Jason Wood runs a freelance information business. On an assignment for the police he discovers that a drug kingpin may be a vampire. That's just the beginning!! Good book!
A group of scientists, and engineer, and a space ship racer take a new intergalactic ship on its maiden voyage, and end up...where? Well, the Grand Central Arena, where they have to deal with hundreds or thousands of other alien races to win a place in society, and a chance to return to Earth. More or less.
Good story, I thought.