The Skeen Chronicles — Edward Cline

The Skeen Chronicles is the thirty-first Cyrus Skeen title, set in December 1930. The series itself is set in San Francisco between 1927 and 1930. His late friend, Mickey Kane, reporter for the San Francisco Observer-World, kept a record of Skeen's escapades and cases and embarked on the task of writing a narrative. But stopped when he was murdered in April 1930. Kane's widow, Lilly, appears in Skeen's office one morning in early December, 1930, and reveals that her husband had written a book detailing the detective's doings, beginning before the two had even met. She wants to publish the book, but seeks Skeen's permission. Skeen is not sure he would want such a book published. He tells Lilly, “I'm not a glutton for publicity.”