Black Iris

Mal Townley is a failed, small-town private investigator who is on the verge of throwing in the towel when a baffling case comes his way: the disappearance of the enigmatic Iris Black, an eccentric, young novelist and author of The Days of Wine. Everyone Mal contacts about Iris has an opinion about her; however, no one seems to have a picture of her. The only likeness available is in the form of a beguiling painting titled: "Black Iris"--that seems to cast a spell over its admirers. Mal breaks the first rule in the P.I. handbook: never fall in love with the subject of your investigation--which also happens to be the recipe for a bizarre, rollicking, psychological mystery.

Mal's investigation introduces him to some strange and eccentric characters, including columnist Thornton Dorstone, bestselling author, Ruby Braithwaite, conceptual artist, Leroy LeRoy, and Iris' fianc , Baxter Hawthorne. All of them seem to be hiding something--whether or not it's information about Iris Black remains to be seen. But then, quite by chance, Mal stumbles upon an enigmatic character who breaks open the case. Set in a small, Midwestern college town, in the late 20th Century, "Black Iris" is full of local detail and the warmth of nostalgia--but is also psychologically complex and deeply mysterious.