Fast-paced, razor-sharp, and steeped in the intrigue of Hollywood’s power struggles, Rafferty Returns is a riveting plunge into the hidden underbelly of the dream factory, leading Jon Rafferty and the studio to the precipice of murder and heartbreak.

Rafferty Returns is a razor-sharp neo-noir that plunges into the shadows cast by the spotlight. Jon Rafferty once reigned supreme over Hollywood’s spin machine. But after a spectacular fall from grace marked by scandal, divorce, and the collapse of his PR empire, he is restored to power and responsibility at Selwyn Bros.-Ince, one of the few giant studios, bearing the enigmatic title: Director of Special Projects. His mandate? To handle the studio’s most sensitive challenges, volatile movie stars, powerful studio executives, relentless law enforcement, ambitious politicians, and a voracious press. Rafferty is the man who douses flare-ups, contains brush fires, and manages full-blown catastrophes. And Jake Burnham, the studio chief, owes him—deeply. The governor’s daughter is discovered at a murder scene. A predatory Wall Street raider begins circling the studio. Their top producer slips into scandal. It’s just another day at the office for Jon Rafferty. But when megastar Jimmy Mathews is found dead at the legendary Chateau Marmont mere days before the premiere of SBI’s most expensive and anticipated film, Rafferty finds himself thrust into a high-stakes chase for missing witnesses. Navigating a shadowy world of rogue Vice Squad detectives, MS-13 enforcers, and an ever-growing body count, Rafferty must solve the mysteries and find killers—or risk being the next victim of a criminal conspiracy far more dangerous than he could have imagined.

Thom Mount began his career in film at Roger Corman Productions, developing scripts for producers Daniel Selznick and Hannah Weinstein. He also worked as a journalist, contributing to publications such as The Village Voice and Interview Magazine. In 1973, he joined Universal Pictures, rising to head of production and becoming president by the age of twenty-six. During his tenure, films like The Deer Hunter, Animal House, Scarface, E.T., and The Breakfast Club were produced under his leadership. After thirteen years at Universal, he founded The Mount Company, producing acclaimed films including Bull Durham, Frantic, Tequila Sunrise, Natural Born Killers, and Can’t Buy Me Love. The company also produced for Broadway and London’s West End. Mount served two terms as president of the Producers Guild of America and co-founded The Los Angeles Film School. He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1977. Frequently cited as the inspiration for the studio head in Robert Altman’s The Player, Mount famously quipped, “Not me. I’ve never murdered a screenwriter—yet.”