San Francisco-based private detective Sharon McCone is tracking a man whose actions have already caused the deaths of two women who loved and trusted him in the 18th installment of this memorable series. Because Marcia Muller's books are as much about McCone's relationships with her extended, occasionally dysfunctional family as they are about the cases themselves, first-time visitors might have trouble sorting out all the relatives. But, as always, the rewards are well worth the effort. In this case, there are several evocative flying scenes that help groundlings understand why people do it, a stinging attack on the callousness of the Witness Protection Program, and more glimpses into the tangled soul of Hy Ripinsky, McCone's interesting lover. Other McCone adventures in paperback include The Broken Promise Land, A Wild and Lonely Place, Till the Butchers Cut Him Down, and Wolf in the Shadows.