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Dennis Meechum is a Los Angeles police officer turned successful crime novelist, still haunted by a shootout that nearly killed him years earlier. When a professional killer named Cleve comes forward with an offer, Dennis sees the makings of a second book: an insider's account of a life spent carrying out murders for a wealthy businessman, David Madlock. Cleve has his own reasons for talking, having fallen out with the man he once served, and he wants the story told before it can be buried.

The two men set out to gather evidence and testimony, but Madlock's reach is long, and the closer the project comes to completion, the more dangerous it becomes for everyone connected to it, including Dennis's daughter Holly and his editor Roberta.

John Flynn directed the film, the sixth of the nine features listed in his career, from a screenplay by Larry Cohen. James Woods plays Cleve opposite Brian Dennehy as Dennis, with Victoria Tennant, Allison Balson, Paul Shenar and George Coe in supporting roles. Released in September 1987, it took in about 4 million dollars worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds a 6.4 rating from roughly 7,100 votes, while TMDB shows 6 out of 10 from a much smaller base of 153 votes. A critics' rating of 6.1 from 17 reviews places it broadly in line with those audience scores.