The novel is about a famous and a celebrated lawyer in Hollywood named Harry Cain. Married to Nancy, a very reserved and
understanding woman with whom he has a
daughter named Gail, in her tweenties but lovestrucked to a womanizer magazine editor. Harry is against the relationship especially when he found out that his daughter is pregnant. Towards the end of the story, Gail had miscarriage and in the hospital she reconciled with her
father.
The story started with the funeral ceremony of David Grant, a famous gay Hollywood director, who mysteriously died in his home . He was known for his ascerbic attitudes but lovable to his friends and colleagues in the business. Harry Cain is among them including his wife Nancy. Harry could not still believe of what happened to David Grant, how he died by falling down from his veranda, Everybody in the funeral are puzzled. Was it an accident or intentionally done to him?
With those thoughts in mind, Harry pursued his lawyering profession. Cases after cases he handled. The most celebrated case was with that of Sonny Ball, a Hollywood's matinee idol who was indicted with sexual harrassment involving a police officer in a cheap moviehouse. The case stemmed from the allegations of a police officer that Sonny Ball stroked his private parts inside the toilet room. The production company has to protect the image of Ball. Harry, the lawyer, with all his legal prowess proved to the jury that his client was innocent. Subsequently, Sonny Ball was acquitted.
Another celebrated case involved about an intellectual right of a TV series " High Rise" known as United Broadcasting System versus Parlier. With legal tricks and cunning, Harry Cain won over the jury. His client won convincingly and was awarde damages. There were other cases in the novel that Harry Cain's legal prowess was tested. There was one which involved marital infidelity and another with that of a property limit/boundary.The former put Harry in shame as this client backoff and reconciled with his wife.
Inspite of his fame as a lawyer, Harry Cain was involved with other girls other than his wife. His womanizing escapades were understood by Nancy who loved him so dearly. Their daughter Gail has her own problems also involving his relationship with a famous magazine editor. In the hospital where she was confined because of miscarriage, Gail showed to her father how she dearly loved him. The father and daughter reconciled their differences.
Heard that the Malibu estate of David Grant was already sold and due for transfer to a new owner, Harry decided to go to the house and recover some books which Grant's gave him.
He enterd the house one fine evening and while having a drink of champagne, he heard that somebody entered the house. He was surprised to find out that it's Sonny Ball, the matinee idol whom he defended in a sexual harassment case. There and then he found out that Ball is looking for the drugs. Heated arguments followed between him and Ball. They fought until Ball was subdued. That was the time that he learned that Ball was the murderer of David Grant.