Charlie Nickels has a hard life as a gumshoe in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, and things are only made harder by the murder of a client and the theft of her 300 karat diamond. 

With the help of his wise-cracking secretary, Ida, Charlie seeks out the many suspects: smarmy bookworm Clive, equestrian beauty Veronica, snooty butler Wilson, sensitive muscle Louie, and mob boss Bugsy Siegel. At the center of the case is femme fatale Mona, a nightclub singer who captures Charlie's affections...and suspicions. 

Packed with romance, intrigue, and murder, this detective noir is a smart parody that will keep you guessing until the end.

"Set in 1947 Hollywood, where life is as cheap as a chalk-stripe suit, Bill Roben's smart, snappy parody of hard-boiled noir comes complete with jaded gumshoe, a dame in distress -- and plenty of moid-ah."

source: https://origintheatrical.com.au/work/9142