When Peter James leaves a respectful job teaching film at Columbia University to move to Hollywood, he thinks he"s got it made. At first things go well--he becomes an assistant to an important movie producer, Max Fischer, triples his salary, and gets to sleep with beautiful women just past the age of consent. But soon Peter realizes he"s only a lackey, that Hollywood is horrible and that he"s quickly sinking to its level. When Tracy, the daughter of a rival producer with whom Peter is having an affair, accuses Max of rape and Tracy"s friend, ex-prostitute Marina, turns up dead, Peter finds himself in the middle of mystery he"s more involved in than he"s willing to reveal.