Cain in the Arras — John Salonia

When Richard Cain quit his professorship to take up full-time sleuthing, he settled in Fenwood, New Jersey â€" a thoroughly haunted city located by bad luck (and even worse civic planning) on the ominous intersection of three ley-lines. Due to the eerie forces drawn to Fenwood's occult position, R. Cain investigations, Inc., was swiftly changed into Arcane Iinvestigations. In his first novel-length adventure, Cain is drawn into a web of murder, deceit, greed, love, betrayal and the darkest magic when a rare oriental rug found wrapped around a dead sorcerer is stolen. The trail leads Cain into a hidden world where creatures of legend lurk, ready to lure and enslave the puny humans on which they prey. Even Cain's special talents may not be enough to protect him from the monstrous demon-gods waiting to reestablish their rulership of the earth! There have been many psychic detectives, from Professor Abraham Van Helsing to Drs. Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz & Egon Spengler. But there's never been one like Richard Cain, ex-professor of English literature, who tries to walk in the hardboiled footsteps of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe with the maddest â€" and funniest â€" results!