Butters P.I.

San Francisco 1938What does a shooting in Chinatown, the threat of a gang war, a protection racket, and the drowning deaths of two women of questionable character have in common?To the undiscerning eye… nothing.Enter Sergeant Jacob Butterfield, a slightly jaded, well-intentioned, but occasionally morally grey, San Francisco detective with a vested interest in the cases.Just when his investigation suggests a link, Jacob is accused of extortion, bribery, and tampering with evidence. Suspended, and aware his partner has double crossed him, leaves Jacob shocked and furious but powerless, his career in ruins.What the hell is he supposed to do now?The answer comes from the savvy and streetwise Stella Fitzhugh, cocktail waitress, chain smoker, and… most importantly… Jacob's live-in lover.If the system beats you down, find a way to even the score…

San Francisco - 1940It is two years since Jacob Butterfield hung his Private Investigator's shingle. Almost before the paint inscribing his, sadly unfinished, name on the office door was dry, he and his lover-come-business partner, Stella, were inundated with cases.Cheating spouses, missing people, minor thefts, the list went on, along with any and all offences the various police departments deemed unworthy of their time.Their reputation as an honest agency growing steadily, Jacob presumes things are going swimmingly in every aspect of his life until a very large spanner, in the shape of Carmine Russo, is tossed into the works.A priceless diamond with a shady history has gone missing, and Russo's boss, its… equally shady… owner, who has no wish to involve the police, wants Butters to expose the thief.As the investigation heats up, so does the relationship between Stella and Russo, despite Stella's vehement denials. Now, Jacob is in a race against time to find the diamond and win back his girl. Can he persuade Stella, his love hasn't faltered and that his dedication to duty was not a dereliction of devotion before Russo steals her heart?Is this the one case Butters cannot solve?

San Francisco – 1942While men fought for freedom half a world away, in San Francisco, Jacob Butterfield PI… aka Butters… continued his fight for those unfortunates whom the authorities deemed unworthy of attention.Quite the knight in shining armour. Or perhaps not yet completely jaded with a healthy antipathy for injustice, a nose for deception, and more than a passing acquaintance with the seedy underbelly of the city. As gumshoes went, Jacob had gained a reputation for being fair and honest… if a little rough around the edges.Jacob's visitor that sunny day in June set in motion a chain of events which almost ended that glowing career, catapulting him into an investigation involving a missing heiress, a body found floating in the Bay – an apparent suicide, and two half-sisters at loggerheads with each other.Secrets, lies and misdirection abound, until his enquiries bring him face to face with his own demise, and Jacob realises the repercussions of this sibling rivalry could be lethal.

4th July 1947 – San FranciscoA blast from the past threatens an idyllic marriage.A frantic Stella Russo, née Fitzhugh, calls her erstwhile lover, Jacob Butterfield: private investigator and devoted consort to the ridiculously wealthy Pamela Wentworth whose life and inheritance he had saved five years previously.Accused of murdering her unscrupulous husband who had stolen her away from right under Jacob's nose, Stella is desperate and begs Jacob to help. A request which has the potential to ruin his marriage.Pamela, however, is made of sterner stuff and, although outraged by this Mobster's Moll's assumption that Jacob will drop everything and run to her aid, accompanies him to Las Vegas. While the case is convoluted and Stella's guilt appears incontrovertible, Jacob knows his ex-partner and is convinced she has been framed.Together, the three unravel the threads leading to the real killer but, as they close in, the perpetrator has one last, and deadly trick up his sleeve.In the gambling capital of the world, can they beat the odds, or is this their last punt?