First published 2015
Abe Baach stands at the gallows in Cinder Bottom on a rainy August morning in 1910. The famous poker player faces execution alongside Goldie Toothman, madam of Keystone's most notorious brothel. Seven years earlier, Abe fled West Virginia under suspicion of armed robbery and murder. He spent those years hustling cards along the coast under false names. When he finally returned to Keystone to reunite with Goldie and settle old scores, he discovered his brother dead and his father's saloon destroyed. The same men who framed him years ago seem responsible for his family's ruin. Now Abe must orchestrate one final con to expose the truth and claim his revenge. The story unfolds against the backdrop of 1910 America, when Halley's Comet sparked apocalyptic fears and Jack Johnson's victory over Jim Jeffries shattered racial expectations. This tale of exile and retribution weaves together elements of heist thriller and love story in the booming coal country of West Virginia.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, heist, revenge
Setting: Cinder Bottom, Keystone, West Virginia
Period: 1910, Halley's Comet
400 pages · Paperback · Tin House Bookes
Content warnings: violence