by Jess Walter
First published 2005
Vince Camden pockets his weekly batch of stolen credit cards and heads to his witness protection job at a donut shop in Spokane. The year is 1980, and Carter faces Reagan in the final week before the presidential election. At the shop, Vince develops feelings for Kelly, a regular customer who works for a local politician. One night at three in the morning, Vince finds himself in a parking lot helping the politician evade two threatening thugs. His troubles multiply when he encounters a young detective and discovers his credit card scam partner dead in his passport photo office, a small bullet hole in his head. Vince must navigate between his criminal past, his protected present, and the dangerous forces closing in around him. The story captures a small-time crook caught between worlds during a pivotal moment in American politics.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: criminal-past, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Spokane, United States
Period: 1980
293 pages · Hardcover · Harper