The year is 1972. America is awash in violence, and Los Angeles is drowning in it. The gruesome Tate-LaBianca slayings by the Manson Family attempting to ignite a Helter Skelter race war remain front page news as the bizarre trial unfolds. With the hot embers of racial hatred that ignited the Watts Riots still smoldering just below the surface, the tension makes LA's smoggy air even harder to breathe. Most folks go about their daily routines and simply hope for the best.

Max Stoller isn't like most people. Confident he can make a difference, and anxious to test his mettle, the naive...