Blood Count — Dell Shannon

It's a gray November for Detective Luis Mendoza, and it's not getting any brighter

The weather in L.A. hasn't been living up to its sunny reputation--the murder of an unwanted newborn and the assault of a twelve-year-old girl don't make things pretty for the family-man cop, especially with a new baby at home.

The most puzzling crime of all is the murder of a respectable middle-aged woman from Indianapolis. A string of hit-and-runs involving a Model A Ford, and a bizarre mugger with a penchant for footwear all add up to another high-voltage month in the city of the stars.