First published 1994
Blondy Niles scrapes by as a failed boxer in a world of dive bars and street hustlers. When con man Salty Banks recruits him for a rigged fight, Blondy becomes an easy mark in a scheme that will destroy him. The prostitute Louise offers genuine friendship, but Blondy falls under the control of Mrs. Boxx, a massive woman who runs a makeshift abortion clinic from her converted house. Despite witnessing the horrors Mrs. Boxx inflicts, Blondy cannot break free from her influence. He participates in acts that repel him yet remains powerless to escape. Only Dorothy, Mrs. Boxx's young daughter, tries to help him leave this nightmare. But even when Blondy finally breaks away from the demonic woman's grip, violence follows him. The brutal world that shaped him demands payment in blood, and everyone Blondy cares about pays the price.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, power-imbalance, tragic-hero
131 pages · Paperback · Louisiana State Univ Pr
Content warnings: abuse, violence