Jim finds the murdered body of Prentiss Carr in his hotel room and after reporting the incident to the police learns it has been classified as suicide.
Jim is hired by a newspaper woman to find her missing friend, who then insists on tagging along to "help" his investigation. The missing friend had a sordid past, and several of her old friends want to find her just as badly.
Jim travels to Newark, and draws the attention of organized crime and the FBI. The FBI is protecting Jim's target because he is a former federal witness. The target is found dead, and Jim's client has some explaining to do.
Rockford is hired by a secretive woman who refuses to tell him anything about herself, and gives him an unusual task - to simply find her. Soon, Jim is embroiled in the mysterious woman's life, including the mobster who is after her.
Jim tails a woman just released from prison. She was involved in a robbery of a Marine Corps payroll. The mastermind of the crime and his henchman follow her as well. They search for the remaining robber who wound up with the loot.
Rockford ends up in the Nevada desert (starting with the bright lights of Las Vegas) searching for a rich guy's mistress and her suitcase of precious "documents."
When knowledge of a critically ill convict's hidden fortune comes to light, Rockford becomes involved in helping the con's wife find the treasure before his former partner arrives and demands his share.
Jim investigates a large corporation when one of its executives is kidnapped and the wife of another executive claims the company murdered her husband.
Rockford discovers the investment firm Fiscal Dynamics is a financial fraud and its president Leon Fielder will do anything to prevent him from destroying his company.
Jim's old friend Sara Butler hires him to find out the real reason her employee Aura Lee Benton died. The police believe it was a drug overdose but Sara is convinced she was murdered.
Jim's girlfriend suddenly disappears with no clue as to how or why. Lt. Diel thinks Rockford is probably responsible for her disappearance and orders him to stay away from the case. But Jim can't stop until he finds out what happened.
Jim's old girlfriend, Claire Prescott, phones and asks him to help give her protection from 2 hoods chasing her. He soon discovers there's a missing undercover cop, which puts him up against an arrogant Cpt. Highland, as well.
Charlie Harris, Rockford's former cell mate, is suspected of murdering his rich wife and is on the run. He calls on Rockford to find his alibi witness, a mystery woman with whom he was having an affair.
A race car driver dies in an apparent accident that his mother, an old friend of Jim's, thinks was no accident. It turns out he was part of an insurance scam outfit and they soon have a similar plan for Rockford.
An insurance company hires Rockford to locate a missing woman who is due an inheritance. He finds her in Las Vegas where she is an unwitting pawn in a money laundering operation.