Mason James, currently a resident of Hermosa Beach, grew up in San Francisco’s East Bay; he’s back in town after he gets word that his father, Max, was mugged. Max was exiting a card room in Emeryville when he was assaulted. On closer inspection, it appears this was no simple robbery, but rather a targeted attack related to organized crime. Max has “lived a life of capability and ruthlessness,” and neither of them are strangers to the world of shady activities. Mason spent more than 20 years as a member of the Unit, “a squad that took care of problems around the world too hot for official channels.” The Unit has had some lingering troubles that have “exploded over the past few months,” but Mason’s main concern at the moment is his father. (Mason may be a little worse for wear, but with his background in boxing and his many California connections, he’s not one to be trifled with.) Max’s problems are not the only thing on Mason’s plate. McKnight Holdings is a legitimate company with an extensive real estate portfolio; Mason has “grown up as a favored cousin in the McKnight empire,” and when he’s asked to look into a problem, he accepts. Recently, the company has come under attack via sophisticated hacking, and someone is showing sudden interest in McKnight’s “farming property in the central valley.” Perhaps Max’s assault and the trouble at McKnight are related in some way?
The story incorporates many setting details, including some history: Readers learn how “San Pablo Avenue ran as a parallel companion to the east side of the San Francisco Bay, covering 20 miles.” The road had “been around since the 1850’s.” Tilden Park is “just over the eastern edge of the Berkeley Hills” and includes, among other features, a vintage merry-go-round. These and many other specific references bring the setting to vivid life. Along with these details come numerous characters, and it’s not always easy to keep track of the many people in Mason’s life—Jonah, Midas, Melvin, Lilly, and Max are just a handful of the names introduced early in the story. (As the narrative progresses, the backgrounds and motivations of these and other players do become clear.) Cook has a distinctive story to tell; Mason may be the rough-and-tumble type, but he’s not just a standard-issue action protagonist. He’s quick with a knife and a gun, but he also moons over Candlestick Park; he admits to still having “some sentimentality from [his] childhood and all those cold afternoons in the swirling winds” at the park. The story includes intriguing flashbacks to Mason’s upbringing, touching on his time playing baseball (the game “has its own language and a fraternal inclusiveness for those on the inside”). In the present day, he encounters violent obstacles sure to keep readers turning the pages.