1970's Trilogy

When Nate Lewis is retained to defend a black drug treatment counselor on a minor gun possession rap, he inadvertently stumbles into a rogue government operation smuggling drugs from Thailand into Marin County to buy guns for anti-Communist guerillas in Southeast Asia. Soon a prime witness for the defense is found dead of an overdose and Nate's client is accused of killing, and maybe raping her. Against girlfriend Christina's advice, Nate takes the homicide case but quickly discovers that his big retainer comes from drug profits his client has stolen from the rogue agents. It doesn't take long before his client's cronies begin turning up dead as the government agents pull out all stops to recover the stolen loot. But when the client goes underground the agents come gunning for Nate. Only Christina can save him now.

Recently arrived in Mendocino County, Christina Lima takes a job as PR director for her "Auntie Estella's" Belmonte Winery while Nate Lewis sets up a law practice to Ukiah. They've barely moved into their new home when winery V.P. Vince Russo, an ex-Marine with a hair-trigger temper, is accused of killing a man ripping off his pot garden. Was it murder or self-defense? Nate takes the case. Meanwhile Estella is dying and Christina's cousins begin to fight over the inheritance of the winery. While preparing a winery accounting in anticipation of the probate fight to come, Christina is critically injured. Was it just an accident or attempted murder? Are the pot garden shooting and Christina's injury somehow connected? There'll be several more deaths before the truth emerges.