Kip and Marty, two PI's track leads on the criminal behavior of Dock, a felon who directs a homeless shelter. Dock hates snitches and rats, yet becomes one to try to save his own skin. When it doesn't work, the mob kills him, and Kip replaces him as the director. There's a curious bond between them-- the ex-cop and the murderer. This is a book about good guys and bad guys. The big difference is, in this book the good guys are not perfect; there are no hearts of gold and only honorable intentions. The bad guys too, turn out not to be all that bad. They have a caring, even loving side. And the scruffy, smelly, distasteful street people turn out to be ... decent. Real human beings in painful situations. More concerned with the well-being of their companions than many a "normal" family could honestly claim. While the plot deals with theft, murder, scandal and the seamy side of life in the underclass, it also is a fascinating study of human nature.