First published 2021
Aloysius Archer steps off a bus in Bay Town, California, carrying cash from a Reno gambling win and hoping to leave his prison past behind. The World War II veteran has traveled west with Liberty Callahan, an aspiring actress bound for Hollywood dreams. Archer lands an apprenticeship with Willie Dash, a former FBI agent turned private investigator. His first case involves blackmail against a wealthy politician running for mayor, but the assignment quickly turns deadly. Bodies start dropping as Archer and Dash dig deeper into the corruption beneath Bay Town's glittering surface. They navigate brothels, gambling operations, and drug rings while uncovering secrets that powerful people will kill to protect. The town promises fame and fortune to desperate newcomers, but Archer discovers it feeds on their weaknesses instead. As the case spirals into something far more dangerous than simple blackmail, Archer must survive the very place he hoped would offer him redemption.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action, world-war-ii
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, redemption, small-town
Setting: Bay Town, California, Reno
Period: World War II
432 pages · Kindle Edition · Grand Central Publishing