It is 1987: the "greed is good" era. When anxious ad agency whiz Ben Franklin Green accidentally falls through a wall during a hilarious boardroom presentation, he hops a plane and flies west instead of returning to work. During a nostalgic sojourn in the eucalyptus and marijuana-scented playland of LA's sexy Laurel Canyon, he plans to develop a book with his former mentor about the sham that is the advertising business. But his plans are short-lived as they get news that his mentor's outdoorsy daughter has been kidnapped while working in the Rocky Mountain wilds. Ben, with the sharp creativity of a Madison Avenue idea man, becomes an unlikely detective as he is reluctantly drawn into the case.
The brisk, irreverent narrative of The Idea People recalls literary voices of nature-loving writers such as Jim Harrison, Ed Abbey, Rick Bass, James A. McLaughlin, and Charles Frazier. Western-style battles, carnal capers, wild animals, and outlaws present uncharacteristic challenges for the urban, neurotic protagonist. There are love interests, bear encounters, wild horseback rides, a gun belt, an arrow wound, back-country brawls, '80s-style boozing, and an engaging amount of Sherlock Holmes-style ratiocination. Ben's interest in nature, loyalty to his friends, and an uncanny ability to see what others miss, just might allow him to become a rare bird who finds a new life and love in the Wild West.