Shadoe "Shad" Kilbourne has it all. He is a successful club owner and restaurateur living the good life in Seattle. In addition to his business empire, he has a close-knit group of friends and an army of loyal employees. He is also a vigilante who sometimes provides his services for money and always dispenses justice on his terms.
The story begins when senator and presidential hopeful Richard Marcum approaches Shad to find his wayward daughter, Chrystal. She has become lost in the world of illicit drugs and prostitution and may be a liability if she surfaces at a bad time. Shad takes the job, promising Marcum he will find his daughter if she is still alive.
During the course of his investigation, Shad meets several colorful characters, some benevolent and some nefarious. All evidence indicates that under the streets of Seattle lies a super-secret den of iniquity, and that Chrystal is caught up in it. Shad and his comrades-in-arms are up to the task.
"The Liquid City" doesn't lack in excitement, but it contains flaws that some may find difficult to overlook. The characters are slightly unbelievable. The supporting cast uses slang that sometimes feels inauthentic and is distracting. Shad himself can get others to tell him their most personal secrets after a few minutes of conversation. He turns a reclusive gay artist into a bubbly heterosexual in 150 pages. Besides being possibly offensive to some readers, something as complex as human sexuality can't be sorted out in a couple of weeks of subjective time.
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