Shadow Ticket

Thomas Pynchon

Milwaukee, 1932. Private eye Hicks McTaggart gets sent out on what should be a routine case, locating and bringing back the heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune who’s taken a mind to go wandering. By the time Hicks catches up with her in Hungary he will find himself also entangled with Nazis, Soviet agents, British counterspies, swing musicians, outlaw motorcyclists, and the troubles that come with each of them.

Surrounded by history he can’t see his way around in or out of, the only bright side for Hicks is it’s the dawn of the Big Band Era and he’s a pretty good dancer. Whether this will be enough to allow him to Lindy-hop his way back again to Milwaukee, and the normal world, is another question.