Eddie Muller. Shadow Boxer (2003) 259 pp.
Boxing writer Billy Nichols is back on the beat for the San Francisco Inquirer. By aiding a beguiling woman, Billy stumbles on evidence that could exonerate one of San Francisco’s top fight promoters, who is in jail accused of murder. One big problem—the victim was Billy’s secret lover, and he has no desire to help set her killer free. But once his reporter’s instincts kick in, Billy can’t let go of a twisting trail of suspense that stretches from Tenderloin fight clubs to Marina District mansions, from mountain retreats to the Hall of Justice.