High Priest of California

High Priest of California, first published in 1953, is a gritty noir thriller by Charles Willeford. The book, Willeford's first novel, centers on San Francisco used-car salesman Russell Haxby, a highly unpleasant character, who, motivated perhaps by sheer boredom, engages in small time cons and seduces a married woman. Willeford (1919-1988) is best known for his books featuring hardboiled detective Hoke Moseley.