When Michael Drayton, a private investigator from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, awakes to find that his wealthiest client has been murdered while he was working for the man's daughter and son-in-law, he suddenly finds himself at once suspect, alibi, witness, and investigator. Michael Drayton, Detective Guy is an exploration of the hardboiled mystery and noir genres with subtle, yet conscious, allusions to The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, and even Raymond Chandler's famous essay, "The Simple Art of Murder.