Homeless, stricken with sickness, and drenched by the cold January rain, Ray Cobb wants nothing more than a dry place to sleep for the night. When he discovers a body in his Chinatown squat and is framed for the murder, he has to turn to his old friend–Detective Nick Archer–to clear his name. But Ray is going to have to prove his innocence without Nick’s help. The detective is dealing with a bizarre murder case of his own.

Low Seward, the biggest action star in the world, has just been found shot and mutilated in a dirty Skid Row apartment. Nick only has two leads–a packet of mysterious purple powder found on the victim and a set of whacked out witnesses glued to the floor.

Ray and Nick’s investigations collide as they slide deep into a secret world of drugged out movie stars, indentured Ukrainian hitmen, and a fastidious florist prone to kidnapping.

Mistakes from the past resurface and both men learn that reckless decisions can have dire consequences.