For the last three years, former investigative reporter Nick Lanouette-a recovering sex addict struggling to stay on the wagon-has been attempting to start over with his wife in Portland, Oregon. But after he receives a call about a shirttail Mafioso possibly being framed for the murder of San Diego's mob chief, Frank Bompensiero, Nick's latent reportorial instincts are rekindled.
To reach the truth, Nick tiptoes at the edge of sexual entanglement with Maria Gallo, a pretty, rub-and-tug masseuse who has a personal interest in the investigation. After pawing through eight decades of historic events that touch upon Italian immigration, union activities, Prohibition, and Mafia prominence in San Diego, Nick's probing leads him to uncover the family history of Vittorio Erbi-Maria's former lover, the father of her son, and the man convicted of Bompensiero's murder. Maria, who is certain of Vito's innocence, hopes to persuade a skeptical Nick-with whatever of her talents it requires-that she is right.
In this mystery tale that interweaves historical events with the present, an investigative reporter and an unlikely friend partner together in a dangerous investigation to find out who bumped off San Diego's mob chief. Now only time will tell if one of them will pay the ultimate price for the truth.