A Trip Callaway Gig

Cold War Copa is the first book in The Sideman Mysteries, a pulp fiction tale of Sin City during its Golden Age from author, playwright, and composer Phil Swann. Las Vegas in 1965: Gangsters, showgirls, the Rat Pack, cool is king, and everything swings. Especially Trip Callaway, a young, wise-cracking trumpet player working the Sands. But when people around him start getting knocked off, Trip is thrust into a dangerous maze of secrets, lies, murder, and Cold War intrigue, where nothing is how it seems and no one is who they say they are.

Las Vegas, 1965. Hot off the heels of his last adventure in Cold War Copa, Trip Callaway, the young, wise-cracking musician with dreams as big as the Hoover Dam, has reluctantly agreed to go undercover and do some light spying for the government - light spying, as in report on who’s hobnobbing with whom in the casinos along The Strip. But when Trip is asked to pose as a trumpet teacher to the 13-year-old step-son of a notorious crime boss, he quickly realizes he’s agreed to more than he bargained for.

"Lights, camera, Trip! Los Angeles, 1966. Hot off the heels of his last adventure in Mekong Delta Blues, Trip Callaway, the young, wise-cracking musician with dreams as big as The Golden State itself, takes a break from his steady gig on the Vegas Strip to do some easy undercover work in Hollywood for his secret agency benefactors. It's Hollywood; how dangerous could it be? But as Trip quickly discovers, The Dream Factory can also be a nightmare.

Trip takes a vacation! Miami Beach, 1966. Hot off the heels of his last adventure in Tinseltown Tango, Trip Callaway, the young, wise-cracking musician with dreams as big as the Atlantic Ocean, is forced to take a break from his steady gig on the Vegas Strip to soak up some rays and mojitos in the Sunshine State courtesy of Uncle Sam.

Fore! Las Vegas, 1966. Hot off the heels of his last adventure in Ships & Salsa, musician Trip Callaway, sideman to the stars and part-time undercover spook, discovers he’s got a secret admirer. The problem is the secret admirer is lying dead in the morgue. Trip is ordered to stay cool and let the professionals handle it. Staying cool is no problem—as for the other part, not so much.