Friction Shifting: A Drake Simo Mystery

Drake Simo visits Pedro State University’s art museum to see a painting by Joni Mitchell. The theft of Latina professor Constance Sienna’s digital print, Las Amigas and the Gringo Racist Devils, while Drake is in the building—and a disproportionate reward for its recovery—ensnares him in a rambling, raucous investigation. Insipid ports of call—the hallowed halls of Pedro State, a decrepit trailer park, a labor line for undocumented workers—transport Drake closer to the crime’s murky explanation. Incestuous attachments and false prophets encircle this mystery’s musky womb of unholy alliances. Substitute teacher and ex-bicycle racer Drake Simo, distractible and non-violent, is not your average shamus. He lives in the quirky college community of Skyview and solves crimes in an attempt to gain some degree of insight—and earn money.