The action starts in New York City where Gould, deep in gambling debt and behind on his rent, is getting beat up by a couple of guys who work for one of his bookies.

Once he gets back to his apartment, which his landlord has locked, he has to finagle a way in so he can get his emergency stash of cash and flee. But first he'll have a fling with a sort-of girlfriend that he doesn't especially like but needs to manipulate so he can get back into his apartment.

(He's always in the mood and he's a bit of a cad.)

The story of how he and this woman met gives an idea of the tone. Harry is telling us the story in his voice and from his perspective.

Harry goes to Los Angeles and needs some money to tide him over until he can set up a new stolen cars and credit cards routine like he had back east.

When he sees an ad in the paper for a bodyguard to a very wealthy man, he decides to apply for the job, telling numerous lies about all the experience he doesn't have, thinking that this will be a good take the money and run opportunity.

Almost immediately things go very wrong, with a bomb exploding and Harry all of a sudden wanted for murder by the police, the FBI and the mob.

Gould races around LA, falling in and out of the clutches of all three, trying to figure out what happened or at least just get the hell out of town, neither of those things being easy to do.

The feel of the book is like one of those 1930s movies that just zips along and is thoroughly enjoyable and wastes no time. Obstfeld crafts a satisfying mystery while making sure there's something funny on every page. And Gould is an endearing character.

I'll definitely check out the other books in the series.

The first line is "After he hit me the first time, I figured for sure he was one of Harrison's men, but after he hit me the eighth time I began to have doubts".