Power Plays

Lt. Hastings #10

by Collin Wilcox

On the face of it, it was only a minor traffic accident, a fender bender between a Buick and a Mercedes. But when Lieutenant Frank Hastings, San Francisco Homicide, shows up, it seems that something more's at stake -- the driver of the Buick has fled from the scene, leaving a man's corpse in the back seat. And not just any man, mind you. He's a former Washington columnist, making a come-back on the trail of the "story of the decade." But who would want him dead? And why are America's biggest power players suddenly converging on the San Francisco Police Department? And finally, will Lt. Hastings be forced to face the murderer alone? It's kill or be killed in this spine-tingling thriller."Collin Wilcox is San Francisco's gift to the police procedural." (San Francisco Chronicle)

213 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Aka Carter Wick

Collin Wilcox was an American mystery writer.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, his first book was The Black Door (1967), featuring a sleuth possessing extrasensory perception. His major series of novels was about Lieutenant Frank Hastings of the San Francisco Police Department. Titles in the Hastings series included Hire a Hangman, Dead Aim, Hiding Place, Long Way Down and Stalking Horse. Two of his last books, Full Circle and Find Her a Grave, featured a new hero-sleuth, Alan Bernhardt, an eccentric theater director. Wilcox also published under the pseudonym "Carter Wick".

Wilcox's most famous series-detective was the television character Sam McCloud, a New Mexico deputy solving New York crime. The "urban cowboy" was played by Dennis Weaver in the 1970-1977 TV series McCloud. Wilcox wrote three novelizations based on scripts from the series: McCloud (1973), The New Mexican Connection (1974), and The Park Avenue Executioner (1975).

Reviews

[Patsy]

Very engaging characters.

liked the characters and plot of book. After finishing first read book wanted more stories I especially with Lieutenant Hastings.