The Black Marble [Paperback]

Two LAPD cops stumble into trouble during a search for a kidnapped dog in this “superb”New York Timesbestseller from the author ofHollywood Station(St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

Russian-American detective A. A. Valnikov is a burned-out homicide detective who gets teamed with Natalie Zimmerman, twice-divorced with a grudge against men. These unlikely partners are assigned the strange case of a stolen show dog being held for ransom. In this bittersweet tale that theLos Angeles Timescalled “terrifying and romantic,” the partners will find much more than they ever could have imagined.Cosmopolitancalled it “fast, colorful and gripping . . . as touching as it is breathlessly entertaining.”

Russian-American detective A. A. Valnikov is a burned-out homicide detective who gets teamed with Natalie Zimmerman, twice-divorced with a grudge against men. These unlikely partners are assigned the strange case of a stolen show dog being held for ransom. In this bittersweet tale that theLos Angeles Timescalled “terrifying and romantic,” the partners will find much more than they ever could have imagined.Cosmopolitancalled it “fast, colorful and gripping . . . as touching as it is breathlessly entertaining.”

The son of a policeman, Joseph Wambaugh (b. 1937) began his writing career while a member of the Los Angeles Police Department. He joined the LAPD in 1960 after three years in the Marine Corps, and rose to the rank of detective sergeant before retiring in 1974. His first novel,The New Centurions(1971), was a quick success, drawing praise for its realistic action and intelligent characterization, and was adapted into a feature film starring George C. Scott. He followed it up withThe Blue Knight(1972), which was adapted into a mini-series starring William Holden and Lee Remick.