The George Kelley Collection
Detective/Mystery Stories


SLICE OF HELL
Mike Roscoe
New York: New American Library, 1955, c1954.
Bison Catalog Record

Throughout his career, private investigator Johnny April has always been more than willing to tackle any type of case that might fall into his lap. So it sounds like a fairly run-of-the-mill trip when a wealthy businessman hires Johnny to investigate rumors of a suspected mob takeover deal currently in the planning stages out in San Francisco. Johnny also agrees to assist an impoverished widow who wants him to collect the belongings of an old friend who has just passed away in San Francisco. On his flight West, Johnny meets an attractive redhead and the two become fast friends, but his visions of easy money and a quick solution to the case are shattered abruptly. A gang of well-organized thugs deliver increasingly violent warnings to get out of town, but tough guy Johnny is determined to figure out what is going on before getting caught in the crossfire. As the body count grows higher, Johnny negotiates with the cops, a group of high-powered mobsters, and an ever-widening circle of criminals that extends far beyond the West coast.