by Rafi Zabor
First published 2022
An old-school cannabis dealer catches wind of changing times and dreams big. He wants to build an Old-Time Grass Business Theme Park, complete with rides and a disco. His loyal but bewildered young employee might be on the autism spectrum and struggles to keep up. The local cop grows increasingly frustrated because he can't arrest the people who matter most since the town depends on their money. He plots one final bust to claim his piece of the action. Meanwhile, a smooth-talking outsider snaps up local properties, supposedly for a tobacco corporation but actually serving his own agenda. A Tibetan Buddhist teacher from New Jersey speaks like Tony Soprano while teaching dharma. His student is an earth mother type, wryly attractive but consumed with worry about her troubled son. These characters collide in a story that moves like a thriller, dives into unexpected philosophical territory, and crackles with comedic energy. At its heart, this is a tale about people searching for meaning and connection in a world where everything seems up for grabs.
Genres: fiction, crime, contemporary, comedy
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: New Jersey, Tibetan
Period: 21st-century
296 pages · Paperback · Terra Nova Press
Content warnings: drug-use