Since nobody else is available, Jake goes out to investigate. He expects to find a victim of the cold stormy weather but soon learns that the dead man was a victim of foul play. Through hard work and old-fashioned police investigative skills, Jake and his crew discover that the deceased is a truck driver, who along with his partner, was returning to his home base after a run to Nogales. No one knows where the truckload of one million dollars worth of freight is or whether the partner is dead or alive. The case turns more bizarre as Jake keeps digging deeper in an effort to bring a killer to justice.
Readers watch a homicide investigation from the beginning call up to the arrest and confession.
It is so well written that the audience will feel like a team member obtaining insider information. Jake remains a fabulous detective and his crew helps bring out much of his personality with their interactions and relationships. FIVE CARD STUD is a police procedural novel that is fun to cruise along with.