Domenic Stansberry. The Big Boom (2006) 264 pp.
Dante Mancuso is back. He is now working in San Francisco as a private investigator. San Francisco is booming: the high tech industry is flourishing and real estate prices are skyrocketing, causing many of the old-time residents to take the money and run. Dante has rented out his father’s North Beach house, moved into a new apartment, and rekindled his relationship with former lover Marilyn Visconti. He is hired by Nick and Barbara Antonelli to investigate the disappearance of their daughter Angela, a young woman whom has known since childhood and actually dated for a time. Then a body is found in San Francisco Bay, and Dante’s investigation shifts as he tries to figure out how and why Angela died. He soon discovers that Angela had been involved with her boss at a startup company who is also involved in a finance deal with Nick. When Nick then tries to get him to drop the case, Dante suspects that there are larger forces at work and becomes more determined than ever to find the answers.
Setting: San Francisco (North Beach)