Meet Preston "Presto" Kane... freelance writer, former newspaper reporter, part-time researcher for a Pacific Grove private investigator. When Presto is assigned to ferret out background information on the upcoming auction of a legendary gem, it all seems part of a normal day's work-until a young woman turns up dead in Presto's shower and he's the prime suspect. Suddenly Presto is a man with a target on his back, the grand prize in a cat-and-mouse game played out in renowned locales throughout the Monterey Peninsula, from Pacific Grove's quaint cottages to the mansions in Carmel Highlands and beyond.Even though Presto's favorite weapon is his wry wit, he is forced to learn to shoot straight and drive like Mario Andretti as he eludes his pursuers and digs for the truth. The stakes ratchet up with players ranging from old money families to a crooked cop, Hollywood wannabes and a feuding pair of high-tech moguls-all against the fog-shrouded backdrop of the world-famous Monterey Peninsula. Fans of mysteries with a fast-thinking, wise-cracking amateur sleuth will take an instant liking to Preston Kane ...... while anyone who has fallen in love with the beauty and heritage of the Monterey Peninsula won't want to missA Quaint Town for a Killing is the third of 11 Pacific Grove Books by Patricia Hamilton, for and about residents and visitors to Butterfly Town USA,