominous use can be made of a potter's kiln besides firing clay pots...
Les Roberts is the author of 15 mystery novels featuring Cleveland detective Milan Jacovich, as well as 9 other books of fiction. The past president of both the Private Eye Writers of America and the American Crime Writer's League, he came to mystery writing after a 24-year career in Hollywood. He was the first producer and head writer of the Hollywood Squares and wrote for the Andy Griffith Show, the Jackie Gleason Show, and the Man from U.N.C.L.E., among others. He has been a professional actor, a singer, a jazz musician, and a teacher. In 2003 he received the Sherwood Anderson Literary Award. A native of Chicago, he now lives in Northeast Ohio and is a film and literary critic.
Visit his web site at www.lesroberts.com.
