In late 1978, when a gallon of gasoline cost 71 cents ($2.93 today), San Franciscans encountered tragic events: the Jonestown mass suicide and the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk. These atrocities, fictionalized, comprise the bases of this dual-plot novel.

Although in 1967 the Beatles recorded “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, based on a drawing made by John Lennon’s young son, San Francisco’s drug culture adapted the title’s capitalized letters to another meaning: LSD, aka “Lucy.”

"...an intriguing read that captivates the imagination of mystery and thriller fans --- and those who harbor hope that anyone in the depths of despair can climb out of an abyss."

Novice private investigator Colleen Hayes hears from struggling newspaper vendor Lucky about a plot to kill the mayor. Misnamed Lucky resides at the decrepit Thunderbird Motel in a room adjacent to Shuggy Johnston, who has connections to neo-Nazis. He also is a drug dealer buying wholesale contraband from Moon Ranch. That cult has a restraining order against Colleen preventing contact with her estranged daughter Pamela, who had made drug deliveries to Shuggy. Colleen schmoozes him and gleans information about Pam’s whereabouts. Without hard evidence regarding the assassination plot, her contacts at SFPD backburner the matter --- until Lucky is beaten to near-death and tossed into a dumpster.

Colleen learns that Pam has left the Moon Ranch cult to join Die Kerk van die Volmaakte, Afrikaans’ vernacular for Church of the Perfect. “Vintage Pam: pick the worst possible option and go for it with gusto.” She is part of a 242-member pilgrimage, at the base of an Ecuadorian volcano about to erupt. A biblical reference to purification by fire?

The aspiring PI treks through the Ecuadorian rainforest to rescue Pam and return her to San Francisco. Although Colleen’s paramilitary endeavors seem implausible, they underscore a mother’s love for her progeny --- and atone for murdering Pam’s father, who had sexually abused his own child.

BAD SCENE, the third installment in Max Tomlinson’s series (following TIE DIE), is an intriguing read that captivates the imagination of mystery and thriller fans --- and those who harbor hope that anyone in the depths of despair can climb out of an abyss.