Earl Swagger is tough as hell. But even tough guys have their secrets.
Plagued by the memory of his abusive father, apprehensive about his own
impending parenthood, Earl is a decorated ex-Marine of absolute
integrity--and overwhelming melancholy. Now he's about to face his
biggest, bloodiest challenge yet.
It is the summer of 1946, organized crime's garish golden age, when
American justice seems to have gone to seed for good. Nowhere is this
more true than in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the reigning capital of
corruption. When the district attorney vows to bring down the mob, Earl
is recruited to run the show. As casino raids erupt into
nerve-shattering combat amid screaming prostitutes and fleeing johns,
the body count mounts--along with the suspense.