When a head without a body turns up in a lake near New Orleans, the locals write it off as another prank. But when a body without a head falls out of a station wagon in Los Angeles, folks sit up and take notice. Child porn, snuff films, and drunken TV stars in BMW's - that's what makes the L.A. world go 'round, whether you like it or not. And when orders come down from the top L.A.P.D. echelons to let a drunk-driving actor (but not hi sexy girlfriend) off the hook, and to call the corpse a special effects dummy, the cops definitely don't like it.

Enter Whistler, a private eye given to philosophical ruminations in seedy coffee shops. Whistler hates to see beautiful blondes in trouble as much as he hates to see this sort of garbage covered up - he's afraid he might step in it one day. Once he rips the lid off, though, he may question just how much it's good to know.