Jason Keltner and his buddies Martin and Robert have moved from the Manor to a house in Venice, but they're still in Southern California, a place as much a mindset as a location, with a worldview and lifestyle all its own.

Hip, funny, wise, and cleverly crafted, this third mystery in the series starring Keltner and his friends as reluctant detectives pits them against a drug dealer ruining one kid's life -- Martin's kid brother -- and makes them responsible for a little girl's safety. Donna Cooper is the daughter of a drugged-out rocker called Uncle Trouble, and someone is threatening to kidnap her. The only person Donna seems to trust is Robert, and the only people he trusts are Jason and Martin. The three of them have to protect the little girl in a world in which everyone else is suspect and family values have little to do with innocence.

Trouble Comes Back is a crime novel that defines a time and place as clearly and as powerfully as Raymond Chandler drew the same place in the 40's and 50's, offered in a voice and style that couldn't be more contemporary and perfectly pitched.