A charming but talentless potter has run off with a chunk of his rich and vague young girlfriend’s trust money. When Milan Jacovich goes looking for him, he stumbles into the cutthroat world of fine art. As Milan says, “The wonderful thing about art is that it doesn’t really have to do anything… All that is asked of it is that it be beautiful. It doesn’t work that way with people.”

“The characters are vivid, and the plot goes in unusual directions, but ultimately it’s Cleveland that captures our hearts.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Excerpt: B. Johnson led us to a steel door with no window in it, and unlocked it with one of a mass of keys he kept on a fat key ring at his belt. He swung it open, and the strong smell hit us immediately, along with a blast of supercold air. It was almost like walking into a butcher’s freezer.

B. Johnson looked at me. “You all right?”

“Fine.”

Johnson went over to a wall lined with steel drawers. “I’ve seen cops on the job 10, 15 years, they take a look in one of these drawers and they get all weak in the knees and white around the mouth. Or else they throw up their guts right on the floor.” He put a long-fingered hand on one of the drawer handles. “Don’t you toss your cookies, either. Better you should pass out than you barf and I gotta clean up your mess.”

I squared my shoulders, despite the cold. “I said I was just fine, Mr. Johnson. And if I’m not, I promise I’ll throw up on the lieutenant’s suit.”

Publisher: Gray & Company (2005)

Pages: 257

Original Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (1995)