Two complete novels in one with a new introduction by the author.
Masao Masuto is a Nisei detective on the Beverly Hills police force - a cultured stranger in an even stranger land of traffic-clogged freeways, artery-clogging fast food . . . and brutal murders. A Zen Buddhist, karate expert, and devotee of roses, he is a complex man with singular sense of justice, taking action on his own and making judgments as he sees fit.
In 'The Case Of The Sliding Pool', the collapse of a swimming pool exposes the skeleton of a man, buried in the pool's foundation for thirty years. As Masuto begins his investigation, determined to learn the identities of both the victim and his killer, he finds himself locked in a game of wits with a brilliant murderer - one that results in the detective ultimately facing his deadly adversary alone and unarmed.
In 'The Case Of The Kidnapped Angel', Masuto is called in to investigate the disappearance of Hollywood sex goddess Angel Barton, who has been kidnapped from her Malibu beach house. Although Angel returns home unharmed a short time later, her husband, Mike - who left to pay her ransom - is not so lucky. Seeking the reasons for Barton's death, Masuto is soon drawn into a complex world of secret passions, bewildering illusions . . . and increasingly savage murders.
