When a phony count, a weird artist and a dazzling blonde beauty relentlessly dogged his footsteps, hard-hitting private eye Max Thursday knew his charming personality wasn't the big attraction. And as soon as he opened the box he was guarding and found a hundred grand in cold cash, Thursday had the first clue to a mystery that led the rugged sleuth headlong into a bloody fight-to-the-finish with a ruthless gang of international smugglers.