Meet Zev Evans, the ex-cop, ex-war hero turned anxiety-ridden fixer with a plate in his head, a pharmacopeia in his pocket, a chaotic but keenly observant mind, and a fearsome set of skills. Given to reciting mantras to calm the wild horses in his head, the half-Jewish, half-Sicilian Zev debuts in a story that starts at a piano recital and ends on the floor of his kitchen with a feral cat and a seizure dog watching over him. To say more would be to spoil the fun of reading this fast-paced novella, and of getting to know Zev, to whom the motto of the 1st Marine Division – no better friend, no worse enemy – applies in spades.

Illustrated with the author's original photographs.