African American/Black Historical Fiction//Mystery & Crime//Private Detective. It's Saturday night, July 15th, 1944; and the Avalon night club is jumping with Blues and Jazz lovers of all colors. Slaughter is the young African American owner of the Avalon night club in his early thirties, the owner of the Avalon, is in the center of his universe, Oakland, California, the Harlem of the West coast. Max meets the beautiful Lily Carter, who dies in his bed, searches for her son, finds her murderer, and buries her. Max's journey pits him against two of the city's most powerful men and their plans for postwar riches.