Based on the character created by famous crime writer John D MacDonald, this is an intricate yarn typical of modern American crime fiction. With Sam Elliott as the title character and Gene Evans as his partner Meyer, the film was designed as a pilot for an intended series. The case hinges on the death in a boating accident of a man named Hub Lawless. The Sheriff (Barry Corbin) blames the boat's skipper for the accident, but McGee and Meyer set out to clear the skipper's name.

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