The woman who broke his heart is being followed. The last man she should trust may be the only one who can save her.
Panama City, Florida. 1943.
World War II has transformed the sleepy Gulf Coast town into a bustling military boomtown filled with soldiers, spies, profiteers, and criminals.
Jimmy “Soldier” Riley knows all about broken dreams. A former police detective turned private investigator, he lost his right arm before he ever had the chance to fight overseas. Then he lost Lauren Lewis, the only woman he ever loved.
Now Lauren has walked back into his life.
She believes someone is following her, and she's come to Jimmy for help. He wants nothing to do with the woman who broke his heart.
Or so he tells himself.
Soon Jimmy is following a trail of blackmail, political corruption, murder, and dangerous secrets through the shadowy streets of wartime Panama City. The deeper he digs, the more he discovers that powerful people will do anything to keep the truth buried.
And the closer he gets to Lauren, the more he risks losing everything again.
“Lister's hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
A gripping blend of historical mystery, hard-boiled detective fiction, and an unforgettable love story.
Better to die than be among the walking wounded.
The Big Goodbye begins Jimmy and Lauren's continuing story. Start here, then follow the mystery into The Big Beyond and The Big Hello.