Cannon's Mouth — W. Glenn Duncan

Rafferty's Rule 20: Any hunch so strong that it hurts just has to be right.

It's not a typical day when Rafferty gets mistaken for a hitman. Always the altruist, Rafferty tries to warn the intended victim, only to find someone has beaten him to it.

Max Krandorff is dead and mutilated and Rafferty's left holding the bag. Full of cash.

Rafferty soon discovers that Max's business partner, Carl, is behind the gruesome murder, but damned if anyone knows where Carl is now. And that's when the phone calls start. The killer wants credit for Max's murder and ""my money, or else ""

Thus begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Max's killer knows all about Rafferty: who he is, where he lives and works, and where he and Hilda sleep.

On the other hand, Rafferty knows squat about the voice on the other end of the phone; only that if he doesn't locate Carl and the killer soon, his whole world could go up in flames.

If you're a fan of Spenser, Mike Hammer or Matt Scudder, then this hardboiled pulp thriller, from Shamus Award Winner W. Glenn Duncan, will keep you reading late into the dark night.

CANNON'S MOUTH is a hardboiled P.I. mystery in the tradition of the best pulp thrillers.

Rafferty's a Dallas P.I. and an ex-cop who spent enough time on the streets to understand how things work. And when they don't, Rafferty's the guy you'll want on your side. He may quote Latin occasionally, smoke too much and be a cynical sonofabitch, but when it all hits the fan and you need someone you can trust, you'll be glad you called Rafferty.

Originally published by Ballantine, this 30th Anniversary release of CANNON'S MOUTH marks the first time that W. Glenn Duncan's work has been available in digital format. We doubt that Rafferty would quietly accept the ongoing march of technology that provides this opportunity, but even a grizzled P.I. has to grow up sometime.

This hardboiled PI series will continue with the first new Rafferty story in nearly three decades. FALSE GODS, written by W. Glenn Duncan Jr. (son of the original author) sees Rafferty looking for a missing girl, up to his ass in religious fundamentalists and needing all the help he can get from his old pals Cowboy and Mimi--and a few new ones--to make sure he gets out alive.

Join the Rafferty Readers' Group at RaffertyPI.com to get the latest news on the upcoming release of FALSE GODS.

Praise for W. Glenn Duncan:

""Sometimes it seemed W. Glenn Duncan's Texas P.I. Rafferty had a rule for everything, but the fact remains that most of them were a hoot. And, of course, a further irony is that ""Rafferty's Rules"" is, in fact, an Australian football term for ""no rules at all."" - Thrilling Detective Website

""I've gotten rid of a lot of stuff over the years, but the Rafferty books are a mainstay. I think they're terrific "" - Paul Bishop

""Duncan truly captured the pure essence of the definitive smart-ass private eye in his character Rafferty. Take part Sam Spade with a little Mike Hammer, mix in some Spenser and you have an awesome character."" - Cliff Fausset

""At first sniff, it may smell like Spenser with a cowboy hat, but take a good whiff: W. Glenn Duncan's Dallas, Texas private eye RAFFERTY was actually a blast of fresh air in what was rapidly becoming a glut of sensitive, soul-searching, overly politically-correct cookie cutter P.I.s in the late eighties. Of course, it helps that Dallas ain't Boston."" - Kevin Burton Smith