It should be a mellow time for Mike Hammer—he and Velda are planning their nuptials, and Captain of Homicide Pat Chambers is nearing retirement. Then an assassin targets Hammer on his office doorstep. Could the attempted hit have anything to do with the impending release of a serial killer put away by Mike and Pat? Or is it the $89 billion in Mafia money stashed in a location known only to Hammer? With wiseguys and the government on his tail, Hammer must prove that he is just as sharp as ever.