First Four by Shannon

Contents: Case pending. -- The ace of spades. -- Extra kill. -- Knave of hearts

In Lieutenant Luis Mendoza's first case, he is faced with a three-way mystery involving the senseless killing of Elena Ramirez, a blackmailing involving a below-the-radar adoption, and a young man's guilt. And when Mendoza connects Elena's death with that of another woman, and investigates two further hunches, he draws closer to a solution ... The Ace of Spades continues the case histories of Mendoza, the Mexican detective of the Los Angeles Police Department. Lt. Mendoza specializes in homicides ... he has brains, uncanny flair, wealth, a passion for justice and Abyssinian cats. He has a weakness for poker and Alison Weir, the central female character in his life. Mendoza's new case enters Homicide through the back door of Stolen Property ... in this instance the old fashioned jalopy, belonging to the redhead Alison Weir. The story fast becomes entrangled with importers, museums, and a mysterious Madam K.A chance scrap of paper begins as exciting, detective chain of events, quickly leading to high tension as Mendoza realizes that the life of the woman he loves is in danger. Lieutenant Luis Mendoza is tasked with solving a double murder, shrouded in strange rites. Acting on one of his famous hunches, he is drawn into the world behind the glitter of Hollywood and into the Temple of Mystic Truth. There he finds cultists Martin and Cara Kingman, who turn out to be less than spiritual ... Bad enough was Luis' violent quarrel with redheaded Alison Weir, the only woman who had ever given him the remotest thought of settling down. But also on his hands was the case of a rapist murderer who was terrorizing Los Angeles, one of whose crimes had probably already sent an innocent man to the gas chamber. Alison, meanwhile, through such well meaning friends as Sgt. Hackett and his bride, was subjected to a parade of suitors well meaning, no doubt, but such pallid fare after Luis ... Then one of Mendoza's famous "hunches" points the way toward a solution to the case but it points too close to home with none other than Alison herself heading inexorably toward disaster.