Chinaman's Chance — Ross Thomas

The scene: Southern California

The beach at Malibu, the sleazier sides of Venice and the city of Pelican Bay. The motivation: power and money. The characters: a missing woman, a dead congressman, a multimillionaire, a Mafia boss and, his old college roommate, formerly of the CIA. The problem: who is setting up whom for what?

Enter Artie Wu and Quincy Durant, two con men who bring with them a wealth of experience and a number of people who don't mind helping out if the money's right.

It's a complex situation that races from Vietnam to Dallas, Washington to Las Angeles--and comes home to roost in Pelican Bay and a struggle for power.