In The Smokeout, Philip Marlowe finds himself embroiled in a case that begins with a phone call from Detective Lieutenant Matthews. He learns that Vera Hamlin, a young woman who had written to him for help, has been killed in what appears to be a tragic accident. However, Marlowe's instincts tell him that there is more to the story than meets the eye. As he heads to the morgue to identify Vera, he learns that she had been struck by a car outside the home of a man named Brasso, who has a questionable alibi.