Finding himself driving to his client in Bel Aire, Philip has a close brush with a motorcycle driver. The blonde passenger is the 23 year old daughter of his client. Can Philip do anything if Adrienne wants to go crazy and endanger herself? He investigates the dare devil background of the young motorcyclist, Pepper Riggs. Is there anything shady in his carnival job, and the extreme thrills he seeks in his act?

Philip takes in the act for himself. Has he turned up trouble behind the scenes? Will there be tragedy on the stunt track? Pepper’s co-stunt driver, Lou Bryant dies in an apparent accident, but Philip is certain that it was murder.

A former girlfriend of Pepper, Mickie, may have some answers for Marlowe, or will she only muddy the waters of potential killers further? Its time to get rough, and let the fists fly, but the options get narrower when the body count rises. A key clue falls into Philip’s lap, but will his hunch pay off? Head thumping time. Will the killer kill again, before Philip can catch him? Talking to the police detective, Marlowe explains it all, then helps his client out with a little child discipline for the fickle 23 year old.