The Man Everybody Was Afraid of (Dave Brandstetter 4)

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF DAVE BRANDSTETTERThe murder of a conservative police chief in a fishing village north of Los Angeles sends death claims investigator Dave Brandstetter into the no-man's land between cops and activists in this brilliantly plotted mystery, which perfectly captures California in the mid-1970s.A small-town Chief of Police with reactionary politics and national ambitions, Ben Orton struck fear in the hearts of anyone who fell out of line in his little fiefdom of La Caleta. Most recently that has included gay rights activists pushing for the hiring of a police officer from their community. When big Ben is found in his backyard bludgeoned to death by a large terracotta pot, the police arrest the outspoken gay owner of a local nursery.Orton had a life insurance policy that brings death claims investigator Dave Brandstetter north to pry. As far as Dave can tell, the cops did almost nothing to investigate Orton’s death and what evidence they did compile doesn’t seem to add up. Dave quickly learns that the pool of suspects is much deeper than the police reported. Ben Orton may have seen himself as a pillar of the community but what many in La Caleta saw instead was a violent man whose commitment to enforcement didn’t always also include room for the law. With an ailing father in the hospital and a relationship headed toward the rocks, a very distracted Brandstetter finds himself making more wrong moves than right while those on the other side of the thin blue line are making it painfully obvious his presence is not wanted. **In the small town of La Caleta, Dave Brandstetter investigates the murder of a very unpopular cop ** When Ben Ortons head is found bludgeoned by a heavy flower pot, the people of La Caleta are stunnednot because their police chief has been murdered, but because no one thought to do it sooner. A bruising, violent man, Ben had a commitment to order that did not always take the law into account. But as insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter is about to find out, the corruption in Bens police force did not die with him.By the time Dave arrives in the fading fishing town, a young activist has already been arrested for the murder. Only Dave seems to care that the evidence against the accused is laughably thin. As the people of La Caleta try their best to thwart his investigation, Dave must do whatever it takes to catch Bens killer. *The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of *is book four in the Dave Brandstetter Mystery series, which also includes *Troublemaker *and *Skinflick*. Version : 5.0 Formats : EPUB In the small town of La Caleta, Dave Brandstetter investigates the murder of a very unpopular cop When Ben Orton & rsquo;s head is found bludgeoned by a heavy flower pot, the people of La Caleta are stunned & mdash;not because their police chief has been murdered, but because no one thought to do it sooner. A bruising, violent man, Ben had a commitment to order that did not always take the law into account. But as insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter is about to find out, the corruption in Ben & rsquo;s police force did not die with him. By the time Dave arrives in the fading fishing town, a young activist has already been arrested for the murder. Only Dave seems to care that the evidence against the accused is laughably thin. As the people of La Caleta try their best to thwart his investigation, Dave must do whatever it takes to catch Ben & rsquo;s killer. The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of is book four in the Dave Brandstetter Mystery series, which also includes Troublemaker and Skinflick In the small town of La Caleta, Dave Brandstetter investigates the murder of a very unpopular cop When Ben Orton{u2019}s head is found bludgeoned by a heavy flower pot, the people of La Caleta are stunned{u2014}not because their police chief has been murdered, but because no one thought to do it sooner. A bruising, violent man, Ben had a commitment to order that did not always take the law into account. But as insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter is about to find out, the corruption in Ben{u2019}s police force did not die with him. By the time Dave arrives in the fading fishing town, a young activist has already been arrested for the murder. Only Dave seems to care that the evidence against the accused is laughably thin. As the people of La Caleta try their best to thwart his investigation, Dave must do whatever it takes to catch Ben{u2019}s killer. The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of is book four in the Dave Brandstetter Mystery series, which also includes Troublemaker and Skinflick Police Chief Ben Orton had a gift for making enemies. When his body was found, head smashed in, the people of his seaside domain were shocked--less because of the gruesome murder than because someone had finally dared to cross Ben Orton