Publisher's Synopsis
In William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, a speaker, Marcellus, a guard, talks to his philosophical comrade, Horatio, saying, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." The reason of his saying this is just not that Denmark was facing dirt, but the situation in Denmark was similar to a fish that rots from head to tail, or in other words, it shows that everything was not good at the top of the political hierarchy. A similar situation is happening in Portsmouth as Chief Tim Slone is battling murder and corruption in his society. Portsmouth's mayor, William Beasley, is ambitious and greedy. He is facing election and needs financing from labor and lobbyists. Powerful and ruthless forces from the state capitol usually make these donations happen, but Beasley has been neglecting his responsibilities and has entered into illegal activities involving toxic waste and call girls. Beasley has become a political liability, and the decision was made that he must be eliminated. Officer Alice M. Combs is instrumental in bringing down the call girl operation, and a vengeful killer vows that she must pay for killing his sister. Alice M. Combs faces danger and certain death until Rufus Malone, owner of Good Golly (Malone's restaurant), comes to her rescue and asks for her hand.
