The Russian River Valley—laid-back, marijuana-steeped, and off-the-grid—is the backdrop for Bart Schneider's new mystery featuring the tough and dogged detective Augie Boyer.Augie takes a break from the bite of another Minnesota winter by visiting the California homestead of his longtime friend Bobby Sabbatini, who is celebrating the opening of his poetry-infused tavern, Ginsberg's Galley. But Augie's notoriety precedes him, and his arrival is met with a trip to a murder scene. Ruthie Rosenberg, a local who has fallen into a life of drugs and dependence, has been found at The Last Judgment Campground, shot twice in the head.At the request of the Deputy Jesse Coolican, who's loved Ruthie for years, Augie promises to investigate the case himself. No sooner than he starts to ask questions, Augie discovers the trail leading to Ruthie's killer—or killers—is tangled with politics, religion, bold-faced lies, and suspicious double-lives. Even his closest...

If Marlowe lived in Minnesota . . . If Spade spouted poetry . . . If the Big Lebowski were a small-time private eye . . . Meet Augie Boyer, private detective"Once upon a time, Sam Spade, Miles Roby, and Bill Maher all went to Bart ­Schneider's laboratory. There was an accident--a spill, a flash of lightning--and only one character came out. Schneider named him Augie Boyer. You'll love the big lug."--Sean Doolittle, author of The CleanupPrivate eye Augie Boyer is out of sorts. He's been smoking too much Pontchartrain Pootie, his favorite varietal herb, and scarfing down an excess of fried food. He can't stop thinking of his ­therapist wife, who left him for another therapist, and despite his new girlfriend's best efforts, Augie's testosterone levels have sunk lower than the winter temperatures of Minneapolis.On the eve of the Republican National Convention, a beautiful, blond violinist with multiple personalities walks...

From critically acclaimed novelist Bart Schneider comes a captivating tale of romantic love and sexual adventure, social change and family upheavals, set against the vibrant backdrop of San Francisco in the 1960s.Inez Roseman has a brilliant career as a violinist with the San Francisco Symphony, a successful husband, and two bright and talented children. But despite her seemingly perfect life, Inez is obsessed with thoughts of suicide. Sylvia Bran also has an obsession. Enraptured with the beautiful violinist, she pretends to be a reporter and arranges to interview Inez. At once seductive and solicitous, she awakens Inez from the suffocating grip of her career, the demands of motherhood, and the tensions caused by her husband's many affairs. The two women become lovers, embarking on a dance of passion and betrayal that soon spins out of control.Like Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha and Michael Cunningham's The Hours, Beautiful...