The Pink Tarantula
A Novel in 9 Episodes

In this novel of nine closely related episodes, we join Crip and Henrietta, as unlikely a detective duo as ever hit the streets. Crip and Henrietta arent your typical California private eyes. For one thing, Crips real name is Tom Bateman. His sometime sidekick with body piercings and spiked green hair, Henrietta, calls him Crip because hes in a wheelchair. When she isnt mocking him, Henrietta grows marijuana, hangs with jailbirds, and brings in cases that reek of troubleand weedat first sniff. Henriettas idea of a favor? Well, a couple of crazed fighting dogs need a home. In these episodes, we watch Crip and Henriettas relationship grow as both characters struggle to bridge chasms of bitterness and mistrust. The private eye business in California hasnt gotten this kind of a reworking since Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler planted their gumshoes onto these mean streets.